What better way to bump a slump than to face the BCHL’s two worst teams.
After scratching out one point in a three-game Interior conference swing that included an 8-1 whooping by Penticton, the Chilliwack Chiefs got a gift from the schedule. Sent to Prince George Thursday night, they laid an 8-0 beating on the Spruce Kings.
Back home at Prospera Centre Saturday night, the Chiefs spotted the lowly Surrey Eagles (6-38-0-2) a two-goal lead, then roared back for a 5-2 win.
The same confidence that compels a sports writer to pen his lead before the puck has even dropped probably caused Chilliwack’s slow start in this one. You couldn’t blame the writer or the Chiefs for complacency when Chilliwack’s been 6-0 against Surrey this year, with 34 goals for and four against.
But the home team found itself down by one 6:32 in.
With Jake Smith already in the box for slashing, Linden Hora took two minutes for plowing over Justin LaForest as he ventured out of the Surrey net. Hora was still in the sin bin when Logan Mostat fired a shot from the slot. Chilliwack goalie Aidan Pelino left a rebound for ex-Chief Kurt Black, who whacked the puck across the line for his team-leading 15th of the year.
With 4:13 to go in period one, Black struck again to give his team a startling two goal lead.
Shots on goal at that point favoured the Eagles 9-8.
Now to be fair, the Chiefs could have had four or five of their own with a little puck luck. But they had to wait until 61 seconds into the second period to get on the board. Darien Craighead’s 17th of the season came on a power play as he skated into the goal-mouth and bang-banged a Rylan Bechtel centering pass past LaForest.
The Chiefs drew even at 9:43 on a goal by Dennis Cholowski.
Taking a cross-ice feed from Jordan Kawaguchi, the 17 year old strolled in from the point and had time for a full wind-up slap-shot, blasting the puck over Laforest’s right shoulder for his sixth of the year.
Chilliwack finally surged into the lead with 6:19 to go in the middle frame.
Jesse Lansdell picked up his 12th of the year, charging the net to knock a waist-high Kohen Olischefski centering pass past LaForest.
With 1:52 to play and his team on the power play, Bechtel stepped into a pass from point-partner Cholowski and his one-timer rocket was tipped down and in by Lansdell.
Chilliwack led 4-2 through two.
Hora got on the scoreboard 6:18 into period three. Jake Smith picked the pocket of Eagle D-man Tyler Cooper below the end-line and slipped a quick pass to Hora. The 19 year old buried his sixth of the year behind LaForest.
The only question now was whether the Chiefs would get another goal and treat their fans to Subway cookie vouchers on ‘Score Six Saturday.’
Craighead came closest on a wraparound that might have gone in. Only a net-cam would know for sure but the refs said no.
So, no cookies, but a win and a record of 29-10-4-2 heading into a Sunday nighter (5 p.m.) tomorrow versus the West Kelowna Warriors at Prospera Centre..
The three stars were Cholowski (first), Lansdell (second) and Black (third).
The Fortis BC Energy Player of the Game was Jake Smith
Announced attendance was 2,588.
