Kale Kane had his second straight two-goal night as his Chilliwack Chiefs topped the Merritt Centennials 4-1 Friday at Prospera Centre.
Mark Sinclair was excellent, stopping 29 shots as his team won their seventh straight game and 16th in their last 17 outings.
Sinclair’s crew improved to 33-10-5-0 but they didn’t get any help on the out-of-town scoreboard. As they were toppling the Centennials the Wenatchee Wild were dumping the Vipers in Vernon to maintain their three point lead for first place in the Mainland division standings.
Chilliwack led 1-0 through 20 minutes, but probably should have had two or three more.
Kale Kane had the goal. Ben Fanjoy got the assist, cutting into the right faceoff circle and putting a low shot on net from the right dot. Merritt goalie Jacob Berger left the rebound on the doorstep for Kane to shovel in, giving him 12 on the year.
On the next shift Anthony Vincent led a two-on-one rush. Flying down the left wing he saucered a pass across the ice to Aaron O’Neill, who was looking for the top corner over Berger’s glove. Berger got a piece of it with a desperation lunge, but the puck flopped into the blue paint behind him. Centennials D-man Zachary Bleuler made the save, batting the bouncing puck out of the air at the goal-line.
The scoreboard (1-0) and the shot-clock (9-7) flattered the visitors, who escaped to the second period in a one-goal hole.
Merritt briefly tied the game early in period two.
Chase Bell did the heavy lifting, fighting off a Davis Bunz check behind the Chilliwack end-line and dishing the puck into the slot. Tyler Ward beat Chiefs netminder Mark Sinclair with a lightning-quick release.
But, less than three minutes later Chilliwack’s Carver Watson tracked down a loose puck at the top of the left faceoff circle, wound up a half-slapper and caught the top right corner with a laser shot over Berger’s mitt.
Kane’s second of the game put the Chiefs up by two.
Bunz started the play at the right point, pitching the puck down low for Will Calverley.
No. 8 flipped it into the goal-mouth where Kane had two whacks at it. Berger stopped the first but not the second and Chilliwack carried a 3-1 lead into the final frame, out-shooting Merritt 21-15.
Jake Smith added to the Chiefs lead with a power play goal at 3:25.
Ben Fanjoy nearly scored seconds earlier and chaos followed in the goal-mouth as everyone tried to locate the rebound. Smith found it first, wheeling 180 degrees at the right hash-mark and snapping the puck over Berger for the game’s final goal.
The game ended on a sour note in the final minute when Bunz was given a five minute major and game misconduct for a hit from behind.
The three stars were Kane (first), Fanjoy (second) and Bunz (third).
The Fortis BC Energy Player of the Game was Calverley.
Announced attendance was 2,177.
The Chiefs are back home Saturday night for a big Mainland division clash with the Langley Rivermen.
Puck drop is 7 p.m.
