The Ridge Meadows Flames are tied for first place in their conference despite falling 3-2 in overtime at home Friday to the North Vancouver Wolf Pack.
It was just the fourth loss on home ice for the Flames all season, said Ridge head coach Bayne Ryshack.
The local junior B hockey team has just three games left in the regular season, concluding this weekend, and Ryshack hopes to clinch the Harold Brittain Conference title.
“We have a good team,” he said. “We’d like to finish first.”
He would like to see his team enter the playoffs with momentum, but also healthy.
“We want to go 3-o this week. We’d like to come away with six points.”
The Flames did get a point Friday. The game was tied 1-1 after two periods. Jarod McKay opened the scoring for the Flames, assisted by Paul Georgeopoulos. Jayden Genberg, from Ryley Lanthier and Liam Evenson, scored in the third to tie the game and force overtime.
Justin Lee scored for North Van in the extra frame.
Paul Tucek made 29 saves for the Flames, who outshot the Wolf Pack 36-29.
The Flames (25-12-2-2) now have 54 points and are tied with the Abbotsford Pilots atop the conference with a game in hand.
Abbosford defeated the Surrey Knights 12-1 Friday.
The Flames also fell 3-2 to the Trappers last Wednesday in Langley.
Andrew Strelezki and Halen Cordoni scored for the Flames. Taylor Seganfreddo, Ryan Wellburn and Strelezki had assists. All five goals in the game came on powerplays.
Cooper Anderson made 27 saves for Ridge.
The Flames play the Grandview Steelers (23-15-1-2) Wednesday, 7:15 p.m., in Burnaby, then host the Port Moody Panthers (11-28-0-2) Friday at home, 7:30 p.m.
The Flames play again Saturday in Mission against the Outlaws (15-26-0-1), 6:45 p.m.
Ryshack said his team needs to make some adjustments and tighten up its penalty killing units. Overall, he’s pleased with how the Flames have played this season, during which they’ve won or tied every inter-conference series.
“We’ve been in every game. We just need to keep working for our bounces.”
The Flames have secured a playoff birth. Finishing first would mean a first-round match-up against either Mission or Aldergrove. Whoever finishes second will face Langley.