The Ridge Meadows Flames have a chance to end their first-round playoff series with the Mission Outlaws on Friday evening, March 3, in front of the home fans in Maple Ridge.
The Flames blasted Mission 5-1 on Tuesday night in Mission to take a 3-1 lead in games in the best-of-seven Pacific Junior Hockey League series.
The Maple Ridge Junior Bs never trailed, and it was only midway through the third period when the Outlaws broke the shutout bid by Flames goaltender Cam Connolly. He stopped 29 of 30 shots to get the win.
Jordan Kujala scored a pair of goals in the second period, added an assist, and the team captain was named the game’s first star. David Stepputat and Theo Kochan both had a goal and an assist, Pierce white scored, and Jack Foster had a pair of assists.
It was a Pitt Meadows product who scored for Mission in Rowan Zapisocki. The 20-year-old played for a season and a half with the Lake Cowichan Kraken of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League. He was acquired by the Outlaws late this season, and has been a point-per-game producer.
The two teams will meet on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at Cam Neely Arena for the fifth game. One way or another, the series will be over after this weekend.
Should Mission extend the series, game six will be in Mission on Saturday, March 4, at 6:45 p.m.. Game seven, if necessary, would be played back in Maple Ridge at 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, March 5.
Should they win, the Flames will meet the Chilliwack Jets in the Harold Brittain conference finals. The Jets upset the conference’s top team, the Langley Trappers, in the first round.
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