Two more wins for the Ridge Meadows Flames has the team at 5-1 to start the season in the Pacific Junior Hockey League.
It’s the best start in a long time, and has the local junior Bs tied for first in the Harold Brittain Conference with the Aldergrove Kodiaks.
In the previous 10 seasons, the Flames have not been able to put together a 5-1 start.
It’s got the team playing with confidence.
The Flames beat the Mission City Outlaws 1-0 at Cam Neely Arena on Friday.
Rookie goaltender Braedon Fleming got the shutout for, being perfect on 22 shots.
The Flames directed 31 at the Mission net, and Brad Crompton scored the game’s only goal, as the Flames capitalized on a five-on-three power play. They got the puck to the net, and the giant power forward dug it out of skates and buried it in the net.
The Flames beat the Surrey Knights 4-1 on Thursday as rookie Daniel Chifan scored twice. Chifan, a 17-year-old two-way centre from the Valley West Hawks major midget team, scored his first two goals in junior.
Halen Cordoni had two assists in the game, and Quenton Magnuson and Alexandre Furlan each scored.
Paul Tucek was great between the pipes, allowing one goal on 33 shots. The one that beat him came on a power play with just six seconds to go before it expired.
Flames coach Bayne Ryshak said it took a near-perfect shot to beat his goalie.
Asked if the early season hot streak is going to continue, Ryshak looks at the guys between the pipes as a big reason it can.
“With our work ethic and the goaltending we’ve been getting, there’s lots of reason to be optimistic.”
The Flames goaltenders have been equally outstanding. Fleming has a 2.00 GAA and 0.942 save percentage after three games, while Tucek has almost identical stats of 2.01 GAA and a 0.941 save percentage.
On Wednesday the Flames are at the Harry Jerome Rec Centre to take on the North Vancouver Wolf Pack (3-3), and their next home game will be Friday night, when they host the Richmond Sockeyes (2-2-0-2).
With a Sunday game against the undefeated Grandview Steelers (5-0-0-2), and that being the Flames’ third game in five nights, Ryshak said it’s a big challenge ahead.