It's all about home ice advantage.
That's the message from the Olds Grizzlys coaches and players as they prepare for the final nine games of the season over the next three weeks.
Clinging to fourth place in the Alberta Junior Hockey League's south division, the guys donning the black and gold are determined to stay in that position to ensure the home ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.
Friday night, they took the first step in that direction, snapping a three-game losing skid by beating the Calgary Canucks 5-1 at the Sports Complex to strengthen the team's hold on that coveted fourth spot.
ìIt's a good way to go into February with a win like that,î explained winger Tanner Dunkle, who finished Friday night with a goal and an assist.
ìWe haven't been playing as well as we can but I think we can pick it up in February and this win will hopefully help us come together as a team and to just have more fun out there.î
Friday's victory was the perfect tonic for the Grizzlys following a demoralizing 6-2 loss to the fifth-place Canmore Eagles on Thursday night. The home-standing Eagles scored four third-period goals to blow the contest wide open and to open the race for the fourth spot in the division.
With Friday's victory, Olds moved six points ahead of the Eagles with two games in hand and two games remaining on the schedule between the two rivals. Also lurking are the Calgary Mustangs and Drumheller Dragons, both of whom sit one point behind the Eagles with games in hand on the Bow Valley squad.
Regardless of who is in the chasing pack, the Grizzlys players know they have to win hockey games and can't replicate their recent form if they want to host the first two games of the playoffs. Key to that is not repeating a recent trend of losing games in the third period, or as the players have been saying, finishing.
ìYou have to play a full 60 to win, you can't just come out and play a shift here, a shift there, you've got to play every shift all-out all the time,î Dunkle suggested. ìIt's big because home ice advantage is key, especially in the first round.î
Friday's victory also marked the first win for goaltender Brandon Thiessen after a multi-week slump that saw the lion's share of the work go to fellow netminder Riley Parker. After giving up the first goal of the game, the first-year goalie shut the door the rest of the way including a key save on a breakaway in the second period.
ìIt feels awesome. I haven't got a win in Ö well, I almost can't remember my last win, but it feels great and hopefully we can get more of that going,î he smiled following the game. ìIt's been a while since we played like this and it feels great. We wanted it bad tonight and it showed.î
While it was a good game for the rookie goaltender, it was also a big night for a pair of veterans. Taylor Bourne scored a short-handed goal and also chipped in with three assists for the locals, while team captain Corbin Karl added a goal and assist to his record scoring season.
Also scoring was Zane Jones, bringing the season's total to 19 for the 16-year-old power forward.
For Dunkle, getting to play with Bourne has been a huge benefit to his scoring totals and ice time.
ìHe's a really skilled guy and it's his second year in the league and he knows where to be and when to be there,î Dunkle explained. ìHe knows his stuff and he's a great player to play with because I can give him the puck and trust him to do something with it.î
The Grizzlys will try to get some momentum going this week when they face a pair of teams above them in the standings. Thursday night they head to Camrose to take on the third place Kodiaks before returning home Friday to play the division-leading Okotoks Oilers, a team the Grizzlys have taken their share of points from this year.
ìAll the games are big from here on out,î said Dunkle.
