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
*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)
Kit Sitterley (91) Spencer Graboski (93) Trevor Hills (92)
Jeremy Gossard (93) Garrett Forster (95) Jaret Babych (94)
David Thompson (92) Matthew Hutchinson (91)
Anderson White (91) Alex Perron-Fontaine (92)
Shay Laurent (93) Tyler Miller (91)
Mitch Gillam (92)
Bryton Udy (93)
SCRATCHES:
Mathieu Tibbet (93)
No comments:
Post a Comment