The Aldergrove Kodiaks pulled out a 4-3 overtime win over the Delta Ice Hawks at Ladner Leisure Centre Tuesday evening, thanks to a shot by newly-returned player Mitchell Guiel.
This puts the Kodiaks solidly atop the Harold Brittain conference with 46 points and only one point behind the second-place Hawks in the Tom Shaw conference. The Kodiaks play the Shaw leading Richmond Sockeyes Jan. 11 at Aldergrove Arena.
The Kodiaks had led the Hawks 2-1 at the end of the first, with goals by Robert Jang and Jordan Pughe. Assists were by Brandon Potomak and Thomas Hardy, and Daniel Higgs and Joshua Cronin, respectively.
Kodiak Alex Feighan netted another early in the third on a power play, assisted by Ryan Procyshyn and Matthew Luongo, but the Hawks brought it up to 3-2 gor the Kodiaks before the end of the second and then scored the evener late in the third, short-handed.
Guiel scored the winner at 22 seconds into the second overtime, and earned the first star of the night. Third star went to Kodiak keeper Ross Baadsvik for stopping all but three of 44 shots. The Kodiaks recorded 41 shots on the Hawks.
The Kodiaks stand at 46 points after 31 games (22-7-1-1).
The Aldergrove Kodiaks eked out a pair of one-goal victories over the conference’s two bottom teams last week.
The Kodiaks edged the Mission Icebreakers 4-3 last Wednesday at the Aldergrove Arena and then won 2-1 over the Ridge Meadows Flames on Friday at Maple Ridge’s Planet Ice in junior B Pacific International Junior Hockey League action.
It was not a pretty game as both the Aldergrove Kodiaks and the Mission Icebreakers showed signs of time away from the ice over the Christmas break.
However, as narrow and sloppy a win as it was, Kodiaks GM Rick Harkins was content to take it and maintain the team's lead in the division.
Mission is stalled at the bottom of the division with three wins and nine points, but they opened the scoring on Jan. 4 at Aldergrove Arena at 4:45 in the first period, and they also matched the Kodiaks with 41 shots on goal apiece.
The Kodiaks took two goals in the first to take the lead at 2-1 going into the second. The goals were scored at 5:57 by Robert Genge from Taylor Christopher and Jordan Pughe and at 14:33 on a power play by Pughe from Robert Jang and Colton Precourt.
The Icebreakers responded at 1:20 in the second to even it up, by the Kodiaks retained the lead at 14:30, scored by Ryan Veillet from Thomas Hardy and Precourt.
The Icebreakers matched it again in the third at 1:12 but pughe pulled out another goal at 13:43, assisted by Robert Genge and Ryan Procyshyn to end the game at 4-3 for the Kodiaks.
Pughe earned first star and Genge second star.
Against the Flames, Matt Luongo struck for the winner with just eight seconds to go in regulation.
Colton Precourt had the other Aldergrove goal. Ross Baadsvik made 25 saves.