DAILY DISH: BCHL REPORT - Junior Hockey News
Published: Tuesday, 17 Oct 2017
By: Stephen Heisler | Web site: JuniorHockey.com
The BCHL Report is a weekly look at Canada’s British Columbia Hockey League. The BCHL Insider is exactly that...a coach, or employee, with incredible insight into the league.
ISLAND
Powell River (8-3-1-0) – Head Coach Kent Lewis’ Kings pulled all the stops in Friday’s 5-1 win at Chilliwack. Unfortunately, the Kings only managed a single goal in two losses at Vernon and Trail. Prince George and Coquitlam visit this week. BCHL INSIDER SAYS: Getting back home is just what the doctor ordered for the Kings. It'll be Sweep City at the Hap.
Victoria (7-6-0-0) – Craig Didmon’s Grizzlies dropped all three games of their road trip last week, something I’m sure the coach is not too happy about. The Bulldogs and Express visit Wednesday and Friday. BCHL INSIDER SAYS: The Grizz fortunes are about to turn, home cookin' equals wins this week.
Alberni Valley (5-5-1-1) – Matt Hughes’ Bulldogs are back to .500 after a successful weekend sweep of Cowichan Valley. The Bulldogs tangle with Grizzlies on the road tomorrow night and at home Sunday. Prince George visits Saturday. BCHL INSIDER SAYS: Beating Cowichan gave the Dogs a false sense of security. Victoria and PG will give them a quick wake up call.
Nanaimo (5-7-0-1) – Head Coach Mike Vandekamp’s team was clipped at Vernon, Salmon Arm, and West Kelowna over the weekend. Regardless of that outcome, Nanaimo has a good chance of getting back up and over the .500 mark this week with Coquitlam, Prince George, and Victoria all visiting Frank Crane Arena. BCHL INSIDER SAYS: The Clippers may have gotten a spanking last weekend but they'll straighten up the ship and regroup soon.
Cowichan Valley (1-9-2-0) – Losing both ends of the weekend home-and-home set with Alberni Valley will always leave a bad taste in the mouths of any Capitals team, and this year’s edition is no exception. I’m afraid the Caps’ woes will continue this week with visits to Trail, West Kelowna, and
Langley. BCHL INSIDER SAYS: There's not a lot to look forward to this week for the Caps. Except lots of miles and no points.
INTERIOR
Vernon (9-3-0-2) – Vipers’ Head Coach Mark Ferner could be content with picking up two of a possible three wins on the weekend; that’s just not Ferner’s style. Expect Vernon to be rockin’ this week against Surrey and Trail. BCHL INSIDER SAYS: The Vipers are playing well and if they stay focused, can add to their division lead.
Trail (9-3-1-0) – Head Coach Cam Keith’s Smoke Eaters continue to keep the local supporters engaged with an exciting brand of hockey. Weekend home wins over both Victoria and Powell River certainly enhanced that enthusiasm. Cowichan Valley and Vernon visit this week. BCHL INSIDER SAYS: The challenge for Trail is they'll have opposite ends of the spectrum to deal with. They'll need to refocus between games.
West Kelowna (9-4-0-0) – Coach Rylan Ferster’s Warriors went 1-1 over the weekend. The Warriors host Langley tonight and visit Salmon Arm on Sunday. BCHL INSIDER SAYS: The Warriors are shaping up to be a legitimate contender in a tough division. They have a good chance to win both games.
Penticton (8-0-0-1) – Head Coach Fred Harbinson’s Vees are unbeaten in a league-least nine games played. Weekend wins over both Merritt and Victoria were both solid. Langley visits tomorrow with Merritt in on Friday. The big challenge to the unbeaten start will come Saturday night at Wenatchee. BCHL INSIDER SAYS: Merritt had the Vees on the ropes and let them off the hook. Three games this week will test Penticton.
Wenatchee (7-4-0-1) – Head Coach Bliss Littler and the Wild were set up last week. Home Wednesday (3-2 win over Vernon) and away Friday (4-2 win at West Kelowna) makes it difficult to be at 100% for a Saturday night game against any team in the league. That excuse gets tossed out the window considering Merritt played nearly the exact same schedule…and beat Wenatchee 3-2 despite getting outshot 47-20. The Wild are at Salmon Arm tonight and host both Surrey and Penticton this weekend. BCHL INSIDER SAYS: Wenatchee gets back to back home games for the first time this season. Saturday vs Penticton is must-see stuff.
Salmon Arm (6-6-0-0) – Head Coach Scott Atkinson’s Silverbacks are winning and now back to .500. That’s good news for Salmon Arm fans. Wenatchee visits tonight before a trio of games this weekend. The boys are in Chilliwack Friday before hosting Merritt and West Kelowna Saturday and Sunday. BCHL INSIDER SAYS: The Silverbacks are determined to make a push this season. Tough schedule this week but they'll pull a couple of points out of it.
Merritt (4-7-2-0) – Head Coach Joe Martin’s Cents got something they can build off of; the win at Wenatchee was epic and unexpected. Chilliwack visits tomorrow night before Merritt goes to Penticton and Salmon Arm this weekend. Yep, that’s big boy hockey. BCHL INSIDER SAYS: The Cents need to find some depth if they want to sustain any pressure in a tough division. They're good enough to win some games but are they content with that?
MAINLAND
Prince George (7-4-2-1) – Head Coach Adam Maglio’s Spruce Kings dropped the first two of eight straight road games last week. The bus moves to Powell River, Alberni Valley, and Nanaimo this week. Do you think PG will still be sitting atop the division at the end of the month? BCHL INSIDER SAYS: The road will take its toll on PG but they'll still be one of the top two teams in their division.
Langley (5-2-6-0) – Head Coach Bobby Henderson’s Rivermen are closing in on first place for the first time since…? Losing to Coquitlam was far from pretty but the overtime win over PG moved Langley within a weekend of the top spot in the division. That in itself IS noteworthy. Langley is in West Kelowna tonight, Penticton tomorrow, and Chilliwack on Saturday. BCHL INSIDER SAYS: Langley will take a beating this week and may lose the precious ground they gained. They'll fall to third before they ever see first.
Chilliwack (5-6-1-1) – Head Coach Jason Tatarnic’s Chiefs just got a glimpse of what happens after a 5-1 loss at home (3,188 in attendance). That loss was so frustrating that nearly 1,500 fans decided to do something else on Saturday night…a big 7-1 win over Coquitlam. Chilliwack is at Merritt tomorrow night before hosting Salmon Arm and Langley this weekend. BCHL INSIDER SAYS: The Chiefs have the resources to fix what's broken. Plus they're in a division that offers them plenty of opportunity to rack up wins.
Surrey (5-7-1-1) – Brandon West’s Eagles nudged even closer to the elusive .500 mark after going 2-1 last week, Climbing up and over that mark will be a challenge with visits to Wenatchee and Vernon this week. BCHL INSIDER SAYS: Surrey has some occasional lightning in a bottle at home but they're biting off a big chunk this week. They'll be lucky to squeeze a point from this trip.
Coquitlam (3-9-1-1) – Barry Wolf’s Express are a better team than last season, despite how bad things looked Saturday night at Chilliwack. It won’t get any easier this week with visits to Victoria, Nanaimo, and Powell River on the schedule. BCHL INSIDER SAYS: The Express should focus on Nanaimo because that's their best chance at stealing a point this week.
No comments:
Post a Comment