The Burnaby Lakers have gone off the boil.
The Western Lacrosse Association league runner-up trails the best-of-seven semifinal playoff series 2-1 following a 9-6 loss to the Maple Ridge Burrards at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre on Monday.
The Lakers fell behind early, giving up two unassisted goals on breakaways and just never looked right for the remainder of the game, despite a couple of momentary runs.
Trailing 6-3 late in the middle period, Burnaby mustered a mini-comeback sparked by Casey Jackson’s second goal of the game on the power play at the midway mark of the period.
Dane Stevens added his second on a spin to the net in traffic and Shaun Dhaliwal then tied the score 6-6 with a sure finish at the top of the crease.
“We stayed to the outside today and we have to get our jam back,” said the active righthander. “It’s a thing with our team, but (Maple Ridge) is playing some good ball right now.”
The Burrards answered Dhaliwal’s game-tying goal seconds later with Mike Mallory’s eventual game-winning tally, before closing out the game with a 2-0 third period.
Maple Ridge used its superior size to good advantage, particularly at the defensive end, while employing an aggressive forecheck that constantly kept Laker ballhandlers on their heels.
Dhaliwal insisted that their opponents’ size was not an issue, but clearly Burnaby was not altogether comfortable handling the ball in Monday’s loss.
Tyler Richards was back in the nets for Burnaby and made 31 stops in the loss. Frankie Scigliano made 32 saves in the Burrards’ cage.
In Game 2, Burnaby’s vaunted power play was stymied by Maple Ridge.
The senior A Lakers scored on just two of 13 power-play opportunities in a dismal 11-4 loss in the best-of-seven playoff series against the Burrards in Maple Ridge on Saturday.
Burnaby tied the game 3-3 on a goal by Stevens early in the second half, but little went right after that.
The Burrards responded with eight goals, including five in the middle frame, to even the series at one game apiece.
Dan Lewis took the loss in the Burnaby goal, stopping just 21 of 32 shots on goal. Scigliano stopped 27 of 31 Laker shots.
Riley Loewen of Burnaby was the game’s second star, scoring two times in a five-point night. Jarret Davis garnered seven points for the winners, including a pair of Maple Ridge markers. Stevens led the Lakers with three points.
The game was marred by penalties with more than 275 minutes doled out to both teams, including a total of 12 fighting majors in the third period.
Game 4 was played in Maple Ridge on Tuesday (after NOW deadlines).
Game 5 is back at the Copeland centre on Thursday. Game time is 7:45 p.m.
