The Chilliwack Chiefs suffered another shot to their fading playoff hopes this weekend, dropping both halves of a home-and-home with Langley.
The Chiefs followed a 5-0 road loss Friday with a 5-2 home ice loss Saturday, slipping to 10-29-1-3 for the season. With Surrey picking up a single point in a 4-3 overtime loss to Prince George, Chilliwack now trails the Eagles by 12 points for the Mainland division’s fourth seed.
The Chiefs started off well Saturday night, and opened the scoring at 15:24.
Or… did they?
Jarret Babych took a shot from the high slot, hitting the base of the right post. He followed his rebound and appeared to flip it past former teammate Lyndon Stanwood, off the middle support-post and out. Replay on the big screen looked conclusive, but the officials took it off the board.
Boos rained down from the crowd, turning to cheers four seconds later when Kiefer McNaughton got Chilliwack on the board.
The big blueliner uncorked a slapper from the right point. The puck squeaked through Stanwood’s legs and inched across the line to put the Chiefs up 1-0.
The lead stood for less than two minutes before the Rivermen tied it up.
Kevin Killistoff pulled the trigger on his seventh of the year, one-timing a cross-crease feed from Will Cook.
Shots on goal through 20 minutes favoured Langley 10-7.
Chilliwack netminder Josh Halpenny surrendered a couple softies early in period two.
Mitch McLain got the first at 3:01, catching the netminder off his post and stuffing a wraparound into the cage. James Robinson scored at 4:15 beating Halpenny with a top-shelf wrist shot from the top of the left faceoff circle.
The Rivermen stretched the lead to 4-1 at 10:49. Tony Bretzman’s put-it-on-net shot from the right point was tipped by Killistoff. Halpenny made the stop, but the puck rattled around the goal-mouth long enough for Brendan Gulka to poke it home.
The Chiefs got one late. Killing a penalty, Andrew Silard took a pass from Jake Hand just inside the Langley blueline. Hand went to the net and provided the screen, cutting across the goal-mouth as Silard shot.
The puck went over Stanwood’s shoulder, giving Silard his his ninth of the year.
The Rivermen scored the game’s final goal 8:38 into the final frame. Austin Azurdia got the assist, cutting down the left wing and floating a backhand pass across the goal mouth. Robinson chipped it up and over Halpenny’s glove.
Announced attendance was 1,589.
The three stars were a road team sweep with Robinson (first), Killistoff (second) and Cook (third).
The Fortis BC Energy Player of the Game was Silard.
