The Chilliwack Chiefs are two points closer to clinching first place in the Mainland division and the BCHL after a big Wednesday night road win.
Chilliwack goaltender Daniel Chenard stole one for his team, making the difference in a 5-2 defeat of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks at the Shaw Centre.
Chenard stopped 52 pucks, including 43 in the last 40 minutes as his Chiefs improved to 41-12-1-0, moving seven points up on the Prince George Spruce Kings with four games to play (PG has five).
Kevin Wall scored the only goal in the opening period, but his Chiefs trailed 2-1 in the middle frame after a shorthanded goal by Matthew Verboon and a power play goal by Justin Wilson.
Those were the last pucks that would beat Chenard, who was peppered with pucks but wouldn’t break.
Wall scored unassisted at 16:51 to tie the game at 2-2 and Jacques Bouquot lit the lamp in the final minute of period two as Chilliwack took a 3-2 lead into the final frame.
Ethan Bowen’s 19th of the year made it 4-2 early in period three and Wall scored completed his first BCHL hattrick, scoring into an empty net in the final minute to wrap up the scoring.
Chilliwack will watch Prince George make up their game in hand Thursday night when they host the West Kelowna Warriors.
The Chiefs host Nanaimo Saturday at Prospera Centre (7 p.m.) then face PG three times to end the regular season, starting with a Sunday home date, with a 2 p.m. puck drop.
