The Nanaimo Clippers don’t have home-ice advantage, but aside from that, they have every chance to win.
The Clippers begin their first-round BCHL playoff series against the Victoria Grizzlies on the road this Friday (March 3). The Grizz won the Island Division’s regular-season title, but the Clips don’t put much stock in the seedings.
“I don’t think any of the guys in this room are looking at it like we’re playing the first-place team. I think we’re just looking at it as we’re playing Victoria, probably our first rival, and we really want to beat them,” said Evan DeBrouwer, Clippers goalie.
The teams are familiar foes after playing each other twice on the last weekend of the regular season and swapping one-goal victories.
“We feel like it’s going to be like that in the playoffs against this team; every game’s going to be close,” DeBrouwer said.
Ben Solin, the Clippers’ leading scorer during the season, said last weekend’s games give his team some confidence and momentum, but mentioned that the hockey will be at a higher level now.
“We know they’re going to be ready and raising their intensity, so we’ve got to raise our intensity more than they do,” Solin said.
Clippers players talked about the importance of trying to control the style and pace of play in the series against an arguably more skilled team.
“Our goal is to grind it out and kind of get them off their game…” DeBrouwer said. “We want to play to our strengths and that’s grind-it-out hockey and chip and chase and crash the net and I think that’s what we’re going to do going into the playoffs.”
Solin said the Clippers approached the practice week determined to prepare better and harder than the opponent. Playoff hockey will also require the right mental approach, he said.
“After the game ends, you’ve got to focus on the next one, whether it’s a win or a loss,” Solin said. “The next game’s going to be just as important, if not more important, than the one you just played.”
GAME ON … The Clippers and Grizzlies play Game 1 on Friday at 7 p.m. at Victoria’s Q Centre. Game 2 is Saturday at 7 p.m. at the same venue. Game 3 and Game 4 will be March 7-8 at Frank Crane Arena, with 7 p.m. faceoffs both nights.
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