At this point of the season the Olds Grizzlys are masters of their own destiny.
Considering their record of late that is still a huge consolation for the team in black and gold as they look to solidify their hold on fourth place in the Alberta Junior Hockey League's south division.
With seven games remaining in the regular season, Olds holds a four-point lead on the Drumheller Dragons ñ with a game in hand ñ and a six-point lead on the Calgary Mustangs (who played late Monday night). The Grizzlys didn't do themselves any favours last week, dropping contests on consecutive nights, 5-2 to the Camrose Kodiaks and 7-6 in overtime to the Okotoks Oilers.
The single point picked up in the overtime loss could end up being a silver lining to an otherwise disappointing week for the locals, who slipped to 3-6-0-1 in their last 10 games.
ìGoing down the road here that might be a big point,î head coach Kevin Willison pointed out. ìThey have to keep their head up here, but we neeed to turn it around here because the way we're playing Ö it's been a long time since we put two wins together so we're going to have to figure it out real quick.î
The Grizzlys won't have much time to dwell on what's keeping them out of the win column with four important divisional games this week, starting tonight in Canmore against the seventh place Eagles, a team whose own slump has dropped them from a solid fifth place down into the final playoff spot.
Canmore will be the team the Grizzlys round out the week against with a home-ice date on Saturday night. That follows a key game Thursday in Canmore and a huge match-up Friday night at the Sports Complex against Drumheller.
Willison said small errors are compounding for the Grizzlys during key times of the game, however, he has yet to see reason to doubt the players' effort on the ice.
ìI'm happy with that bunch in there because it's never from a lack of effort. It's between the ears and they have to learn from those things,î he explained. ìAt this time of year we're making mistakes that we were making in October and November and those kind of things can't happen.î
If the Grizzlys are to hold on to fourth in the division they'll have to be road warriors. Five of the team's remaining seven games are away from the friendly confines of the Sports Complex, including all three next week to wrap up the regular schedule.
And while the coaches have their eye on the standings they aren't at all worried about who finishes in fifth spot as long as they secure that fourth spot in the standings and the automatic two home playoff dates that come with it in the best of five opening round series.
ìWe want to finish strong here in the last eight games and then we'll focus in on the team that we're going to face in the playoffs in the first round,î Willison emphasized. ìWe're trying to convince these guys that it takes 60 minutes to win a hockey game and you need to skate and do what you do well. When these guys are all on the same page they look good ñ they skate well and they move the puck well.î
Grizzlys Pause ñ In Camrose last Thursday Grizzly goal scorers were Evan Thompson and Alex Barnes while Friday night at home Brandon Sloan, Tanner Dunkle, Brandon Clowes, Zane Jones and Taylor Bourne with a pair, all netted for the black and gold. For Jones, the 16-year-old local product, it was his 20th goal of the season and the fourth consecutive game where he collected at least one point Ö At this point of the season Bourne, the team's leading scorer, has 23 goals and 28 assists for 51 points ñ good for a tie for 23rd in league scoring.
