Merritt: 30-17-2-6 (68pts) - 2nd in Interior (2pts up on Prince George, but PG has 1 game in hand)
LAST GAME: 2-1 OT loss to Penticton on Saturday (5 game points streak, with 9 of a possible 10 points gained)
Trail: 11-37-1-4 (27pts) - 8th(last) in Interior
LAST GAME: 5-4 loss in Westside on Saturday (8th straight loss)
Season Series: Merritt 2-2-1-0 (outscored Trail 19-14)
pressure is more or less off after the Cents clinched a playoff spot with the OT point
despite the Cents finally finding success vs Trail after struggling off the start (won their last 2 games by a combined score of 10-2), they still need to solve the Smokies at the Cominco Arena. In 2 appearances there so far, Merritt has tied a game 3-3 and lost 4-3
Cents are coming off arguably their most emotional game of the season on Saturday and probably fired up to get ne last chance at the Vees tomorrow (Thursday), but having 3 days off in between Saturday's game and tonight could be beneficial, allowing the players a chance to wind down, relax and regroup
the game vs Penticton was obviously exciting and showed lots of promise for what the Cents could do when they're at their best (and that was with an off period in the 2nd, just imagine a full 60), but it was also very frustrating considering the way it ended, how close the Cents were to ending "the streak" and the rivalry between the two teams. With that said, it will be interesting to see how the Cents respond tonight, if they're running around angry still, or able to stay loose and composed and stick to their game plan, waiting for their opportunities and pouncing like they did on Friday in Merritt
Saturday was also the first time in 5 games that Merritt's offense was slowed down, after scoring 26 goals over their 4 prior games... hopefully the players don't get discouraged considering how well they still played and the opposition that night. The best case scenario is that the team will use that loss as a springboard to get that much better down the stretch heading into the playoffs
*Here's an ironic stat for you... of all the playoff teams, Merritt has the worst record in the last 10 games at 4-5-0-1, but coming into tonight, they might be the 2nd hottest team in the league next to, obviously, Penticton
the key on Friday vs Trail was not to look ahead to Penticton the following night, and the Cents were able to focus quite well mentally... today they'll have the same goal obviously, with another chance at Penticton tomorrow, but they also have to be careful not to get cocky, even if it's subconscious, considering how easily they handles the Smokies at home on Friday. It's very unlikely that Trail will allow themselves to get run over at home
I'm sure Saturday's game will still, at least somewhat, weigh on the minds of the players, thinking about what could have been and how close they came, and knowing they get another chance tomorrow, but making this long trip to Trail, despite first glance, might actually be beneficial in helping to focus their minds on tonight, and getting over Saturday
obviously the importance of this game is in the standings, with Prince George knocking on the door (2 points back and a game in hand), but it's also important for the team to stay feeling good about themselves and continue this current 5 game points streak heading into tomorrow... they'll need as much confidence as possible vs the Vees, and they had that on Saturday, which is why they came so close. They also want the fans to keep feeling good about the team, and come out in full droves tomorrow night at home, for a normally poor draw on a Thursday
*This is the last building Merritt will play in during the regular season, with one more trip to the Cominco Arena next Friday (March 9th). They wrap up the regular season at home to Trail on March 10th, and then hopefully, if all goes according to plan, their next road game won't come until March 19th, game 3 of the first round playoffs, either in Prince George or Chilliwack. The 1st game of the playoffs will be Friday, March 16th, and the Cents are counting on that being in the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena. They have by far the upper hand down the stretch with 3 games vs Trail, 1 vs Salmon Arm, and the Penticton game tomorrow, so 2nd place is theirs to lose
*I didn't get the lineups before we left on the trip this morning, but head coach Luke Pierce indicated to me that the scratch will be a game-time decision and that Tyler Steel will get his 2nd consecutive start between the pipes, even though he hinted that it would be Lino on Saturday
Face-off tonight is at 7:30pm from the Cominco Arena in Trail. Our pre-game show gets underway at 7pm on Q101 FM in Merritt. You can also tune in online at Q101.ca or on the BCHL fanzone through bchl.ca
In this edition, we catch up with one of the funniest Centennials, Sean Maktaak. Lots of topics are covered, including his summers in Penticton, family support, racism in hockey, his unique "schtick" on the ice, and his role on the team. Enjoy!
I apologize for getting this up so late, but we only recorded it on Thursday night, and I wanted the focus to stay on the weekend games for the Cents vs Trail and Penticton. So I held off on posting this until now. Episode 8 of the roundtable has Alex Rawnsley from Powell River hosting a discussion with myself and Brandon Astle of the Langley Rivermen, as we take a look at the BCHL poll of "who is the most exciting player to watch in the BCHL?" We run down the list that they provide plus talk about some of our own picks. Then we lock in our personal choice. Enjoy!
This almost sums up the night for Merritt; they were right there, but just couldn't finish it off
It hardly seems fair to think about it, but the Merritt Centennials were 45 seconds away from snapping Penticton's marathon 35 game winning streak when the Vees found a way yet again to pull through and push the streak to 36 with a 2-1 double overtime victory:
for entertainment value, this might have been the best game of the season, and I think it was also the biggest crowd of the year, with 870 fans packing the old Memorial Arena. There were in for a treat to say the least. Unlike the game 1 month ago where Merritt lost 1-0, this game certainly lived up to its hype and then some
despite having to adjust from the worst team in the league to the best team in the league overnight, the Cents did that very seamlessly in the 1st period and went stride for stride, punch for punch with the Vees, trading chances in a fast, up and down opening 20 minutes
Penticton got an early power play and looked very dangerous on it, but the Centennials established their defensive desperation early, and Tyler Steel previewed what would be a phenomenal night for him on his 19th birthday as the Cents killed it off
One of Tyler Steel's many outstanding saves (Photo Courtesy of John O'Connor/Merritt News)
the Cents would go on to get 4 straight power plays in the 1st period, and frankly, they looked much better and more dangerous 5 on 5. The Vees were very efficient on the PK and easily outshot and outchanced Merritt while shorthanded
finally, while on a 5 on 3, the Cents got back to basics... Bruce got the puck back to the left point for Sabourin, he fed across to the right point for Marshall, who's one-timer was stopped, but Sean Maktaak outwaited Garteig on the rebound before sliding it into a half open net to open the scoring for the Cents (2nd goal in as many nights for Maktaak) late in the 1st. The 2nd assist was given to Bruce (which would extend his point streak to 5 games) but it should have been given to Sabourin, which might be changed. Had the Vees killed off all 4 penalties, they'd likely steal the momentum going into the 2nd period, but instead the Cents had it during the internmission
the 2nd period saw the Vees start to take the game over a bit as they outshot Merritt 15-5. Their skill took over as they had the Centennials pinned in their own zone a lot of times and peppered Tyler Steel, who remained unflappable in his crease
the Cents had a couple of isolated chances, particularly a 2 on 1 early in the 2nd by Stack and Soquila which could have broke the game open, but Soquila's efforts were denied by Garteig (who was superb himself all night long) and the rebound just trickled through the crease
the 2nd period saw the Centennials take 3 straight minor penalties of their own, and as they say, if you play with fire (the top ranked power play in the league), chances are, you'll get burned. And that's what happened. Joey Benik set up Mike Reilly for a one-timer from the right point, that was perfectly placed, finding its way through a maze of traffic over the left shoulder of Steel to tie the game at 1. This was the 2nd of the 3 straight power plays for the Vees, Merritt killed the last one off nicely. The goal also halted Steel's shutout streak at 95 minutes and 34 seconds. It stayed 1-1 going into the 3rd
Mike Reilly was all over the ice, also part of the physicality (photo courtesy of John O'Connor/Merritt News)
the 3rd period picked up where the 1st period left off. It was another exciting 20 minutes, lots of back and forth play, great goaltending, and plenty of physicality. It was very evenly played, and that showed in the shots (12-10 for Penticton) and on the scoreboard, where nobody was able to break through
despite getting outshot by 2, I thought Merritt was the more desperate team in the 3rd and had the better quality scoring chances. For the 2nd straight night, the 4th line seemed particularly hungry; they got plenty of scoring chances, specifically a 3 on 1 rush where Lamont fed a saucer pass in front to Schaefer, but he couldn't control the bouncing puck in his skates, and it turned into a broken play and a huge wasted chance
near the end of the 3rd, it seemed like both teams resigned to the fact that they'd go to overtime, and both seemed content with that scenario. It was the first time Merritt went to overtime in nearly 2 months, since a Dec. 29th 6-5 overtime loss to the Westside Warriors
the overtime session(s) proved to be just as exciting as the 3rd period, and actually wound up being the most exciting 9 minutes (and change) of the game. The two teams both seemed a little cautious at times, but they were both able to create some quality chances, and the goaltenders (the story of the game both ways) were again outstanding in giving their teams a chance to win. Merritt had the better chances overall, but just couldn't find that finish that was so prevalent over their past 4 games where they scored 26 times
with the game going to a 2nd overtime, 3 on 3, things really got interesting, and again the Cents appeared like they were going to end it, but Garteig made sure that wouldn't happen (he deserves all the credit for his league-leading goaltending stats)
just when it looked like a tie was the only possible result, which would be a very fitting result, the Vees Mike Reilly and Travis St. Denis worked a give and go, and Reilly drove wide ride on Fletcher, and from behind the goal, made a perfect centering pass to St. Denis who tipped it over Steel's blocker with 45 seconds left in the 2nd overtime, to, just barely, extend the Vees win streak to 36 games.
