The BCHL playoff games will come fast and furious for Surrey Eagles and Powell River Kings during their first-round series, which gets going Friday (March 31) at South Surrey Arena and continues there the following night.
The Coastal Conference foes split their season series two games apiece in favour of the home teams, including a 6-2 Eagles win over the Kings last Friday (March 24).
The Eagles finished second in the conference with 73 points, 25 ahead of the Kings in the nine-team conference.
Surrey head coach Cam Keith expects a competitive seven-game series that could go the distance, given the tight schedule of games (four games in five nights to start) and ferry travel to and from the Sunshine Coast.
“They’re a team that started slow this season and really improved as they year went along, so their record isn’t a full indicator of their strength as a team right now,” Keith said of the Kings.
“We struggled against Powell River on the road there (at Hap Parker Arena), losing two in December, so we know these first two home games are very important for us. It’s going to be a fun series, one I expect to be a long one.”
The higher-seed Surrey team enters playoffs relatively healthy, save for a freak season-ending injury to all-star goaltender Eli Pulver during an early-March game, when he tore up his shoulder reaching back for a puck. With Pulver and his MVP-level stats out of the lineup, the Eagles will rely on first-year netminder Michael Sochan the rest of the way.
EAGLES POWERPLAY GOAL!!!
— x - Surrey Eagles (@SurreyEagles) March 27, 2023
WAGNON WILL PICK HIS CORNER TO GIVE THE EAGLES THE TWO GOAL LEAD! 6-4 EAGLES! pic.twitter.com/H9WrIZXwVC
Last Friday against Kings, Sochan earned Fortis Energy Player of the Game honours for stopping 22 of 24 shots. Sunday, in a 7-4 win over Cowichan Capitals, Sochan was given the game off in favour of Ben Montgomery and Jaiden Sharma, who shared the minutes. Sharma stopped all 24 shots he faced.
“Montgomery and Sharma will be there if we need them but Sochan is our guy, and we’re going to live and die with him in the playoffs,” Keith said. “He’s done well this year and had some highs and lows in his first year in the league, but has really found his game of late. I think he’s feeling comfortable going into this playoff series.
“We’re healthy, knock on wood,” the coach added. “We have all of our skaters available heading in, and we’re happy with that starting point.”
The Eagles finished the regular season with 350 penalty minutes, lowest in the league by quite a margin, and allowed the third fewest goals. Heading north, Surrey scored 200 goals in 54 games, fourth best in the BCHL.
“We have a pretty good penalty kill but in playoffs your special teams become so important,” Keith said. “We will have to elevate our physicality, and we are one of the smaller teams in the league. We’re built for the Olympic ice – our strength this season has been playing at home, where we’re very comfortable on the big ice. We’re not big and heavy and built for that grinding game, but we’re going to have to find a little bit of that if we’re going to be successful in the playoffs.”
Last week the Eagles announced their annual player awards, with Pulver and forward Jake Bongo sharing the Kris Wilson Team MVP award. Captain Brody Gagno won the Athletic Courage and John Short Leadership awards, Tate Taylor earned Devon Teows Top Defensive Man honours, Ryden Evers was named Most Sportsmanlike and Jacob Bonkowski was given the Paul Macmillan Top Forward award.
Other awards went to Ty Brassington (Chuck Westgard Community Service), Ewan Rennie (Fan Favourite), Ante Zlomislic (Unsung Hero), Aaron Schwartz (Scott Gomez Rookie of the Year), Ross Roloson (Matt Earhart Top Academic Athlete) and Cole Galata (Jeff Nabseth Heart & Soul), while Savek Brar and Rylan Bonkowski shared the Mark Holick Most Improved Award.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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