The Greater Vancouver Canadians are going to need more performances like last Sunday to keep pace in the ever-so-tight B.C. Major Midget Hockey League.
The Canadians skated to their most convincing win of the season, a 6-2 triumph over the visiting South Island Thunderbirds at the Ladner Leisure Centre.
"I think today was the first time this season we have managed to play for the whole game," said Leland Mack. "I know we are a good team, I believe we are a good team. We just haven't seen it yet. Today was better."
The Thunderbirds (163) arrived on the Mainland having won just one of eight starts but managed to earn a 2-2 tie in the series opener. The three-point weekend does lift Greater Vancouver (5-3-2) into a tie for second place, three points back of the frontrunning Cariboo Cougars. However, the locals are also just two points away from sitting in sixth place, with the league looking deeper than it ever has.
"It's so tight right now that it's going to seem like you are always in it and every weekend those series are going to be big," continued Mack. I like the character this team has. We are 12 forwards deep, with six good defencemen and two good goaltenders. We want to be that team every day like we were today."
The Canadians will enter this weekend's key matchup with the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs (5-3) without rookie forwards Tyler Sandhu and Mitch Walter.
The pair of 15-year-olds are suiting up for Team B.C. at the U16 Western Challenge in Moose Jaw. Sandhu, a second round draft pick of the Portland Winterhawks, is sixth in league scoring with 13 points, including eight goals.
The Canadians may also soon be without one of their key returning defenceman.
Sophomore Arvin Atwal's Western Hockey League playing rights were traded last week from the Prince Albert Raiders to the Vancouver Giants. The North Delta native, who doesn't turned 16 until late November, has already played two games for Vancouver since the trade, including Sunday's win over the Kelowna Rockets.
Atwal returned to the Canadians after being among the Raiders' final cuts. He also attends the South Delta Hockey Academy which happens to be run by members of the Giants coaching staff.
Mack has seen extra jump in Atwal's game since the deal.
"Arvin sometimes can be really motivated and sometimes not," said Mack. "He was in somewhat of a lull but once he got traded he was back to the Arwin we know and want.
"If we lose him (to the WHL) then that's what we want. That's the goal of our organization and the league. If he stays we want him to be the player he is now. He knows there are Giants all around here (at the Ladner Leisure Centre)."
Icing....
Sandhu led the way in Sunday's win with two goals and one assist. South Delta's Andrew Klukas also scored twice. Spencer Schoen and Otis Goldman had the others.
Troy Sutherland added a pair of assists, while Nathan Alalouf got the win in net.