Despite the win, never in this streak was Penticton pushed quite as hard as the Cents pushed them tonight. And I'm sure despite the loss, the message was sent from Merritt... they will be a formidable opponent should these 2 teams meet in the 2nd round of the playoffs
*I was extremely impressed with the Cents physicality tonight. They were very aggressive and didn't take anything that they didn't give back. They were able to frustrate the Vees on a lot of occasions and tire them out by forcing the issue physically
*this really was an overall team effort. There wasn't a single guy on the team that I didn't notice at some point, including Dylan Chanter (back from injury, 1st game since securing a scholarship), Tyler Martin and the 4th line of Low, Schaefer and Lamont, who continue to do all the right things without being rewarded
*the goaltending battle was a real treat to watch, as both teams I'm sure got frustrated with 2 goalies who were on their game all night, and made it one of those low-scoring, but very entertaining affairs
*I think the 1st period and early 2nd period, the Cents had a real great chance to open up a multiple goal lead, which could have changed the complexion of this game, and obviously might have been enough to win. Despite scoring once in the 1st, Sean Maktaak had 3 glorious chances overall in the opening 20 mins, as did a few others, and the Cents could have easily gone into the room up by 2 or 3. But allowing the Vees to hang around and then go on a run of power plays was the ultimate undoing for the Cents
*Merritt has scored just 2 goals now in 3 games vs Penticton on home ice, and have been outscored 32-11 overall through 7 games
*This was the first time in more than 2 and a half months, since Dec. 6, that anyone has gotten any points from Penticton. That night, Logan Johnston had the double overtime winner, as the Vees beat the Westside Warriors 3-2 in Westbank
*Merritt's record vs Penticton of 1-4-0-2 might not look very impressive, but they are still the only team to get any points from the South Okanagan Events Centre, and the only team in the league to get more than 2 points from Penticton overall... they now have 4, which is a promising stat in the case that they meet again in the playoffs
*the single point gained extends Merritt's points streak to 5 games (9 of a possible 10 points), and it could be monumental come the end of the regular season, as it has given them a 2 point lead on Prince George for 2nd, even after the Spruce Kings beat Salmon Arm 4-1 to complete the series sweep 8-0 yesterday. Prince George still has 1 game in hand, but even if they win it, they have a much tougher schedule to end the season. And in case of a tie-breaker, Merritt won the season series 5-2, with both teams getting an overtime win. So the Cents have 11 points in the series, Prince George has only 5. Though this tie-breaker is only applied if the two teams are tied in wins. Right now they are with 30, but if Prince George wins their game in hand then keeps pace the rest of the way (which means beating Penticton most likely in at least one of their final 2 games vs the Vees), then they would have the first tie-breaker, which is "wins". But there's still 2 weeks left to determine all this...
***THE SINGLE OT POINT BY MERRITT, AND THE VERNON LOSS IN POWELL RIVER LAST NIGHT HAS OFFICIALLY CLINCHED THE CENTENNIALS A PLAYOFF SPOT FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT SEASON!!! (a great accomplishment under the new playoff format with only half the teams making it in)
*in the meantime, there's one more rematch in the regular season coming up on Thursday night, after a return trip from Trail on Wednesday
Here are my 3 stars from the broadcast tonight:
1) Tyler Steel- 44 saves on 46 shots (on his birthday, he couldn't possible do more)
2) Michael Garteig- 33 saves on 34 shots (just as good as Steel, and made one more clutch save by the end)
3) Mike Reilly- 1G, 1A (best, most consistent overall "skater" on the ice, and backed it up with 2 points)
Here are the highlights from one of the most exciting games of the season:
Merritt: 30-17-2-5 (67pts) - 2nd in Interior (worth noting they would still be 1pt out of the playoffs in the Coastal Conference behind Coquitlam)
LAST GAME: 7-2 win over Trail last night (4th straight victory)
Penticton: 47-3-0-2 (96pts) - 1st in Interior (29pts up on 2nd place Merritt with 2 games in hand)
LAST GAME: 4-2 win over Trail on Thursday (35th straight victory)
Season Series: Merritt 1-4-0-1 (outscored by Penticton 30-10) *Last meeting was exactly a month ago on Jan. 25, a 9-0 Penticton victory *Merritt is still the last team to beat Penticton way back on Nov. 5, a 3-2 OT win. They are the only team this season to beat Penticton in their own building (or even earn a single point), and including a 5-4 OT loss at the SOEC, the Centennials are also the only team in the league who have taken 3 points from Penticton
on paper, nobody can deny that this game looks like another huge mismatch (just like every game Penticton has played against anybody this season). Don't kid yourselves, the game for the Cents vs the Vees won't be any easier than it was for any other team they've victimized on their inhumane run they've gone on. The task looks daunting at first glance, but there are a couple of factors to look at for the optimists that would indicate Merritt's got a good shot here:
Look at the home record for Merritt (17-5-0-4) vs the road record for Penticton (22-3-0-1). Obviously the Vees sport the better record, but the Cents have just 5 regulation losses at home all season, while the Vees have 3. However, take away the 2 regulation losses to Penticton at the NVMA (4-1 and 9-0), and the Centennials have an identical 3 regulation losses in this sort of set-up. And of course, playing in their small, cozy barn gives them an advantage over the high-flying vees who are used to the open ice at the SOEC
Look at the last 4 games; obviously both teams have been perfect, but Merritt has been even more perfect. They have outscored their opposition 26-5 (Vernon, Coquitlam, Chilliwack were no slouches either), while Penticton has outscored their opposition during this time span 21-12. And their opposition wasn't much tougher. In fact, they were all the non-playoff teams in the Interior (Westside, Vernon, Salmon Arm and Trail, collectively ranked 5th through 8th). That's not to say Penticton has played poorly, and 21-12 is still a dominant "Goals For vs. Goals Against" mark through 4 games, but the Vees are used to better, and Merritt has outright been better. So you could make an argument for just who is the hotter team tonight ;)
there's never a "good" time to play the Vees, but for Merritt, this is definitely the best time they will ever get, full of confidence riding a 4 game win streak (opposite from the last meeting where they came in after faltering on the Island losing 2 of 3 games)
for the most part, the Cents are rolling on all cylinders right now, with team confidence and individual confidence throughout the lineup, with the exception of the 4th line. Despite their hard work, they can't buy a goal right now, and haven't scored in over a month. Brendan Lamont is on a 9 game pointless drought, Brayden Low is on a 13 game drought, and Payton Schaefer is pointless in 17 games. As tough as it's going to be, tonight would be an ideal night for these guys to chip in, because the Cents will need all the offense they can get
the Cents are in need of a near flawless game, where everything has to go right. They have to be very disciplined against the top power play in the league, they can't have many turnovers, and can't have any lulls, because one lull could be the difference at the end of the night. They also need elite goaltending from Tyler Steel, who is celebrating his 19th birthday today, and would love nothing more than to take down Penticton and celebrate "legally"
one of the toughest tasks for Merritt tonight, especially in the 1st period, will be to adjust to the pace of the game that the Vees will surely try and establish. Merritt is going from the last place team in the league to the best team possibly in BCHL history (a 69 point jump in their competition), and they might get burned in the 1st period if they can't manage to keep up and adapt to the big difference in skill
Penticton is not only the best team in the league, they are tops in pretty much every major category: goals for, goals against, power play, penalty kill, 2 goals back of Powell River for the most shorthanded goals (14 vs 16), and their goaltender Michael Garteig leads the league in GAA and SV% for starting netminders
the Vees have long surpassed the record for most consecutive wins which the New West Royals set back in 1989/90 with 29, but now they're after the Royals record of 38 straight games going undefeated, so that's the record that Merritt will get a chance to snap. Meanwhile the Vees will be motivated simply by keeping their streak alive, surpassing the 38 game undefeated mark, and trying to run the table in their final 8 games, which a lot of people have predicted they will do. The Cents will try and prove those people wrong tonight!
