With just one game remaining in the BCHL regular-season schedule, even after the Merritt Centennials emerged victorious against the Surrey Eagles last night, it would be easy to say that the Merritt Centennials are limping their way into the 2016-17 playoffs.
After all, the Cents had won but once in their last six outings leading up to Wednesday — hardly what you would describe as a positive push prior to the post-season.
Merritt head coach Joe Martin prefers to look at the glass as half full rather than half empty, however, stating that his team has played some very good hockey down the stretch despite a number of defeats.
Martin references this past weekend’s results as a case in point. The Centennials lost two of three, but performed well in seven of the nine periods of hockey.
The most dubious outing was the first one, an 8-5 setback on Friday night at the Cominco Arena in Trail.
After jumping out to a 3-1 first-period lead, the Cents kind of imploded, allowing the Smoke Eaters to outscore them 7-2 over the final 40 minutes.
“Yeah, we had a good start, but we seemed to lose our focus,” said Martin. “Whether that was the issue or not, we addressed it on the bus ride back from Trail. “I know it was better on Saturday and Sunday, and kept us in two hockey games.”
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Cents’ players and coaching staff had plenty of time on the road to reflect on Friday’s effort, as their bus blew two tires in the wee hours of the morning, and spent several hours parked on the side of the Coquihalla Connector waiting for repairs. They didn’t make it back to Merritt until 11 a.m. Saturday morning.
The long night and travel troubles could have been an easy excuse for another loss in the back half of the Merritt-Trail home-and-home series. Instead, in front of one of the largest crowds of the season at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena, the Cents were full-marks for a gutsy 4-2 win over the Smokies.
Colton Lancaster stopped a total of 72 shots and allowed just three goals in two starts. Other notable performers were team captain Brett Jewell and linemates Nick Fidanza and Henry Cleghorn. (Ian Webster/Herald).
“We were very good. It was a character win,” said Martin. “There wasn’t very much happening at the beginning. It took us a bit of time to get going offensively. As the play continued, we got better and better, and I got more and more comfortable.”
Leading the way for the Merritt team were forward Zach Zorn and netminder Colton Lancaster. The former was a man-on-a-mission all night, hitting everything in sight and creating havoc in the offensive zone. As for Lancaster, he was superlative in the early going and late stages of the game, stopping 38 of 40 shots.
“It was a great game for Zach. He’s had a handful of games like that in a row,” said Martin. “We need performances like that from players like him — big bodies that can control the game and be the difference-makers.
“I’m really happy for Colton,” added Martin. “When a goalie plays well, he makes it look easy, and that’s what he did.”
Lancaster sufficiently impressed his coach that he drew the start the next afternoon in Salmon Arm, and was just as impressive in a 1-0 loss to the Silverbacks. The only goal of the game was a shot from the point that was heading 10 feet wide until it got redirected on net at the last second.
“It was a loss, but I liked the way we played,” said Martin, “and that’s what’s most important. If we’re going to lose, I want it to be in that fashion, as opposed to what happened on Friday.”
Following Wednesday’s game in Surrey, Merritt closes out the regular season at home on Friday against the West Kelowna Warriors. Regardless of either outcome, the Cents will finish in fifth or sixth place, and in all likelihood play either the Smoke Eaters or the Warriors in the first round of the BCHL playoffs, set to start on Friday, March 3.
