Despite losing two games to the Port Alberni Bombers in February, both clubs will be at ease knowing they have already clinched a playoff spot.
'It was back-and-forth," said Lou Gravel, the general manager of the Storm. "Two very strong teams and the momentum was switching non-stop. It was physical. It was playoff hockey."
The two Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) clubs have been neck-in-neck for the North Division title. However, the Storm managed to take the top spot before Christmas and has retained it since then.
The first game was on Feb. 9, with the Bombers visiting. The visitors beat the Storm 5-4.
The scoring didn't start until the second period, with the Bombers scoring a pair very early in the period via Leim Smith and Solstice Tennant. The Storm answered with a three-goal barrage through Ethan Hill and two from Jan-Felix Faupel. The second period ended 3-2 with the Storm.
Smith started the scoring again in the third period, with Sean Richards from the Bombers following it up. Kai Verbrugge scored the final goal for the Bombers. The lone scorer for the Storm in this period was Tristan Williams.
The second game was in Port Alberni on Feb. 12. The Bombers edged the Storm 3-2. Smith, Richards and Zach Spafford scored for the Bombers, while Wyatt Dumont and Faupel scored the two goals for the Storm.
With only four games left in the regular season, Gravel says the team needs to focus on staying healthy and out of suspensions. He also wants to make sure the team starts the playoffs on a high.
"The playoffs are an extension of your regular season, and if you're slumping at the end of the regular season, it's tough to get out of that entering the playoffs," said Gravel. "It's the same as any sport. You want to be on a high and riding that wave as you enter the playoffs, and as far as I'm concerned, playoffs and championships are won with defence, keeping the puck out of your net."
Despite losing the last two games, Gravel is not wrong. Only the Bombers have conceded fewer goals (123) than the Storm (125) as of Feb. 13 league-wide. The Storm have also conceded the least power play goals, with 23.
"We think we have an unbelievable defensive core and extremely good goaltending on our team, so we are very confident about our backend, and our forwards are very responsible in defence. In playoffs, you don't want to be doing a run-and-gun shootout. That doesn't win championships. It's keeping the puck out of your net that will win it."
