The Chilliwack Chiefs have the Victoria Grizzlies on the ropes and look like a great bet to advance to the BCHL final for a second straight year.
Mark Sinclair made 35 saves Wednesday night, leading his Chiefs to a 4-3 road win in game four at the Q Centre in Victoria. Sinclair’s crew leads the best-of-seven series three games to one and come home for game five with a chance to move on.
Defensive coverage was an afterthought for both teams in a wide-open first period.
Chilliwack’s Linden Hora opened the scoring just 1:43 in, getting behind the Victoria defence and beating Grizz goalie Matthew Galajda for his fourth of the playoffs.
Powell Connor doubled the Chiefs lead late in the period, ringing the puck off the post and in on a half-slapper from the right point.
The Grizzlies got one back on the power play with a great solo effort by Nathan Looysen. The Saanich speedster beat out a potential icing call, slipped away from Chilliwack D-man Connor McCarthy, cut into the goal-mouth and slipped a five-hole shot through Sinclair for his first of the playoffs.
Victoria’s chances took a massive hit when Galajda was forced out of the game late in the opening frame after taking a skate to the face from Chilliwack forward Aaron O’Neill. He didn’t return, with Tony Rehm replacing him in the Grizzly net.
Goals 43 seconds apart by Jamie Rome and Cole Pickup briefly gave Victoria the lead midway through period two, but Jordan Kawaguchi got his team even with another highlight reel goal. A horrible line change by the Grizzlies sent the Chiefs away on a four-on-one rush. With Connor charging hard to the net, Captain K took a pass from Anthony Vincent and rifled his BCHL leading 11th of the playoffs past Rehm at 13:28.
Kohen Olischefski restored Chilliwack’s lead just 50 seconds into the final frame and the Chiefs spent the rest of the game hanging on as Victoria came in waves.
Sinclair saw them safely through the storm, producing his biggest save on Victoria’s Keyvan Mokhtari, who had a clear breakaway from center ice in. The Grizzlies out-shot the Chiefs 17-7 in period three but couldn’t find the equalizer.
Rehm came to the bench with just over a minute to play, and Kawaguchi hit the post seconds later on a shot from center ice. Chilliwack couldn’t net an empty netter but they did make it to the final whistle with the lead intact.
The three stars were Chilliwack’s Olischefski (first) and Jake Smith (third) and Victoria’s Dayne Finnson (second).
