A Friday night loss to the Abbotsford Pilots and an overtime loss Saturday to North Vancouver Wolf Pack had eroded the Aldergrove Kodiaks lead in their division. However, on Monday at Aldergrove Arena the Kodiaks acquitted themselves with a 4-3 win over the Wolf Pack, to bring the Kodiaks up to 57 points, with two games left in the regular season.
The Pilots' win Sunday over Delta Ice Hawks had briefly put them one point ahead, with 56 points.
The game at Abbotsford was a penalty-strewn affair, with the Pilots scoring on four of 10 power plays while the Kodiaks scored on three of seven. Kodiaks got 35 shots on goal to 40 for the Pilots.
Kodiak Alex Feighan opened the scoring at 3:28, assisted by Robert Jang. The Pilots scored the next two before Kodiak Daniel Higgs closed the first period with the evener at 14:24, assisted by Brandon Potomak and Thomas Hardy.
The Kodiaks opened the second at 2:15 on a power play by Spencer McHaffie, assisted by Higgs and Ryan Procyshyn, but the Pilots responded with four more to close the second with a 6-3 lead.
Kodiaks Higgs and Feighan scored two more in the third (assisted by Jang and Feighan, and Potomak, respectively, however, the Pilots also notched two to end the game 8-5.
Saturday's game at the Wolf Pack was a much closer affair, with the Pack scoring in the second overtime for a 4-3 win.
The Kodiaks outshot the Pack 39-35 but were unable to score on six power plays while the Pack scored on one of three.
Kodiak Samuel Ramsay opened the scoring, assisted by Brandon Potomak, at 2:07 to put the Kodiaks up 1-0 at the end of the first. However, the Pack scored the second period's only goal to even it up for the third.
The Pack opened the third period scoring before the Kodiaks responded at 14:03 with one by Spencer Mchaffie, assisted by his twin brother Scott. The Pack scored another on a power play and then Kodiak Potomak scored the game tier at 16:02 assisted by Spencer McHaffie and Thomas Hardy.
At 4:10 of the second overtime the Pack scored the game winner, with the only consolation for the Kodiaks being that they got a point for the overtime loss.
The Aldergrove Kodiaks recorded their best season yet with 54 points after the Nov. 15 4-1 home victory over Ridge Meadows Flames — and they still had five regular season games left.
The Kodiaks came out strong from the start and kept their penalties down and it paid off big for the hometown junior B hockey squad, as they scored on three of five power plays.
Kodiak Spencer McHaffie opened the scoreboard at 17:44 of the first on a power play, assisted by Ryan Procyshyn and Spencer's twin brother Scott McHaffie.
The Kodiaks upped the ante at 5:34 of the second when Brandon Potomak scored, assisted by Colton Precourt and Tayloe Christopher. The Flames got their only goal of the night at 17:08 of the second but Kodiak Scott McHaffie scored on another power play in the final minute of the second, assisted by Robert Jang and Matthew Luongo, to put them up 3-1 going into the third.
Kodiak Daniel Higgs scored the only goal of the third at 12:16, again on a power play, assisted by Procyshyn and Thomas Hardy, to end the game at 4-1.
Spencer McHaffie, Procushyn and Scott McHaffie earned the game's first, second and third stars, respectively.
The Kodiaks also outshot the Flames 45-35.