They played a good game of pursuit, but in the end the Burnaby Lakers couldn't catch the reigning Mann Cup champions.
A shorthanded goal by Victoria’s Jesse King put the Lakers’ rally on ice in a 12-9 loss at the Copeland Sports Centre on Tuesday.
It was the team's second loss in a row, leaving them in fifth place at 3-4.
Until King’s fourth goal Tuesday, which came with 7:14 remaining in the third, Burnaby appeared poised to push for overtime. Jackson Decker made it a one-goal game early in the third, after King had opened the period with a powerplay tally.
While Burnaby trailed the whole night, they were able to stay within striking distance much of the way. Robert Church led the Lakers with three goals, while Neil Arbogast, Matt Beers, Ilija Gajic, Scott Jones and Dane Stevens added singles.
Burnaby visits first-place Maple Ridge on Sunday, and hosts Langley next Tuesday, 7:45 p.m. at the Copeland arena.
Earlier, the Lakers poured out a strong performance and gave way to a hard-charging Coquitlam rally on Saturday, falling 8-7.
The Adanacs’ Ryan Johnson capped a four-goal run against the Lakers, burying a short shot past Tye Belanger with just 13 seconds left in regulation to give the home team the win.
Games like these have a habit of haunting some teams. Last year, Burnaby missed the playoffs after finishing tied for fourth place, but having a worse goals-for and against differential. And this year’s playoff race looks like it will be equally as tight.
Burnaby had built up a three-goal advantage with a pair of markers to start the third.
But a stand-out effort from former Lakers netminder Dan Lewis cued up Coquitlam’s rally, which started with 9:33 to play and saw a powerplay tally followed by a shorthanded goal before a last-minute blitz.
The Adanacs tied the game with 39 seconds on the clock with Lewis on the bench for an extra attacker, then repeated the feat for Johnson’s winner.
It was a game that Burnaby had battled back from an early deficit to stake out its lead. Trailing 2-0 and 4-3, the visitors counted two markers to end the middle frame – by Jason Jones and Church – then kicked off the third with two more – from Jones, with his second, and Steven Neufeld.
Then the tide turned.
Lewis finished the night with 39 saves, while Belanger turned aside 33 Adanac shots.
Also scoring for Burnaby were Tyler Digby, with two, and Josh Byrne.
Burnaby visits first-place Maple Ridge on Sunday, and hosts Langley next Tuesday, 7:45 p.m. at the Copeland arena.
