The Grandview Steelers have a hard playoff road ahead of them.
The Jr. B hockey club dropped a 3-1 decision to the regular-season champion North Vancouver Wolf Pack and now stare elimination in the face in its best-of-seven Pacific Junior Hockey League playoff series.
“(North Van) definitely has the momentum winning three games, but we’re just going to come out and work harder. I have no doubt we’re going to come out and win the next game,” said Grandview captain Michael Willms after the game.
Grandview scored first on an opportunistic wrist shot from out in front by rookie Quinn Thompson.
North Van had its chances in the opening period, too, but Steelers’ goalie Cole MacInnes and a little puck luck kept Grandview in the lead.
North Van captain Brodyn Nielson had the Wolf Pack’s best opportunity but missed a wide open net in the final minutes of the period.
The Wolf Pack finally got on the scorebard on a power play in the second periood.
Nielson shook off his first-period miss, tallying the first of two extra-man goals, including the deciding score at the six-minute mark of the third period on a marginal, mid-ice slashing call.
“Those power play goals definitely hurt us a bit,” said Willms. “Our work ethic has got us here. It showed in the first game. We got to capitalize on our opportunities. We just got to get more pucks on the net.”
Grandview pulled out all the stops in an attempt to tie the score, outshooting NorthVan 13-8 in the final frame.
The Wolf Pack could wrap up the series tonight (Friday) at the Harry Jerome rec centre at 7:45 p.m.
The Steelers gave back the series’ advantage to the Wolf Pack, falling 3-2 at the Harry Jerome rec centre last Saturday and 5-3 at home the following night.
On March 7, Peter Matthews tied up the contest 2-2 in the second period, but following a scoreless third frame, Wolf Pack defenceman Connor Pasco of Burnaby tallied the game winner in overtime to even the series.
In Game 3, both teams evenly shared six goals in a wild opening first period, but two markers in the middle frame, including the go-ahead counter from affiliate Christian Gacina, stood up for North Van.
Timothy Chow, who currently leads the playoffs with 11 goals, counted a pair on the power play less than a minute apart that temporarily tied the contest at 2-2.
But Willms said the Grandview club is not going down without a fight.
“It’s going to go all the way to Game 7 and bring this one home,” he said.
If necessary, Game 6 is back at the winter club on Sunday at 4 p.m.
