I wonder which two teams come to mind when you read that title ... it's easy to think of the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks with their game starting at 5:00 local time, but I am referring to the all BCHL matchup at the RBC Royal Bank Cup. At 7:00 tonight the BCHL Champions Vernon Vipers will be putting their 2 and 0 record up against the host Victoria Grizzlies. The Grizzlies lost their opening game to the Humboldt Broncos and then responded with just the seventh shutout victory ever in the RBC Royal Bank Cup against the Kingston Voyageurs. Meanwhile the Vernon Vipers handed the Broncos a convincing 7-1 loss after doubling up the Summerside Capitals 4-2 in their opener on Sunday.
A win tonight by Vernon assures them of top seed heading into the semi-finals even with a game remaining against Kingston. However, a host team victory will put both of the BCHL teams into a tie for top spot with 2-1 records and a game remaining for each. The Grizzlies still have to play the Summerside Capitals and as mentioned the Vipers have to play the Voyageures.
It is a pivotal game tonight and will make for a lot of tense moments for the fans fortunate enough to have a ticket to the game. In the regular season these two teams met only once and that was in October when Victoria made their four game Interior Division road trip. The Saturday night affair on October 25th was a low scoring one with the Vipers coming out on top 3-1. That game was a long time ago and both teams have travelled a long distance to get to where they are tonight.
Both teams are confident that they can defeat the other and help themselves to the title of odds on favourite for the 2009 National Championship.
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