The good news was one Burnaby junior Laker forward had a career night. The bad news was, he is just on loan from the club's intermediate squad.
Intermediate callup Tyler Kirkby did his best to right the Lakers' ship, contributing a six-point night while rallying the troops in the final minutes of both the second and third periods of a 15-14 loss to the visiting Nanaimo Timbermen at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre on Sunday.
The loss left Burnaby at the bottom of the eightteam standings with just two wins to show in the first half of a 21-game schedule.
The news only got worse when before the game, third-year starting goalie Patrick Bayliss handed in his kit after last week's onefor-one trade with Langley fell through when Thunder backup Keenan Lambright refused to report to the Lakers.
"It's tough coming to a losing team, but you got to step up," said Burnaby coach John Wilson of the defaulted trade.
It was a similar lack of conviction in the Burnaby lineup that ultimately cost the Lakers a third possible win.
Backup Xander McDonald had another tough start in the Burnaby net, giving up nine goals on just 17 shots through the first two periods before settling down in the final frame with a further 17 saves.
Burnaby held a shortlived 5-2 lead before playing loosy-goosy on the back line and sharing 12 goals with the T-Men in each of the first and second periods.
Kirkby's first-ever junior A goal gave Burnaby a 3-0 lead after just three minutes of the first period.
The leading scorer for the intermediate A Lakers then potted his first career hat trick that tied the contest at 12-12 after two periods.
Down three goals with just under three minutes to play, Kirkby's fourth tally of the night sparked a mini two-goal comeback that fell just short in the dying minutes of the match.
"You definitely have to be more gutsy and have some confidence in yourself," said Kirkby after the game. "All in all, we both battled hard. I can learn from it."
It's anyone's guess if the juniors themselves will take anything from Sunday's defeat.
The loss was Burnaby's fifth in its last six games, with little respite in sight.
"We've got too many guys going on their own page," remarked a frustrated Wilson. "It'a five-man gang playing defence but we were having one, two and three guys breaking down.
"They have to come more focused. - They're not mentally prepared for the games."
Burnaby hosted secondplace Delta on Tuesday (after NOW deadlines).