THE BUZZ IS IN THE AIR! MAKE SURE YOU'RE AT THE RINK TONIGHT! FILL THE BARN!
Opening face-off tonight is at 7:30pm from the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena. Our pre-game show gets going at 7 o'clock. You can tune in on Q101 FM in Merritt, online at Q101.ca or on the BCHL fanzone through bchl.ca
Here are the projected lineups for both Merritt and Penticton, with Dylan Chanter drawing back into the lineup in favour of Ross Mancuso, and Tyler Steel getting the nod between the pipes:
MERRITT:
Regan Soquila (93) Chad Brears (91) Evan Stack (9)
Silvan Harper (92) Brent Fletcher (92) Jakob Reichert (93)
Carter Shinkaruk (91) Brandon Bruce (93) Sean Maktaak (92)
The main key for Merritt tonight was to stay focused on Trail and not look ahead to Penticton. Mission accomplished. The guys came out hungry and kept their foot on the gas pedal for 40 minutes before putting it on cruise control in the 3rd for a 7-2 victory.
the 1st period was one of the most dominant that Merritt has played this season, and that says a lot for a team that recently went 6 straight and 9 of 10 without scoring a 1st period goal. They piled on 24 shots (a single period record for them this season) and were all over the Smoke-Eaters. And the 10 shots against were not very dangerous
Merritt started the game in the 1st minute on a 4 minute power play, when Connor Tiechko high-sticked Brandon Bruce and drew blood, causing the double minor. Despite good puck control, the Cents didn't create very many quality chances and got blanked on the 4 minutes, which could have been a potential turning point for Trail, but instead was the start of a feeding frenzy for the Cents
shortly after the power play had expired, Sean Maktaak opened the scoring 6 minutes into the game off a feed from Shinkaruk... Maktaak fanned on his original shot, but got it back on his stick and snapped a shoft from the left hashmark over the left shoulder of the 5'6 Lyndon Stanwood between the pipes for the Smokies.
a minute and a half later, the Cents won a loose puck battle (credit to Harper), and he cycled behind the goal for Fletcher, who centered a perfect pass for Reichert to cap off a nifty passing play. Reichert made it 2-0, and the rout was on
the Cents would get another chance on the power play (as it turned out, it would be their last one on the night) late in the 1st period, and this time they would break through. After controlling a face-off, Brandon Pfeil threw the puck on net from the top of the point, and Brears tipped it in to make it 3-0 through 20 minutes of play
the 2nd period was equally as dominant for Merritt, even though the shots were closer at 14-9 in favour of the Cents. But they were a constant danger in the offensive zone and skated circles around the Smoke-Eaters, creating chance after chance after chance
the 4th goal came on a bit of a broken play, as Stack, coming across the blueline on the right wing, tried to feed a pass across to Soquila, but it was partially blocked, landing back on Stack's stick... so he walked into the slot and fired a hard shot on goal that trickled through Stanwood before Brears tapped it into an empty net for his 2nd of the game (and 25th of the season, to get back within 2 of Stack for the team lead in goal scoring)
a minute and a half later, after Reichert nearly scored on a great chance out front, he centered for Harper who buried his first of two on the night to make the score 5-0
...and 2 minutes later, after arguably the most dominant shift of the season for the Centennials (not surprisingly by the top line of Stack, Brears and Soquila), Reece Wilcox was able to finish it off with his 4th of the season to increase the lead to 6-0. Surprisingly, there was never a mercy hook for Lyndon Stanwood, who ended up going down with the sinking ship
after Chimienti made a fantastic point blank save on Connor Tiechko, minutes later, the Smoke-Eaters broke though... after hitting the post on a shot from the left circle, Poulsen fired a shot on net from the right point that was stopped by Lino, but McMullen jammed it in on a scramble in the crease to spoil Lino's shutout bit with 5 and a half minutes left in the 2nd frame
undeterred, the Cents came right back and got the goal back just 2 minutes later. Another pretty 3-way passing play, this time from Fletcher to Reichert, back door to Harper for his 2nd of the game to make it 7-1, which is how the period would finish
Tyler Martin took a double-minor penalty himself for high sticking late in the 2nd, and the Cents were able to kill off a brief 2 man advantage, but the power play carried over for 2:27 into the 3rd period for Trail
in the 3rd, early stages, the Smoke-Eaters were able to break through with exactly 2 minutes left in the double minor to Martin (which extended their power play for another 2 minutes), as Connor Tiechko (easily the best Smoke-Eater tonight) made a nice move to get past Marshall at center, and with speed across the line, centered a perfect pass for captain Clayton McEwan to cut the lead to 7-2, which would actually be the end of the scoring in this game. This goal also snapped Merritt's 18 for 18 penalty killing streak over 4 games and 2 periods
the Centennials still outshot Trail in the 3rd 13-6, but I don't think that was reflective of the period. The Smoke-Eaters had a few very good shifts and pinned Merritt in their own zone on a few occasions where the Cents were left to just clear to relieve the pressure. This was the first sign of vulnerability the Cents showed all game, and you have to give credit to Trail for still battling in a game that got out of hand on them
the Cents had a few chances in the 3rd period, and many of them were by the 4th line of Low, Lamont and Schaefer, who were clearly desperate to score, but just couldn't buy the breaks the other lines could (every other line scored tonight, but it's been 9 games now since anyone on the 4th line has registered a point, dating back to a Jan 22 game where Lamont assisted on a Harper breakaway goal)
*It's easy to overlook Lino Chimienti on this night, but he did exactly what he needed to... stopped everything he should have, made 1 or 2 big saves (had no chance on the 2 goals against him) and let the offense win the game for him
*the 4th line got caught in their own zone a few times, but still easily outplayed Trail's 4th line... they looked dangerous for much of the night, but can't buy any breaks. They're the last "piece to the puzzle" to have a full, well-oiled machine
*the other 3 lines were equally impressive, even though the top line again stood out the most for Merritt, as they seemed to generate quality chances each and every time they were on the ice
*the Centennials also deserve credit for playing a solid defensive game. They did have a few careless turnovers, but for the most part, everyone battled equally at both ends of the ice, and Lino Chimienti was helped numerous times on blocked shots and broken up plays, such as the backcheck stick lift by Carter Shinkaruk on a shorthanded breakaway for Cooper
*after a 6 game losing skid where they scored just 5 goals, the Centennials 4 game win streak has seen them outscore the opposition 26-5
