Gameday: Rebels @ Nitehawks (Game 4)

(Castlegar leads series 2-1)

A short gameday package today, as the Rebels again head south to Fruitvale for a pivotal Game 4.

A win tonight would give Castlegar the chance to clinch the series at home on Thursday, while a Nitehawk victory would secure another home date at the Hawks Nest and for them, breathe new life into the series.

I'll be interested to see if the Rebels dress seven defensemen again this evening. To me it seemed like Jamie Vlanich played about 35 minutes in Game 3, but he was full marks. The line of Vlanich, Taylor Anderson and Jesse Knowler was buzzing all night, and coach Steve Junker must have been happy with another night of balanced scoring that included a two-goal performance from Aaron Brewer.

For the most part, the line of Colton Donselaar, Ryon Sookro and Chris Derochie was contained yesterday after they ran roughshod over the Rebels in Game 2. Dallas Calvin seems to be improving as the series goes on: the 16 year-old is tied atop the 'Hawks leaderboard (with Derochie) with 15 points.

Another storyline to watch is the goaltending. Castlegar rebounded nicely from a shaky first period, while Mike Vlanich had I thought his best game of the series despite allowing six goals for a second consecutive game. Whichever team is able to buckle down defensively and prevent the scoring outbursts we've seen in each game so far will be at a huge advantage.

Broadcast Info: Once again, the Nitehawks crew will have the call at 7 PM, then join us for Game 5 from the Complex Thursday.

Out of Town: Osoyoos can move on to the next round with a victory in Kelowna tonight. The Coyotes lead the Chiefs 3-0 in the series, while Fernie can with a win take a 3-1 stranglehold home against a plucky Creston Valley squad tonight. Former Nelson Leaf Dustin Johnson had two goals in his return to the BCHL's Victoria Grizzlies last night.