The Revelstoke Grizzlies need to get back to “meat and potatoes,” said coach Ryan Parent following a 3-1 loss to the Kamloops Storm in their only game last week.
The Grizzlies hit the road to face the Storm on Friday, Oct. 7, having won four of their last five games. Any hopes of easily keeping up their hot streak were dashed early when Kamloops scored two power play goals a minute apart in the second half of the first period.
First, Garrett Ewert scored at 7:11 of the frame while the Storm enjoyed a two-man advantage, and then Kole Comin made it 2–0 only 65 seconds later, with four seconds left in a penalty to Jordan Rae.
Revelstoke was outshot 12-5 in the first period and, while they bested Kamloops on the shot clock the rest of the way, they were only able to get one puck into the net courtesy forward Dylan McNeil at 9:29 of the second.
Brett Mero scored the Storm’s third goal with 5:37 left in the second and they held off the Grizzlies the rest of the way for a 3-1 win.
“We didn’t get off to a good start,” said Parent. “For me, the entire game – we had a decent second period – but the overall effort was not there, or our work rate wasn’t there through the 60 minutes.”
When asked what might have led to the poor start, Parent wasn’t sure. He said penalties cost them, but also a lack of physical play.
“Maybe it was a little bit of success that we had,” he said. “We’re a type of team that has to work to have success. We’re not a fancy type of team. We’re a meat and potatoes type of team.”
Revelstoke faces a big challenge this Saturday when they host the Summerland Steam. The Steam had an easy 5-3 win over the Grizzlies in the teams' first encounter on Sept. 16, and they currently lead the KIJHL with 16 points, though they’ve also played 11 games, three more than the Grizzlies, who have eight points so far.
“They’re a good hockey team and we’re going to have to be on our best game to be able to beat them,” said Parent.
Parent addressed comments by Geoff Goodman, the coach of the Princeton Posse, who called the Grizzlies “borderline dangerous” after five of his players were allegedly hospitalized in two games against Revelstoke two weekends ago. Grizzlies defenseman Nicholas Higgs was suspended for three games after a hit from behind in the game against the Posse last Friday, Sept. 30.
“In Revelstoke, we have a bigger team but I don’t think we’re a dirty team," said Parent.
"We play good, clean hockey and we play to win.”
He also expressed disappointment that the focus after last Saturday’s game in Nakusp – a 5-2 Revelstoke win – was on the officiating.
Parent made a trade last week, sending skilled forward Ryan Pereverzoff to the Kelowna Chiefs in exchange for defenseman Matthew Monk, the brother of former Grizzly Braeden Monk.
“I felt it was time for Ryan to move on. I think he was a good player for us while he was here. Sometimes it benefits the player to have a new place to play,” said Parent.
As for Monk: “He’s a '98 born D who will help us win.”