***Sorry for the late post, but things got a little busy with filling in on the afternoon show today...
Merritt: 29-17-2-5 (65pts) - 2nd in Interior (lead Prince George by 3pts, but PG has 1 game in hand)
LAST GAME: 4-2 win over Chilliwack last Saturday (3rd straight victory after a 6 game losing skid)
Trail: 11-34-1-4 (27pts) - 8th/last in Interior and overall
LAST GAME: 4-2 loss in Penticton last night, on Thursday (6th straight loss)
Season Series: Merritt 1-2-1-0 (both teams have scored 12 goals)
*The last meeting was way back on Dec. 10, a 3-0 Merritt shutout victory
the two teams saw each other twice at the very beginning of the season, 4 times total in 5 months total, and now will meet each other 4 times in a span of 2 weeks (+ 1 day). So despite the fact that Trail doesn't have a playoff spot to play for (they were mathematically eliminated a while ago, currently 33 points back), they will definitely look to win this 4-game mini-series and send a message before they're done
after their 6 game losing slide, the Centennials were starting to get counted out by some to even make the playoffs, but the 7-1 win over Vernon has completely reversed their fortune, and they are coming off their best week of the season, 3 dominant wins, outscoring their opposition 19-3
funny again how things work in sports... after nothing went right, and I mean NOTHING during their 6 game slide, suddenly all aspects of the team's game are coming around again, almost full circle. Their offense is as hot as it ever has been (minus the 4th line, who are still playing well, but not getting results), their team defense is back in the fold, the goaltenders have been strong, and both their special teams, power play and penalty kill, are playing much better. The power play went 2 for 5 vs Chilliwack (but looked dangerous on all 5 tries), while their penalty kill has gone a perfect 16 for 16 over the last 4 games (before that they gave up power play goals in 5 straight games)
clearly the main concern for Merritt down the stretch in their final 7 regular season games is CONSISTENCY! They want to be one of the hottest teams come playoff time, and keep that snowball rolling in the right direction
tonight the Cents have a chance to do what they couldn't do in late January, which is come into a game vs Penticton "on fire". If you'll recall, they had a 7 game win streak heading into a very winnable 3 games on their island road trip, but they lost 2 of 3, and then that demoralized team got embarassed by Penticton in Merritt 9-0. In order to avoid anything close to a repeat, the Cents need to have another great game tonight, and come into tomorrow's match with Penticton (winners of 35 in a row) feeling as good about themselves as they ever have. Half the battle is/will be mental
speaking of the mental battle, the biggest test tonight for the Centennials will be to keep focused on Trail and not look ahead to tomorrow night, which I'm sure is on the back of everyone's mind. They need to take the Smokies seriously and show them and play them with respect, especially considering how much difficulty they've had against them in the season series
I mentioned that the Centennials are getting balances scoring from everyone lately (in the past week), except for the 4th line trio of Brayden Low, Payton Schaefer and Brendan Lamont. Well with all due respect to Trail, they are a vulnerable group today with their standing and having lost 6 straight, and averaging nearly 5 goals against per game, so tonight is a great opportunity for that 4th line to get on the scoresheet and round out that team confidence ahead of Penticton tomorrow (there's no pressure right now with how well the team has performed and how many goals they've scored, but the 4th line will need to be at their best vs Penticton, that's for sure)
as for Trail, I mentioned that they don't have a playoff spot to motivate them, but they are playing for pride, they're playing for jobs, they're playing for scholarships (don't have any), and they're playing for a chance to be "spoilers"
the Smoke-Eaters have shown an ability this season to compete with any team in the league, despite their last place standing, and they recently went on a run going 5-3 before their current 6 game losing slide. So they can play and they can keep motivated without a playoff spot on the horizon
former Centennials assistant coach Bill Birks was quoted recently as saying that the team has embraced the role of "spoiler", and when they're playing with no pressure, as loose as they are, with 2 former Merritt coaches (including assistant Bob Dever), that poses a danger to the Centennials who are, frankly, under a lot more pressure and under more expectations than the Smoke-Eaters
like I mentioned earlier, the main key for Merritt tonight is to come to the rink with the right mental approach, like it is Penticton tonight, and not Trail. As long as they stick to their game, don't give up any soft goals (Lino Chimienti should be good, but doesn't need to be great), they should be just fine and come out with another 2 points. They can also help themselves by drawing a few penalties with their work ethic, and feasting on the Smokies 75% penalty kill, especially while Merritt is coming off their best game on the power play in a long time
Opening face-off tonight is at 7:30pm from the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena. Our pre-game show gets going at 7 o'clock. You can tune in on Q101 FM in Merritt, online at Q101.ca or on the BCHL fanzone through bchl.ca
*I will try to have player of the week Evan Stack, runner-up Brandon Bruce and recent scholarship recipient Dylan Chanter on my pre-game show tonight (even though he's not playing due to an injury)
Here are the projected lineups for the Centennials tonight, with Lino Chimienti scheduled to get the start between the pipes for the 2nd straight game:
MERRITT:
Regan Soquila (93) Chad Brears (91) Evan Stack (9)
Silvan Harper (92) Brent Fletcher (92) Jakob Reichert (93)
Carter Shinkaruk (91) Brandon Bruce (93) Sean Maktaak (92)
*I don't have the ability to transfer their lineup for tonight's game onto my blog, but I can tell you that there are no AP's in their lineup (they've have a few over the season). Their only scratch is 18 year old rookie forward Adam Fares, and James D'Andrea is scheduled to get the start between the pipes, despite the fact that Lyndon Stanwood has been outstanding vs Merritt(85 saves on 90 shots, for a save percentage of .944%). I suspect the Smokies might still go with Stanwood, as D'Andrea played last night and was very busy facing 43 shots in Penticton
It was an oustanding week for the Merritt Centennials. They were a flawless 3-0, outscoring their opposition 19-3, and they were led by their captain who had multiple point nights throughout. Evan Stack picked up 2 assists in a 7-1 triumph over Vernon on Tuesday, 2 goals and an assist in an 8-0 pummeling of Coquitlam on Friday, and another 2 clutch, 3rd period goals (including the game winner) to defeat Chilliwack 4-2 on Saturday. All in all, Stack finished the week with an impressive 4 goals and 4 assists in 3 games, and took a 4 goal lead over Chad Brears for the team lead in goal-scoring (27 for Evan to 23 for Chad).
The Centennials were so strong that they even received 2 honorable mentions this week, including forward Brandon Bruce who scored in all 3 games and finished with 4 goals and 2 assists, and defenseman Richard Sabourin, who had a phenomenal game on Saturday and finished the week with 3 assists, following a 9 game pointless drought.
*It's worth noting that this is the 2nd player of the week the Centennials have received this season. The first one came near the tail end of their 7 game winning streak when Lino Chimienti got 2 shutouts in 2 games. And then after a frustrating 6 game slide, the Cents had maybe their best week of the season to pick up another player of the week nod.
***I will try to get both Evan Stack and Brandon Bruce on the pre-game show ahead of Friday's game vs Trail
In this latest edition, I catch up with the newest Centennial acquired at the trading deadline from Powell River, 20-year-old Carter Shinkaruk. We discuss his transition into Merritt and his post-BCHL future after the season is over. Enjoy!
The captain led by example tonight, as Evan Stack broke the game open in the 3rd period and catapulted the Cents to a 4-2 victory over the Chilliwack Chiefs for Merritt's 3rd straight victory, following a 6 game losing slide:
the 1st period of this game was kind of a weird one to get used to. The Centennials were fine, but fine was a weird adjustment following a 7-1 and 8-0 victory
the Cents continued their penalty killing prowess tonight, but after they had just killed off an early Chilliwack power play, Spencer Graboski walked across the blueline, up the middle, and snapped a shot from the top of the two circles high blocker side, off the post and crossbar and past Chimienti to make it 1-0 just over 2 minutes into the game
the Chiefs might have had the better scoring chances in the first period, as they outshot Merritt 11-8, but Merritt had a strong-looking power play, and were able to capitalize on their 2nd one, late in the 1st, as Wilcox set up Pfeil for a one-timer from the top of the point, that beat Chiefs backup Bryton Udy high glove side to tie the game at 1
just as it looked like the 1st period would wind down tied, the Chiefs won a face-off late in their own zone, got it up to center, and Gould sent a pass into the left circle for Bondra to skate onto, and Bondra fired a perfect wrist shot from the faceoff dot high glove side, again off the post and crossbar in, with just 7 seconds left, to give the Chiefs a 2-1 lead through 20 minutes. It looked like a backbreaking goal against the Centennials, but ultimately didn't end up being a factor
the 2nd period saw the Centennials get back to the dominance we saw for much of Tuesday and Friday's game. They seemed to play with lots of urgency and hunger, creating a great forecheck, lots of effective cycles, and just winning battles to the puck, and loose puck battles all over the ice. They got plenty of scoring chances as well, but Udy was sharp in allowing the Chiefs to preserve the lead, until...
