The Aldergrove Kodiaks are down to the wire in their best-of-seven series versus the Abbotsford Pilots. Both teams have won three games and the winner of tonight's game at Aldergrove Arena (Monday, March 2) will go on to the second round of playoffs in the Harold Brittain conference.
Over at the Tom Show conference a similar battle will be decided on the same night, as both the Richmond Sockeyes and Grandview Steelers have won three games apiece.
Mission City Outlaws have already defeated the Langley Knights in the first round and will play the winner of tonight's Kodiaks-Pilots tilt. North Vancouver Wolf Pack swept their series versus the Delta Ice Hawks and will play the winner of the Sockeyes-Steelers series.
The Kodiaks had a disappointing outcome on Friday night at MSA Arena, as the Pilots took the lead in the first period and held onto it in the third for the 6-4 win. The Pilots were up 3-0 in the first, the Kodiaks evened it up to 3-3 in the second, and the Pilots took three more goals in the third before the Kodiaks closed the scoring in the dying minute.
Scoring for Aldergrove in the second period were Nolan Wallinger, unassisted, Quinncy Leroux from Eric Wieking and Evan Cusmano from Leroux. Kodiak Matt Oliver scored in the third period, unassisted. All of the Kodiaks' goals were on the power play except for Wallinger's.
The Pilots outshot the Kodiaks 43-32 that night.
The final game of the Kodiaks-Pilots series is at 8:30 p.m., Monday, March 2 at Aldergrove Arena.