Darnell Dyck tried to downplay his individual success.
“We were just getting very good bounces,” he offered as the main reason for his outstanding game on Saturday night.
“(And) I just made some good passes and they finished.”
‘They’ referred to his linemates Brad McBride and Trevor Gerling.
The trio combined for three goals and 13 points as the Langley Chiefs pounded the Merritt Centennials 8-2 at the Langley Events Centre.
Dyck had two goals — one on a breakaway, the other on a wraparound — and four assists, while McBride had one goal and three assists.Gerling finished with three helpers.
Dyck was also named the BCHL player of the week on Monday after tallying three goals and four assists in Langley’s two games, both victories in which the team compiled a total of 16 goals.
Against Merritt, the game was actually tied at two goals apiece at the midway point, after the Centennials erased a two-goal deficit with goals 84 seconds apart from Brandon Pfeil and Regan Soquila.
But Austin Plevy and Matt Ius restored the two-goal advantage before intermission.
And there would be no third-period comeback for the Centennials, as Langley scored four goals— two apiece from Josh Myers and Dyck — to turn the game into a one-sided affair.
Merritt did turn up the pressure in the final 20 minutes, but Wyatt Galley was up to the challenge, stopping all 17 shots in the period to finish with 32 saves.
Trace Strahle had opened the scoring with a first period power-play goal before McBride doubled the lead in the second.
After a red-hot start to the season which saw them roar out of the gates with an 11-1-0-1 record, the team has stumbled since mid-October, going 19-20-1-6.
But Dyck feels the team is turning the corner, especially with wins in three of their last four games.
“We had a good week and we are peaking at the perfect time,” he said. “We have all four lines clicking.”
The team is not looking too far ahead however, as they still need to take care of business and clinch third place with a victory in their regular season finale on Friday at the Langley Events Centre against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
If the Chiefs lose, they would need Victoria to drop one of their two remaining games to finish third.
“That is our goal right now, to win that last game,” Dyck said. “Hopefully we clinch that and we can go into the playoffs on a roll.”
The Fred Page Cup playoffs begin on Friday, Feb. 25. The Chiefs will host either the Nanaimo Clippers or Alberni Valley Bulldogs in the best-of-seven series. Game two is Feb. 26.
