The Ridge Meadows Flames were shut out by the Delta Ice Hawks on Friday night at Cam Neely Arena.
With that win, their sixth straight, the Ice Hawks moved into a tie for first place in the Pacific Junior Hockey League standings. Both they and the North Vancouver Wolf Pack have 61 points in 40 games.
Either would represent a tough first round opponent for the Flames as the playoffs loom, and Ridge is currently in eighth place in the league. They are 18-18-1-3, with 40 points through 40 games.
This year the league is testing a new playoff format, and instead of the top four teams in each conference qualifying for post-season play, it will be the top eight in the entire league.
On Friday night, the Ice Hawks scored twice in the second period, and then added an empty netter with three seconds left to play. The Flames out shot the Ice Hawks 34-26, but couldn’t beat Jordy Engleson, who got the shutout.
The 44-game regular season is nearing and end, with the Flames hosting the tough Richmond Sockeyes at Planet Ice on Feb. 1, at 7:30 p.m. They will then be on the road against the Mission City Outlaws on Feb. 2, and the Surrey Knights on Feb. 7, and will finish up the regular season schedule on Feb. 8 when they host the Wolf Pack in a game that could be a playoff preview.
