A lopsided home ice loss to the league's second place team would typically be a telling sign heading into the playoffs unless it's the Greater Vancouver Canadians.
The regional rep squad closed out regular season play Sunday by getting outclassed 7-1 by the Cariboo Cougars at the Ladner Leisure Centre. Just 24 hours earlier, the Canadians battled the Cougars to the very end in a 1-0 loss. It's typical of a season that has been a roller coaster ride from start to finish.
"We have beat every team in the league except them (a tie) and we have also lost or tied to every team in the league as well," said Greater Vancouver head coach Leland Mack.
"If we bear down, work hard and try to play a playoff style, then we can compete. That's the kind of team we have. We don't have a lot of skill. We just have hard workers."
The Canadians finished with an 18-14-8 record, good enough for fourth place and a best-of-three quarter-final series this weekend in Kelowna against the third place Okanagan Rockets (20-12-8). The teams split four regular season meetings, with Canadians earning one road win.
Mack is counting on solid goaltending from 17-year-old Chris Tai who will get the start in game one on Friday.
"If we get good goaltending that will be a huge key," continued Mack. "He is kind of the wild card for the team. Chris showed on Saturday how, when he is on his game, we can compete with anyone."
The Canadians had no answer Sunday for an impressive Cariboo team that seemed to win every puck battle and cruised to victory with four unanswered goals in the third period.
"The way they are built, they a hard team to play against," added Mack. "They are big, strong and just a very good team."
Still, Mack would love another crack at them and he would get his wish for a semi-final road trip to Prince George should his squad take care of business this weekend.
