The Nanaimo Clippers have 17 games remaining until the start of the BCHL playoffs. Nanaimo enters the final seven weeks of the season with an eight point lead in the Coastal Division standings. (Gary Dorland)

By Dan Marshall

Playoff Push

VIDEO: Clipper veterans ready for post season stretch drive

Feb 8, 2023 | 8:59 AM

NANAIMO — With less than two months to play and just 17 games before playoffs the Clippers are looking to ramp up their game.

There are 10 players who went to the 2022 BCHL finals and are still with the team, providing a solid core of experience heading into a critical stretch of games.

In Nanaimo’s most recent outing, a 5-2 win over Cowichan Valley, veterans like Jake Hewitt with two goals and Brody Waters with a pair of assists led the way. Hewitt believes staying in the moment is a key to ultimate success.

“I think everyone needs to stay focused on one game at a time, It’s a tough part of the season and playoffs are right around the corner. If everyone can focus in on one game at a time I think the results will come.”

With five wins in their last six games and an eight point lead in the Coastal Division standings, Waters likes the way the club is playing.

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“It’s a really big time of the year and right now our team is in a really good place. You can expect us to keep moving forward and doing good things.”

Nanaimo has four players in the top twelve in league scoring including Waters and Hewitt.

They also lead the Coastal Division with 152 goals scored.

Waters had a tremendous playoff in 2022 and was the Clippers second leading post season scorer.

He sees some similarities with this year’s team and some areas where this version of the Clippers may be able to exceed what the team did last year.

“I think we have more depth this year. We want to win every game and our mentality is the next game is the biggest of the year. It would be nice to finish the season in first place and get home ice for the first three rounds of playoffs.”

Meanwhile, Hewitt is still looking for some improvements in one other aspect of the Clippers team game.

“Our penalty kill has to get better but everyone in the league is mostly within one or two percent. I think that can be tightened up. Systematically we have to make sure we’re doing our jobs in the defensive zone. If we keep scoring like we have been that will be key going into the playoffs.”

CLIP NOTES:

The Clippers will travel over 1400 kilometres for games in Wenatchee on Friday, Feb. 10 and Salmon Arm on Saturday, Feb. 11. The trip will represent Nanaimo’s most total bus hours of the season.

Nanaimo is 3-1-1 against the Interior Division this year. Five of their final 17 games are against Interior clubs.

Ethan Mistry leads all BCHL defencemen in scoring with 42 points. He also has 11 points during an eight game point streak.

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