The Abbotsford Pilots earned a split in their first two games of the playoffs, but were it not for a half-period stretch of sloppy play they could have come home with a 2-0 series lead.
The Pilots defeated the Aldergrove Kodiaks 4-3 Tuesday evening in Game 1, building a three-goal lead and hanging on for the victory over the top team in the Harold Brittain Conference.
However, though Abbotsford again scored first in Game 2 Wednesday, they allowed four goals in a span of nine minutes and 35 seconds in the middle frame, allowing Aldergrove to a 5-1 lead and a 6-3 final score.
“We just fell asleep for about 10 minutes there,” said Abbotsford head coach Jim Cowden. “We got away from our system and it kind of burnt us. We were the better team for most of the game but that 10 minutes cost us – they got four goals.”
Game 3 of the best-of-seven Pacific Junior Hockey League playoffs goes Friday at the MSA Arena, with Game 4 Saturday.
“We’ll be okay,” said Cowden. “We’ll battle back Friday and we’ll be in good shape.”
Tuesday the Pilots got goals from four different players. Affiliate player Brett Clayton opened the scoring at less than three minutes into the game. Though Aldergrove tied it at the 29-second mark of the middle frame, Devon Becker regained the lead just 31 seconds later. Cole Methorst and Kolten Grieve also scored.
Jacob Crawford made 24 saves for his first PJHL victory.
“[Tuesday] we played good as a team,” said Cowden.
Though he allowed four goals on just 13 shots Wednesday, and was pulled in favour of Alex Kong, Cowden is confident going back to Crawford.
“Oh yeah, [he’ll start Friday], he didn’t get lit-up, no, he was fine,” said Cowden.
“Even [Wednesday] we played a good team game, other than that 10, 11 minutes. We got caught running around, watching the puck, a little too excited.”
The Pilots again opened the scoring in Game 2, with Brady Lawlor scoring just four minutes into the game. However, Aldergrove scored the next five. Wednesday it was the Kodiaks who had balanced scoring, getting goals from six different players.
The team’s captain Lawlor finished with a hat trick in the losing effort, with linemate Grieve setting him up twice with great passes.
“Yeah, he’s a big presence, but all of our top line played well, and the whole team, really, played well,” said Cowden.
Though the Pilots are coming home for Games 3 and 4, there’s no huge upside to being the home team in the PJHL, especially when the two clubs play so close together.
“There’s no real advantage,” said Cowden. “Everything has glass. Everything has boards and ice. That’s the way I look at it. We just have to battle, that’s it.”
NOTES: Defenceman Devon Becker left the game late in the third Wednesday when Spencer McHaffie was called for a head-contact major. However, after the game the call was changed to boarding by the officials.
