The Langley Rivermen have five games to snap out of a February funk as they have seen their chances of top spot in the BCHL Mainland Division disappear and instead find themselves in a dog fight for second.
The junior A hockey club lost three times last week and now have just one win in their past six games.
It is the team’s first three-game losing streak all season.
Langley began the month three points back of the Chilliwack Chiefs but now sit nine points back heading into the teams’ meeting at Chilliwack’s Prospera Centre on Wednesday (Feb. 18).
And hot on the Rivermen’s heels are the Prince George Spruce Kings (26-22-0-5, 57 points), who are two points back of Langley (27-21-1-4, 59 points).
The teams do play three times over the regular season’s final two weeks.
During this recent slide, Langley has given up a minimum of five goals against in every loss.
The hockey club surrendered 19 goals in three games last week, losing 7-3 to Prince George on Feb. 12 at the Langley Events Centre, and then dropping both ends of a home-and-home series with the Coquitlam Express.
The Express won 5-3 on Feb. 13 at the LEC and 7-2 the next night at the Poirier Sports and Leisure Centre.
The Rivermen actually led 2-1 after one period against Prince George, before allowing five unanswered goals in the second.
Kevan Kilistoff scored twice and Ben Butcher had the other Langley goal.
Braiden Epp led Prince George with three goals and an assist.
The next night against Coquitlam, Langley led 3-2 late in the second period before the Express scored the final three goals.
Gage Torrel had two goals and an assist in the losing cause while Matthew Graham had the other goal for the home side. The Express were led by Brendan Lamont — a Langley Minor Hockey product — who was named first star with a pair of goals.
And the rematch was tied at two in the second period before the Express reeled off the game’s final five goals.
Butcher and Colton Kehler scored for Langley while Brett Supinski (two goals, three assists) and Corey Mackin (two goals, one assist) did the bulk of the damage for Coquitlam. Brendan Lamont added another goal and an assist.
