Big back-to-back wins last weekend were the fuel the AC Avalanche was hoping for to keep propelling them toward the post-season.
“I’m very, very proud of these guys. This is exactly what we needed. Now we know we can do it,” a thrilled coach Kenton Levesque said Sunday. “I’m very excited for the future.”
The eighth-place Avs bested the CBHA Blackhawks – the second-best team in the Alberta Minor Midget AAA Hockey League’s south division – on Sunday afternoon by a score of 6-3. Levesque said his team held solidly onto their lead, killed a ton of penalties and, overall, played the kind of game they have to in order to hold onto a desired spot in the upcoming AMMHL showdowns.
The Avalanche also made gains Saturday night with a 3-1 win at the Max Bell Centre in Calgary against the CNHA Blazers, who currently sit in sixth place.
Levesque said this season’s standings are as tight as they’ve ever been, with six of the top eight teams all sitting within four points of each other. Those top eight advance to the playoffs – which is why every game counts.
“We want to play meaningful games at the end,” said Levesque.
The Avs take to the ice again on Saturday with the league’s last place Red Deer Northstar Chiefs, then play the final two regular season games at home against the Rockyview Raiders on Feb. 25, followed by the CBHA Rangers on Feb. 26.
Levesque said for him, the race to the finish line is one of the most exciting stretches of the season.
“This is my favourite time of year.”