with under 5 minutes left, in a 4 on 4 situation, Carter Shinkaruk made a nice move 1 on 2 across the line on the right wing, and through traffic, he was able to feather a pass through to Bruce in the left circle who reached to one-time the puck past Udy, low stick side to tie the game at 2
the 3rd period saw the Cents starts on a power play that carried over from the 2nd period, but not before a lengthy delay of over 5 minutes while everyone on the ice was waiting for the water to dry. It was an unusually warm feeling inside the rink, and that might have contributed to the ice staying "too wet" to start the 3rd period. Both teams went back on the ice and skated around to try and help in the drying process
after finally getting back underway, the Centennials worked the puck into the offensive zone and set up another dangerous-looking power play... after Brandon Pfeil hit the post, Stack was set up point blank and robbed, but then he got another set-up in the same spot, top of the crease, and this time he found his spot through the legs of Udy to give Merritt their first lead of the game, 3-2
the Centennials seemed to continue right where they left off after this, looking like the more dominant and desperate team. Then 4 minutes later, on a delayed penalty call, Marshall sprung Stack with a nice pass, and Stack cut into the offensive zone, up the middle, and fired a wicked wrist shot high blocker side past Udy to give the Cents a 4-2 lead, and cap off the scoring
to Merritt's credit, for the 2nd straight game, with a cushion in the 3rd period, they didn't let up. They continued to push for the next chance and the chance after that, and could have had even more goals, but as it turned out, they wouldn't need any more. Chilliwack was left trying to minimize further damage, as they were forced to constantly clear back to center to relieve pressure, and didn't get many scoring chances of their own
the game got a little interesting when Silvan Harper threw a vicious hit on the end wall in the Chiefs zone, and I think it was against Thompson, who he scrapped earlier in the period, and that put Chilliwack on the power play with just over 2 minutes left in the game. They would wind up pulling their goaltender for the extra attacker to go 6 on 4, but despite them not allowing the Cents a sniff at the empty net, they also never really came close, as the Cents cruised to the 4-2 victory, their 3rd straight
*First period aside, I thought the 2nd and 3rd periods for Merritt were even better than the games they had vs Tuesday and Coquitlam, where they won 7-1 and 8-0 respectively. The Cents looked more poised offensively and much more airtight defensively
*after a couple of goals that Lino might want to get another crack at (even though they were 2 perfect shots) in the 1st period, Chimienti really settled down nicely after that, but was helped out a lot by the rest of the team in front of him, who broke up many plays, blocked shots, and most importantly, spent much of the remaining 40 minutes in the offensive zone, allowing Lino to mostly cruise to victory after a busy 1st period
*after a slew of turnovers that would normally cost them in Coquitlam, tonight Merritt made very few mistakes, and seemed to learn from the night before... they limited the turnovers, especially in the defensive zone, and overall, they made Lino Chimienti's night a lot easier than Steel's night was on Friday in Coquitlam
*the defensemen were especially sharp for Merritt today, making great outlet passes, and all of them playing a significant role in shutting down the Chiefs and limiting their shot totals. Richard Sabourin was especially impressive on a strictly defensive angle, as he broke up plays and cleared the puck more than a handful of times on the PK alone. He was very physical, blocked shots, won battles, made smart plays, and simply was rock solid on the back end in every which way. He led by example, and the rest of the dmen pretty much followed suit
*Merritt was perfect on the penalty kill again going 4 for 4, and are now 16 for 16 over the last 4 games. Meanwhile the power player not only broke through finally going 2 for 5 (after an 0 for 8 and 1 for 22 slump coming in), but also looked quite dangerous on all 5 opportunities
*Evan Stack scored 2 goals for the 2nd straight night (to take a 4 goal lead on Brears for the team lead with 27 now), and overall had 8 points in 3 games this week, so watch out for him as a possible BCHL Player of the Week candidate. You also can't look past Brandon Bruce, who was extremely effective and dangerous all night long, and playing the best hockey of his season right now. He scored for the 3rd straight game today, and has 4 goals and 6 points on the week. Though Stack's 4 goals and 8 points probably give him the edge (however the 2nd assist he got today on the 1st Merritt goal should have been awarded to Brears)
*the Centennials finish the season series with Chilliwack 5-2, outscoring the Chiefs 20-13 in the process
*after getting outscored 27-5 in a 6 game losing slide, the Centennials have now come back to outscore their opposition 19-3 in 3 straight victories this week
*despite all the offense, much of it spread, and despite all their hard work, the 4th line of Low, Lamont and Schaefer are the last few guys to be riding pointless droughts and looking for some confidence heading into the playoffs
Schaefer nearly sneaks in a wraparound past Udy in the 3rd (courtesy of John O'Connor/Merritt News)
*with the win, Merritt regains control of their own destiny for 2nd spot and home ice in the Interior Conference, as Nanaimo came back in the 3rd to upset Prince George 3-2. Also with the Chilliwack loss, the Centennials move 9 points up on Chilliwack (the Chiefs have 2 games in hand), which all but eliminates any other possibility in the first round other than a Merritt/Prince George matchup. In the meantime, the Chiefs loss and a Vipers overtime win has put Vernon temporarily into 4th in the Interior, 1 point up on Chilliwack, but the Chiefs have the all-mighty 2 games in hand
My 3 stars on the broadcast tonight were:
1) Evan Stack - 2 goals, 1 assist (which could be taken away)
2) Brandon Bruce -1 goal
3) Brandon Pfeil - 1 goal, 1 assist (should have another assist added instead of Sabourin on the Brandon Bruce goal)... Richard Sabourin was my star 3b)
Here are the highlights from Merritt's last meeting with Chilliwack, their 3rd straight victory overall:
Merritt: 28-17-2-5 (63pts) - 2nd in Interior (1pt up on Prince George, though PG has a game in hand)
LAST GAME: 8-0 win in Coquitlam last night (2nd straight win after a 6 game losing slide)
Chilliwack: 26-20-1-3 (56pts) - 4th in Interior (1pt up on Vernon for the final playoff spot, though the Chiefs also have 2 games in hand... they have 10 games left, Vernon has 8)
LAST GAME: 4-3 OT loss in Prince George last night (snapped a 2 game win streak)
Season Series: Merritt 4-2 vs Chilliwack (outscored them 16-11, but the Chiefs won the last meeting 4-1 in Chilliwack 3 weeks ago on Jan. 27)
*The two teams are very evenly matched: both are low scoring, averaging 3.1 goals per game, both are heavily reliant on their top line with dashes of secondary scoring in spurts throughout the season (though it's been all depth for Merritt in the last 2), both rely a lot on strong goaltending to win games (though Gillam for Chilliwack and Chimienti/Steel for Merritt have been very hot and cold this season), and their special teams are mirror images of each other (Merritt's PP is 18.39%, Chilliwack's PP is 18.36%... meanwhile Merritt's PK is 79.2%, Chilliwack's PK is 79.4%). Expect a tight game, down to the wire, both teams having lots to play for. Though, then again, that was the case in the last 2 games where Merritt won 7-1 and 8-0
last 2 games for Merritt have been huge stress relievers, following a stretch of 6 games where nothing went right and their entry into the playoffs was suddenly in doubt
Tuesday morning before the game vs Vernon, the team and the fans were full of doubt and worry, plenty of question marks as to what's happening and why, and how soon it would end. Now the fear has turned into extreme optimism and hope of what could be if they keep playing to their potential and get hot for the playoffs
I mentioned this stat yesterday, but after 5 goals during a 6 game losing streak, scoring 15 in their next 2, including 10 guys breaking long pointless droughts should do wonders for the players morale. The 6 game losing skid had only Stack and Brears scoring, but the last 2 games, 8 different players have found the back of the net, and the assists have been very spread out as well. It also doesn't hurt that the team has gotten back to their defensive prowess, surrendering just 1 goal in the 2 games combined, as the commitment to team defense is coming back and the goaltenders are finding their groove again
now instead of questioning if Merritt will even make the playoffs, it becomes mostly a question of whether Merritt will finish 2nd or 3rd, and whether they will start the 1st round in Merritt or in Prince George, but more than likely against the Spruce Kings. A win tonight for Merritt would put Chilliwack possibly 8 points back of Prince George (if the Spruce Kings beat Nanaimo), and 9 back of Merritt, and even with the games in hand, the Chiefs will likely run out of time to mount the comeback, and be left to duke it out with Vernon for the final playoff spot and the right to play Penticton... or should I say, the punishment of playing Penticton
needless to say, Chilliwack is in a real desperate situation, barely keeping their head afloat in the playoff picture, and even if they stay there, I'm sure nobody wants to see Penticton in the 1st round, so they will need to go on a run, and possibly win 8 of their final 10 games to avoid Penticton in the 1st round. The Chiefs desperation is the most dangerous thing about them in this game
