Momentum Halt: Rivermen Cruise Saturday

A little late, but needless to say, there wasn’t much to say following last night’s loss to the Langley Rivermen.

If anything it was frustrating – frustrating when you consider what this group had begun to string together. Not just in terms of wins, but in terms of work ethic, and consistent play. There was a good vibe going into Saturday night at home against a division rival.

Unfortunatley, Langley hijacked that good vibe and didn’t look back.

Special teams made the difference in this game, just as they did the night before in West Kelowna. Langley has the best PK in the circuit, and had proven going in that they could score shorthanded. The Chiefs allowed two shorthanded goals last night, and both were real momentum killers. Nathan Craft scored the first shorty off the rush in the first period – this was on Chilliwack’s opening powerplay of the game when it was still scoreless. Craft took care of that opening goal, and there was some deflation on the home side.

The second shorthanded goal came when it was 3-0 in the second. A bad turnover on a breakout – something that had dogged the Chiefs in their early season struggles – quickly led to a Mitch McLain goal on a point blank chance, and that was pretty much it at 4-0.

Take the special teams battle out of this, and it’s 1-0 Langley. That’s why a proposition like that is hypothetical. If you’re giving up two shorthanded goals, you’re in trouble.

Credit to Langley as well. Aside from special teams, they were better 5 on 5, won a ton of the little battles, and limited the Chiefs offensively, holding them to just 27 shots, and only a handful of quality scoring chances. Remember, this was a Chiefs team that had really found their mojo in the attacking zone. We didn’t see that team Saturday night.

Doesn’t get any easier next weekend – three games in three nights, all against stiff competition in Powell River, Penticton, and Langley again next Sunday.