By Mark Janzen /
What a difference a year makes.
At the end of last season, the Alberni Valley Bulldogs were languishing in last place in the Coastal Conference with a dismal record of 16-36-1-7. Simply put, they defined the term “cellar dwellers.”
They hadn’t been beyond the 21-win barrier since 2006 and, despite finishing the year with a tidy three-game winning streak, no one could have predicted the success they are having this year.
So with Alberni Valley as the poster-boys for change, and with the season just beyond the midfield stripe, we take a look at who has catapulted this year, who has dropped off and who has stayed the course.
Alberni Valley
The Bulldogs are tied for the conference lead (with Powell River) in goals against average (2.6) and fans can thank 18-year-od Frank Slubowski for that. The much discussed Prince Rupert-product has provided stability between the pipes that the Bulldogs haven’t seen since Brian Stewart. They’re in the top six league-wide in both special teams.
Surrey
The Eagles escaped from the claws of mediocrity and are battling for the top spot in the conference. And in doing so, it’s not like any one particular aspect has been grossly improved. It’s more like they’re doing a lot of things a little bit better. Instead of averaging 3.3 goals for and 3.4 goals against, they’re now averaging 3.4 goals for and 3.0 goals against. Their special teams have gotten marginally better and goalie Vinny Lessard has taken over nicely. But maybe little improvements are better than an overhaul.
Powell River
While they’re not quite the powerhouse they were last year, coach Kent Lewis wasn’t going to let them drop off. Now they play defence with everyone having to chip in offensively. Last year, they averaged 4.2 goals per game and 3.1 against. This year, it’s 3.0 for and 2.6 against. They’re home record of 10-2-0-2 helps a little as well.
Victoria
Last year, the Grizzlies were stacked. So, comparing them to this year’s team is unfair. Given the talent they lost over the summer, Victoria is doing just fine. They have the third best penalty-kill in the league (86.3 per cent) and that has held them in a lot of games. This team wants to prove they should be given a little more respect and so far, they’re getting there.
Nanaimo
Last year, the Clippers struggled late in the season and finished only four games above .500. So, with that in mind, this year is actually looking like an improvement. But not by a whole lot. If it wasn’t for an 8-2-1-1 record on the road, things might look scary in Nanaimo. If they can better their record at home, they’ll be in the mix.
Langley
Expectations were that Langley would be a veteran team ready to swing for the fences. So far, they’ve been very veteran but those seasoned folks have been doing a lot of striking out. Colton Beck and his 42 points has been solid but there’s too much average in Langley. They’re eighth in the league in both PP and PK and don’t really standout in any particular category.
Cowichan Valley
The finish they had last year probably had fans excited about this year. Key players from last year have left and the Caps need others to really step up. Through 33 games, the Capitals have only three players with more than 20 points and they have the lowest-ranked powerplay in the league. They have allowed an average of 4.5 goals per game thus far this season.
Burnaby
The plan was to build this team around some key older players and that has not seemed to work so far. It seems very few of their acquisitions are paying expected dividends. Coming off a poor season, the Express are not necessarily on the decline, but they certainly continue to struggle and are mathematically on pace for a worse season. |