The Osoyoos Coyotes will be playing the Kelowna Chiefs in their final regular season game on Sunday night. Pictured is a game against the Chiefs earlier this season. (Richard McGuire file photo)
The Osoyoos Coyotes will enter the playoffs on a tremendous roll and the heavy favourite to win their conference and advance to the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) championship series for the first time in five years.
The Coyotes extended their latest winning streak to nine games after two more dominating performances this past weekend as they whipped a very strong Beaver Valley Nitehawks team 5-1 on home ice on Friday, before travelling to Grand Forks and hammering the Border Bruins 10-1 on Sunday afternoon.
The Coyotes hosted the Princeton Posse Wednesday night at the Sun Bowl Arena and wrap up the regular season this weekend as they host the Kamloops Storm Saturday night, before ending the season Sunday evening in Kelowna against the Chiefs.
The Coyotes will be the prohibitive favourites when they begin their best-of-seven Okanagan Division playoff series on home ice against the North Okanagan Knights Tuesday night at the Sun Bowl Arena.
Game two is set for next Wednesday evening. Both games will begin at 7:35 p.m.
The Coyotes will travel to Armstrong to play game three next Friday night, while game four will be played on Saturday night.
If a fifth game is necessary, it would be played in Osoyoos on Monday, Feb. 22. If a sixth game is needed, it would be played in Armstrong the following night. If a seventh-and-deciding game is needed, it would be played on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at the Sun Bowl Arena.
The Coyotes are on the verge of setting a new KIJHL record for the least goals allowed in a regular season.
They have allowed only 90 goals against in the first 49 games. The league record is 103 goals against in a 50-game regular season.
“That record dates back to the 1960s,” said team owner Randy Bedard.
Bedard is confident his team can get over the hurdle and advance to the KIJHL championship series, where they would likely meet the Kimberley Dynamiters, the only team in the league with a better record.
The Dynamiters have 82 points with only regular two season games remaining this weekend, while the Coyotes have 78 points with three games remaining.
The Coyotes would have home-ice advantage in every playoff series they play in the playoffs unless they face off against Kimberley in the league championship series.
The Coyotes have bowed out in the league semi-finals against the Kamloops Storm each of the past two years.
Bedard said head coach and general manager Ken Law and his players have quietly put together one of the best regular seasons in team history.
“We’ve quietly put together something special,” he said. “This past weekend we made a very good Beaver Valley team look very average.
“We’re so good behind the blue line, we have the two best goaltenders in the league and we have a very deep and talented group of forwards. I’m really confident this team can get it done and get to the finals.’
Team captain Rainer Glimpel will try and lock up the league scoring title this weekend. Heading into Wednesday’s game against Princeton, Glimpel led the league with 79 points, good enough for a three-point lead over Michael Cardinal of the Columbia Valley Rockies.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