the Centennials have been on a rollercoaster ride this season, but they haven't zig-zagged nearly as much as the streaky Chilliwack Chiefs this season, who have looked like both the best and worst team in the league at times. The Chiefs are still riding a 3 game points streak, so their goal will be to maintain consistency the rest of the way (which they'll need to make the playoffs firstly, and avoid Penticton 2nd), and they will look to continue that tonight to try and build some confidence down the stretch
the Chiefs are at their best when goaltender Mitch Gillam shines and they get the balanced scoring that they're capable of, but it's been a rarity that both those things happen in a single game this year for Chilliwack, because if Gillam is on his game, it's often just the top line scoring, and if there's secondary scoring, Gillam has sometimes stumbled. This is the consistency the Chiefs are looking for tonight
Merritt will once again focus on scoring 1st tonight, as it has proved to make all the difference, and they are a jaw-dropping 21-2-1-4 when scoring first. They will also need to shut down Chilliwack's top line of Huisman, Gould and Bondra, because they are still the straw that stirs the drink, and when they're not going, usually the other lines aren't either. The Cents need to get physical on them in the small rink, much like they did against Coquitlam's small, skilled forwards yesterday. And with everything going in for them right now, this is the time to just shoot the puck... no matter who you are, and almost no matter where you are, pucks are going in right now, and they will continue to go in if Merritt just shoots, and avoids trying to get fancy
Puck drop tonight is at 7:30pm from the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena. Pre-game show on Q101 FM in Merritt begins at 7:00pm. You can also tune in online at Q101.ca or on the BCHL fanzone from bchl.ca
*After last night's success, the Centennials are going back to the exact same lineup tonight (you can check it out on my preview of last night's game) with Ross Mancuso remaining out as the healthy scratch. The only difference is that Lino Chimienti is scheduled to start between the pipes
Here are Chilliwack's projected line combinations tonight, with Mitch Gillam getting the start in goal and Mathieu Tibbet being the lone scratch (both teams appear to be fully healthy):
David Bondra (92) Derek Huisman (92) Malcolm Gould (92)
Josh Hansen (92) Kody Dhaliwal (91) Michael Spring (91)
Since I didn't have a way to grab actual pictures from the game, here's the figurative version of what happened
Just when you thought it couldn't get any better than Tuesday night vs Vernon, the Cents went on the road and one-upped themselves with their biggest offensive output, and most dominant win of the season in Coquitlam:
to anyone that just saw the scoreboard and didn't listen to the game or read the boxscore, you might think that this was Merritt's most dominant game of the season. Well results wise, yes, but to the trained eye, it was merely a continuation of what is known as the "law of average". After an unbelievable amount of bad luck during the 6 game losing skid, the last 2 games have seen the hockey gods return the favour to Merritt
the 1st period was far from lopsided. In fact, the first half was a back and forth, wide open affair, that would normally favour the offensive-minded Express. Both teams had momentum minutes with a flury of shots, but the goaltenders were strong, particularly Tyler Steel, who was tested with tougher shots than Khaleed Devji to start
after the pace of the game slowed down a bit in the 2nd half of the first with a few more whistles and calm play, the Centennials thought they had scored when Dylan Chanter threw a puck on net from the right point that went off the inside of the post. The goal judge put the light on, but the referee signaled no goal. Evan Stack came out to argue as soon as he could, but to no avail
after Stack's argument went on deaf ears and he went back to the bench, the star line from Tuesday went at it again. Brandon Bruce won the face-off forward to Sean Maktaak, and Maktaak made a crisp centering pass from the right corner into the slot for Shinkaruk, who one-timed a perfect shot high over the left shoulder of Devji to open the scoring. It was his 2nd goal in as many games after a 10 game pointless drought. And it was the ony goal of the 1st period, a relatively even frame which saw the Cents outshoot Coquitlam 12-9
the 2nd period saw Merritt come out determined and clearly more confident from the 1st period lead. In the first minute, they took advantage of a Coquitlam turnover in the offensize zone, and the first line rushed the puck the other way. Stack made a nice cross-ice pass to Brears, who's shot from the top of the left circle was tipped en-route by Soquila, past the glove of Devji to make it 2-0 Merritt
after the 2-0 goal, the Cents were on their heels for a little bit, and Tyler Steel had to be extremely sharp, making a few terrific saves, especially one memorable one off of Bourne point blank. After a terrific practice in the morning, he was clearly on his game all night long and looked steady as a rock between the pipes
then late in the 2nd period, the Cents used Steel's heroics to their advantage and rewarded him. After a nice face-off win by Brears, Pfeil threw the puck on net from the right point, which created a mad scramble, and after Soquila and Brears both missed their chance to bury the pinballing puck, Evan Stack came in and slammed it home to make it 3-0... a very decisive and timely goal for Merritt to really take control. As if that wasn't enough, 37 seconds later, Jakob Reichert walked out from the left halfwall right into the slot and wristed one through the legs of Devji (snapping a 10 game pointless drought) with 30 seconds left in the period to make it 4-0 through 40 minutes
the start of the 3rd period saw the Cents on their heels quite a bit in the first 3 or 4 minutes, pinned in their own zone and without a shot on goal of their own. A lot of this was due to critical defensize zone turnovers, which were a little too frequent on this night, but never proved costly. For a while, it looked like the Cents would rest on their laurels and leave their foot off the gas pedal
suddenly, Tyler Martin made a play to bank the puck off the glass out of his own zone, which resulted in a great rush by Stack, powering his way with speed around the defenseman and cutting in on goal... he appeared to bump the goaltender, his original shot was stopped, but it either trickled through off the save or was followed up on by Stack, before Soquila came to jam at the puck. It looked like Soquila got the goal, but it was credited to Stack, which means it must have crossed the goal line before Soquila touched it. This goal was appealed by the Express, but also to no avail, and took any and all life out of their sails, allowing the Cents to feast into the night. The assist by Martin snapped an 11 game pointless drought
after a bad rebound given up by Devji off a long point shot, Reichert was able to get his 2nd of the game to make the score 6-0, and finally end the night for Khaleed Devji, who was replaced between the pipes by the Express shining star this season, Cole Huggins
the night for Huggins didn't go so well either. With the Express on a power play, a lazy play at the blueline allowed Billy Marshall to steal and walk in on a clear cut breakaway from center, where he made a nice deke and fired one through Huggins' legs to make it 7-0, only the 2nd shorthanded goal of the season for Merritt. It also snapped a 7 game pointless drought and 17 game goalless drought for Marshall, who was the offensive leader from the blueline earlier this season
after some intense pressure in the Coquitlam zone and a nifty deke by Marshall that started a scramble, the hero from Tuesday, Brandon Bruce, was able to bury a rebound of his own to cap off the scoring at 8-0, the most goals Merritt has scored in a single game this season, and their most lop-sided win in years
even though the game was out of reach, things got chippy near the end, and the Centennials were forced to kill a penalty with 1:57 remaining... with his shutout in jeopardy, Tyler Steel once again stood tall until the Express took themselves off the power play in the last minute. And even then, in the 4 on 4, he was forced to make one more outstanding save, on a perfect tip by Kerfoot that was going high glove side, before Steel snared it with his catcher to put an exclamation mark on his 3rd shutout of the season
*The Centennials were a little guilty of turning the puck over a few too many times, but it was a 2 way street. Tyler Steel bailed them out on a number of occasions, but the Centennials also blocked a lot of shots and broke up some pretty good scoring chances as well. So overall, it was a team effort defensively, to hold the 2nd highest scoring team in the league off the scoreboard
*With a perfect 5 for 5 night on the PK, the Cents are now a perfect 12 for 12 on the PK in their last 3 games, while the power play continues to struggled, going 0 for 8 in the last 2 games, and 1 for 22 over the last 5 games
*I think it's worth noting that tonight's game wasn't entirely different from the recent losses in Vernon and Westside. In fact, the Centennials had a bigger edge on the shot clock in those games and just as much, if not more quality scoring chances. The difference is that they had next to no confidence back then, couldn't buy a break, and couldn't finish. Tonight, they were riding a wave of confidence, again got the breaks, and for the 2nd straight game found the "finishing touch" that they couldn't for most of the season
