BCHL Coastal Conference Team Reports:

This is in this week's BC Hockey Now Newspaper:

BCHL Coastal Conference Team Reports

By Mark Janzen /

The halfway pole is now in the Coastal Conference’s rearview mirror and the push for playoff positioning is on in earnest.

While Cowichan Valley sat at the bottom of the conference standings when this article was written, that could well change by the time you read this or by the time the game you’re watching finishes.

As of Dec. 12, the Capitals had 31 points, but only trailed Coquitlam by two points and Alberni Valley by four points.

Then, take a look at the battle for second place – Powell River, at 57 points, is in first and 12 points clear of second place Langley, so the Kings are clearly above the rest – where three points separate Langley (45), Surrey (43) and Victoria (42). All three teams have won 20 games this year and will be in a dogfight for home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The one team not mentioned thus far, Nanaimo, is nestled in between these two groups at 38, four behind Victoria and three ahead of Alberni Valley.
BC Hockey Now examines each Coastal Conference team as they head down the stretch.

POWELL RIVER KINGS

The Kings have been in an elite division all by themselves for much of the 2010-11 season. Using a staunch defence, one that only allowed 1.70 goals against per game, Powell River has only lost five games in regulation all year and seven in total. Powell River has been led by goalie Michael Garteig, who has seven shutouts in 31 appearances, and forwards Chad Niddery and Matt Garbowsky, who have 45 and 41 points respectively.

LANGLEY CHIEFS

A weird thing happened on Dec. 8. For the first time all year, Langley was shutout. Then, two nights later, it happened again. Langley has averaged 4.00 goals per game and is the highest scoring team in the BCHL, but has now gone six games without scoring more than three goals.
The team, led by Matt Ius and his 54 points, has relied on its goals all year and recently the offence has dried up. And with teams closing in on second place, the Chiefs need this mini-drought to end in a hurry if they hope to maintain their now precarious position.

SURREY EAGLES

While Langley has been getting all the headlines for its remarkable offensive dominance this year, Surrey isn’t far behind. Bradley McGowan has a league-leading 59 points and has been the catalyst for the Eagles 3.80 goals per game this year. The Eagles have collected nine of a possible 12 points in the last six games and, with three games in hand on Langley, are very much closing in on the coveted second position.

VICTORIA GRIZZLIES

The Grizzlies entered December with six wins in their final seven November contests, but upon arriving in the final month of 2010, Victoria has hit the skids. The Grizzlies have only have one win in their last six games and scored only seven goals in those five losses. Since an epic seven-game road trip on Dec. 4, Victoria has lost three in a row and is still recovering from the effects as five regulars are sitting out on the injured list.

NANAIMO CLIPPERS

The Clippers are in a relative no-man’s land as they aren’t quite in the top four but aren’t quite in the bottom three, either. In December, Nanaimo has gone 3-2-0-0, which has been pretty much typical of its season, thus far. But starting on Dec. 14, the next six games, all on the road, will be critical to the outcome of their season. They have four games in five nights from Dec. 14-18 and then back-to-back road games on Dec. 29 to 30.

ALBERNI VALLEY BULLDOGS

Like Nanaimo, the Bulldogs could really make or break their year with their late December-early January stretch. Alberni Valley plays two road games before the Christmas break and then follows that up with a seven-game road trip. Seeing how the Bulldogs have only three road wins all year, this trip could be the difference. Alberni Valley’s conference-low 2.80 goals per game will also have to be addressed.

COQUITLAM EXPRESS

Coquitlam has only two wins in their last 11 games. That’s the bad part. The good part is that four of those nine losses came in overtime, which has kept the Express in the playoff picture. The Express have a league-high eight OT losses but will need to accumulate more than just single points in their next four games, which are all at home, before they embark on a portion of the schedule where they play eight of nine games on the road.

COWICHAN VALLEY CAPITALS

With points in four of their last five games, the Capitals have got themselves back into the playoff mix. Goalie Chase Martin arrived in Cowichan Valley on Nov. 30 via a trade from Salmon Arm and has taken over the goaltending duties. Martin has played in all five Capitals games since arriving and his 3.08 GAA is more than a goal less than Cowichan Valley’s season average (4.10).