All the Northwest Giants needed was a win, and they got it.
The Giants won a seventh consecutive B.C. major midget hockey league title, narrowly edging runner-up Okanagan Rockets by a single point in the final regular season standings.
“We had a little help. It was pretty shocking when we heard the news,” said second-year Giants coach Clint Thornton.
Last weeken, the Burnaby-based Giants swept their two-game set with the Cariboo Cougars in Prince George, while Okanagan only needed to do the same at home against the Northeast Chiefs to place first overall. They couldn't do it, tying the fifth-place Chiefs 7-7 in their opening game on Saturday.
In fact, the Rockets became the victims of their own complacency, giving up five unanswered goals in the opening six minutes of the period to drop what proved to be a valuable point to the Giants.
“Our guys played well. It didn’t affect them. We just said, ‘Let’s keep doing what we’re doing and we put four (goals) in,” said Thornton.
The Giants blanked the Cougars 7-0 in their opening game and then ensured themselves of a seventh straight regular season title with a 4-1 win on Sunday. Colton Kerfoot led the Giants in the title-winning victory with a hat trick.
On Saturday, Kerfoot, who placed second in league scoring with 38 goals and 86 points, had a goal and two helpers against the Cougars.
“(Kerfoot) has been good for us that way when we needed him,” Thornton added.
Keegan Jones tallied a pair of markers for the Giants in the win, as the Giants took a 3-0 first-period lead before burying the Prince George club with four more goals in the final frame.
In Sunday’s pivotal win, the Giants spotted Cariboo the first goal of game and then replied with four markers in the final 12 minutes of the opening frame to coast to their 33rd win of the season.
The Giants finished the season with a record of 33-5-2, one point better than the Rockets. The Giants also led the 11-team loop in goals for, fewest goals against and least penalty minutes.
They open the playoffs on Friday with the first game of a best-of-three series against the South Island Royals.
“I know for a fact they will be ready for us,” said Thornton. “The message I sent to the players was they are going to know your systems, power play and forecheck, and we have to execute quicker and more efficiently.”
The Giants host the Royals at the Burnaby Winter Club on Friday, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The two teams play again the following night at 7:45 p.m.
If necessary, a Game 3 will be played on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. at the winter club.