*The 2 goals on the night give Evan Stack the team lead with 25, two ahead of linemate Chad Brears
I know it's late in the blog process, but I decided, what the heck, I'll copy some other broadcasters and throw out my 3 stars from the broadcast at the tail end of each game and put them on my blog. Here are the stars from tonight, which were very difficult to pick with plenty of standouts for Merritt:
1) Tyler Steel - 31 saves on 31 shots
2) Evan Stack - 2 goals, 1 assist
3) Billy Marshall - officially 1 goal and 1 assist, but his assist was actually Martin's
Here are the highlights from Merritt's "biggest" win of the season, and most lopsided win in years, followed by Coach Luke Pierce's comments on the post-game show:
***With a Vernon and Chilliwack loss tonight, Merritt has almost certainly secured a playoff spot (still very unofficial, but it looks unlikely that they'll miss), and with the Spruce Kings holding a 6 point lead on Chilliwack (though the Chiefs have 1 game in hand), a win Saturday vs Chilliwack for Merritt would all but surely guarantee them a 1st round matchup with Prince George, with the only question left to be determined being who gets home ice? However, if Chilliwack beats Merritt Saturday, then suddenly the plot thickens
Merritt: 27-17-2-5 (61 pts) - 2nd in Interior (1 pt up on PG, but PG has one game in hand)
LAST GAME: 7-1 win over Vernon on Tuesday (snapped a 6 game losing slide)
Coquitlam: 30-17-2-2 (64 pts) - 4th in Interior (3pts back of 3rd, 4pts back of 2nd, 5pts back of 1st)
LAST GAME: 6-3 win over Nanaimo on Wednesday (took an 11 point lead on the Clippers for the 4th and final playoff spot)
*FIRST AND ONLY MEETING OF THE SEASON BETWEEN THE TWO TEAMS (and Merritt's final out of conference game this season)
the Centennials will travel to Coquitlam and play this game with a lot less tension/anxiety, as each player and both coaches lifted a piano off their back on Tuesday with a dominant 7-1 win over Vernon (had the result been reversed, not only would Merritt's losing skid be at 7 games, Vernon would now be 2pts back and Chilliwack would be 4 points back with 2 games in hand. If they won these games in hand, Merritt could have been out of the playoffs by the end of the weekend)
instead of that sweat-inducing circumstance listed above, the win vs Vernon all but shook off the Viper threat from behind (they're now 6 points back, both teams have 9 games left) and brought Merritt back into 2nd place with a favourable schedule remaining in the final 9 games (6 of them at home, 2 vs Trail, 1 vs Salmon Arm, and after tonight, the only 2 road games left will also be in Trail). Despite 2 remaining games with Penticton at home, Merritt might have the easiest schedule between themselves and mainly Prince George (the main threat for 2nd place), but also Chilliwack and Vernon as well. Prince George will see Trail twice as well, but they finish the season vs Vernon, Penticton and Penticton, while Merritt finishes with games against Salmon Arm, Trail and Trail. So if the Cents can keep pace with Prince George over the next 6 games, 2nd place should be theirs
tonight's game in Coquitlam will be a very interesting matchup between the 2nd most offensive team vs the 3rd most defensive team (by goals for and goals against) in the league. Both teams have plenty to play for in terms of playoff positioning, so despite the fact they know hardly anything about each other, motivation will not be lacking
the Cents' morale/confidence must have taken a 180 degree turn after Tuesday and is now sky high after sinking to an all-time low during the 6 game slide. The main reason for the confidence is that after scoring just 5 goals in the 6 game skid, they managed 7 vs Vernon in one game, and 7 players broke fairly lengthy point droughts
as I mentioned above, the Express are an interesting creature on the Coast. They've been in 4th for a while, but have 3 more points than Merritt, who are 2nd in the Interior, and Coquitlam has a great shot still to climb the ladder into 3rd, 2nd, and yes, even 1st, where they are just 5 points back of Surrey (though it's unlikely because the Eagles have 2 games in hand). Safe to say, if the Express get the heroic goaltending they've had this year from Cole Huggins in the playoffs, they could be a real darkhorse and "upset" anybody
last weekend the Express snapped Powell River's 10 game winning streak with a pair of wins over the Kings, before their recent win over Nanaimo on Wednesday. They might be inclined to position themselves to play Powell River in the playoffs (the Kings are currently in 2nd place), as they have dominated the season series with a record of 6-1-1
you can call the Express offense the "Penticton Vees" of the Coastal Conference, or a "mini-Penticton" as I like to call them. Though not quite as deep as the Vees, they do have 6 players who are at least a point a game, and their 4.1 goals for average ranks 2nd highest in the league behind the Vees who average 5.7 goals a game (yes, I know, ridiculous)
though not quite as solid defensively as Penticton, Coquitlam isn't bad in that aspect either, averaging 3.2 goals against per game, and much lower when they have Cole Huggins between the pipes. Huggins has been the goaltending surprise of the year. He has won his last 5 straight starts and 6 of 7 (the only loss he gave up just 1 goal to Powell River). He has a remarkable record of 18-5-1 (started undefeated in his first 12 starts or so) with a solid GAA of 2.60 and a dazzling save percentage of .928). Expect Huggins to get the call again tonight against Merritt, and with the stakes as high as they are, he'll probably start every game for Coquitlam until he loses again (which Merritt fans hope is tonight)
the Centennials will be helped by the fact that the rink at the Poirier Sports & Leisure Centre is quite small and comparable to the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena (at least in rink size, not the building itself). This might help Merritt feel more at home, but the pucks come around the boards very quickly, and from past memory, or almost more unpredictable than the boards in Merritt
despite a 7-1 win over Vernon on Tuesday, it was "finish" and a bit of luck that made all the difference. The game was not an overall work of art for the Centennials, and they will need to step up their game tonight on the road, against a higher quality team with plenty of offensive weapons
with a small rink and a highly skilled forward group (including a couple defensemen), the Centennials will need to severely limit their turnovers, especially in the defensive zone. They will also need a repeat performance between the pipes, and it will be Tyler Steel who'll get a chance to bounce back after getting pulled in a 4-1 loss to the Vipers in his last start. Against the powerhouse Express offense, he'll need to be as good as Lino was on Tuesday against the Vipers. The Express have a strong offense, but a lot of them are small, speedy guys, so in a small rink, the Cents will need to play the role of the "bully" and really bang these guys up (legally). The Express might want to wind it up and play a run and gun style, but that's not Merritt's forte, so the other key is to slow down the game and control the tempo to the speed that they want it played at
the Centennials are proving each game just how big the first goal is. During the 7 game win streak, they scored first every time, while giving up the first goal in each game of the 6 game slide. Then they scored 1st against Vernon and ran away with the win. Overall, when scoring first, the Cents are an astounding 20-2-1-4, while when giving up the first goal, they are a dismal 6-15-1-2 (there's one win missing, and that's from the reversed game in Westside which I counted as on OTL for the purpose of these stats)
Face-off tonight is at 7 o'clock from the Poirier Sports & Leisure Centre in Coquitlam. The pre-game show can be heard starting at 6:30 on Q101 FM in Merritt. You can also tune in online at Q101.ca or on the BCHL fanzone from bchl.ca
*Here are the projected lineups for the Centennials tonight, with Ross Mancuso drawing out as a healthy scratch and Tyler Steel between the pipes (a couple of line combination changes from the last game):
Regan Soquila (93) Chad Brears (91) Evan Stack (9)
Silvan Harper (92) Brent Fletcher (92) Jakob Reichert (93)
Carter Shinkaruk (91) Brandon Bruce (93) Sean Maktaak (92)
In this edition of the Roundtable, Powell River Kings broadcaster Alex Rawnsley is back to host a discussion with Penticton Vees broadcaster Fraser Rodgers and Westside Warriors broadcaster Jon Zacks on the topic of American expansion into the BCHL. The Wenatchee Wild of the NAHL have been rumoured to be joining the BCHL for quite some time, and it appears like that is closer to a reality now than it ever has been. This is a very interesting discussion on the likelihood of this move happening, and what it means for the league moving forward:
In this edition, we get to know the last member of "the big 3" on the first line, Chad Brears. We talk about his hometown in Alberta, his longevity with 2 teammates he knows very well, and his "rivalry" (I'm calling it that) with the Merritt captain, both of who have been consistent lamp-lighters this season after struggling to score last year:
The Cents came down with a 6 game illness, the doctor prescribed some home ice medicine, and it turned out to be just the right remedy! With the support of their fans behind them, a return to the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena proved to be magical, as the Cents exploded for their most dominant win of the season, a 7-1 triumph over the defending champs, the Vernon Vipers.
it's amazing how so much can go wrong over the course of 6 games, so many bad breaks can keep popping up, and then all of a sudden, in one game, all the bad fortune is reversed in what you could literally call the "perfect" storm
despite the fact that this game was actually fairly evenly played territorially (all 3 periods), this was the game where Merritt got all the breaks (except one disallowed goal by Marshall) and all the bounces... they again got plenty of scoring chances, but this time they were able to "finish"... and finish again... and again... and again
the other big difference for Merritt tonight was between the pipes. Lino Chimienti looked a bit nervous in the 1st period, but once Merritt took the lead, he settled down and really gained confidence as the game wore on. He made 2 big saves in the 1st (you can hear them both in the highlights... one off of Soleway and one after his own mistake off of Sparrow) and there was no looking back for him... you could tell the team got more and more comfortable in front of him and that allowed them to open up the game and get creative, which really paid off
the first 10 minutes of the 1st period were very slow-paced, as there were plenty of icings, offsides and weak shots covered up by the goaltenders... it appeared to be a feeling out process in the 8th and final meeting of the season series, and it wasn't until the second half of the first period that the game finally began to open up
after all the bad bounces over the last 6 games/3 weeks, the Cents finally got the break they were looking for... a puck that was flipped in by Wlicox was fumbled by Vipers defenseman Geoff Crisfield, allowing Brears to steal and cut in to the bottom of the left circle where he threw the puck out of front and got a lucky bounce off of Soquila and in (they first credited the goal to Brears, but later changed to Soquila, which is why the Vipers argued, to no avail, that the puck was kicked in)... this "lucky bounce" was monumental, as it allowed the Cents to score their first 1st period goal in 7 games, and only the second 1st period goal in 11 games. It was also the first time during this skid that Merritt was able to score 1st, and, as predicted, it turned out to make all the difference, as they took off and never looked back
the Cents really made their mark in the last minute of play, when the first line had a great forecheck and pressed to keep the puck in deep, where Stack got it behind the goal for Soquila, and he centered to Brears, who was able to one-time the puck through double coverage high to the glove side past Halcrow to give the Cents a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes
Merritt started the 2nd period with as much jump as they ended the 1st period with, getting an early goal to really take a stranglehold. After Sabourin lost his stick in his own zone, he kicked the puck forward to Brandon Bruce who fed a lead pass to Shinkaruk... Shinkaruk had a partial break down the right wing, his low shot was stopped, but Bruce snuck the rebound through the legs of Halcrow to make it 3-0 (up till this time, 14 of the past 15 goals had been scored by the 1st line), snapping a personal 6 game pointless drought, while Shinkaruk's assist snapped a 10 game drought and Sabourin's assist snapped a 9 game drought
after some back and forth play for the next 10 minutes, including 5 on 3 by Merritt that knocked on the door several times without breaking through, and a disallowed goal by Billy Marshall (after a speedy rush from the left wing at center, around the Vipers goal and back to the right point where he fired a spin-around shot that went in, but was called just off-side before the shot was taken), Dylan Chanter sent in Brandon Bruce on a partial break in tight, and Bruce was able to dodge the poke-check of Halcrow and snap a shot in on the stick side to make it 4-0 (the assist for Chanter snapped a 6 game pointless drought for him). The Cents looked strong the rest of the way, taking a 4-0 lead into the 2nd intermission
in the 3rd period, the Vipers made it a little interesting in the early stages, when leading scorer Michael Zalewski, coming out of the box, used his speed to cut into the Merritt zone on the left wing, circle the goal, and from the right circle, feed a quick pass to Knisley at the bottom of the left circle for a one-timer that caught Chimienti off-guard to get the Snakes on the board at 4-1. They came on very hard afterwards, pushing to get the next goal as quick as possible, but Chimienti was strong and helped out defensively by his teammates collapsing in front of him
exactly 4 minutes after the Vipers got on the board, Chad Brears returned the favour to Soquila from the first period, setting him up with a pretty pass from behind the goal to the slot, which Soquila was able to finish off for his 2nd of the game, making it 5-1, and taking away any doubt as to who was going to come away with the points this night
Merritt wasn't satisfied with the 5-1 lead, as they caught the Vipers on a bad change, and Reece Wilcox sent in Brent Fletcher on a clear-cut breakaway, which Fletcher was able to finish off with a great shot five-hole on Halcrow to make it 6-1, snapping a personal 13 game pointless drought, tied with Schaefer for the longest on the team (the assist was wrongly awarded to Brandon Pfeil, but if it holds up, it also snaps a 5 game drought for Pfeil)
as if that wasn't enough, the hockey gods would throw the Centennials another bone just over a minute later, when Sean Maktaak's slap-in from the right point bounced off the backboards and came out front to Shinkaruk who buried a backhander to make it 7-1, ending Halcrow's night, and bringing in backup Danny Todosychuk for the first time ever against Merritt (the assist for Maktaak snapped his personal 11 game drought)
to Vernon's credit, they still pushed hard right till the end, and looked determined to at least get something more past Chimienti, but it wasn't meant to be on this night. The Centennials were as good defensively as they have been during this whole slump, despite giving up 37 shots
just when it looked like Merritt would quietly end the game on a power play, Brendan Lamont threw a hard hit on a Vipers defenseman along the end wall (I still don't know who it was, couldn't tell from my angle), and it was from behind, so another Vipers defenseman, Sean Robertson, instigated a fight with Lamont... and despite the big mismatch (a 6'1, 195lbs 20 year old vs a 5'8, 165lbs 17 year old), Lamont did extremely well for himself, fighting back very well after taking a few early punches, and by the end of it, tackling Robertson to the ground to at least get a draw decision. It was very impressive to see, and I'm sure Lamont's teammates all noticed it and appreciated it. Lamont is a very innocent-looking kid and one of friendliest guys on the team, but this was another lesson in not judging a book by its cover. A great way for the Centennials to make a statement and put an exclamation mark on their most dominant win of the season
*the win gives Merritt the win in the season series (4-2-1-1), which could be crucial if the two teams wind up tied at the end of the season and a tie-breaker is needed to determine positioning
*it's worth noting that during the 6 game losing streak, the Centennials had scored just 5 goals total... so to score 4 in the first 2 periods tonight, and 7 in total, is quite an amazing and stunning feat that shouldn't be overlooked, but should be a reason for fans to scratch their heads
*despite not winning the special teams battle (Merritt finished 0 for 5 on the power play), this was the 2nd straight game that Merritt was able to shut down the 3rd best power play in the league, forcing the Vipers to go 0 for 3, and going a perfect 7 for 7 on the PK in the last 2 games (both against Vernon), after giving up power play goals in each of the 5 games leading up to that
*as you could see in my notes, this game was just what Merritt needed. Not only the end to a slump at a crucial time, not only against a crucial opposition that was threatening to knock Merritt OUT of the playoffs, but it also snapped many personal droughts (hopefully re-sparkling the confidence for many guys) and matched a season-high goal output in one game... it was just an overall "feel-good" game for everyone involved on Valentines Day
*the Community Band (all wearing Cents jerseys) entertained the crowd with live music during the game and music in the mezzanine during the intermissions, and I have to say, they were outstanding! Plenty of hockey music, and it sounded very sharp and professional. It was a neat touch to a Valentines Evening that left many couples leaving the rink happy, and left all the fans with a newfound "love" for their hometown team
Here are the highlights from Merritt's most dominant win of the season, a 7-1 drubbing of the Vernon Vipers (I figured out the problem as to why my media player turned so bulky instead of the streamlined one that I liked):
