The Langley Rivermen will be forging ahead, for the next three weeks or longer, minus their offensive spark plug.
The Rivermen split their home-and-home series with the Surrey Eagles with Max Kaufman – who tops the team’s scoring table with 25 points – out of the lineup with an injury.
“It’s fairly major,” Rivermen head coach Bobby Henderson said, about Kaufman’s ailment. “He’ll be out probably at least three, four weeks.”
Last Thursday at South Surrey Arena, the Eagles skated to a 5-3 win over the visiting Rivermen.
The ’Men salvaged the series by doubling the Eagles 6-3 Friday at the George Preston Recreation Centre.
While the Rivermen’s record isn’t all that terribly impressive – they are 6-10-3-1 going into this coming Thursday's home game against the powerhouse Wenatchee Wild, who sit on top of the BCHL’s Mainland Division with a 15-2-1 record – Henderson likes where his team is headed.
“We’re starting to understand what our identity is, and the way that we have to play to have success,” Henderson said. “We’re growing every week. We’re getting closer. We’re moving forward in a positive direction.”
The Rivermen will be tested by the Wild, who lead the B.C. Hockey League's Mainland Division with a stellar 15-2-1 record. Game time Thursday at the GPRC is 7:15 p.m.
"We've had them on the ropes a couple times in their building," Henderson said, regarding the Wild. "We're excited about it."
After Thursday's game, the Rivermen visit Vancouver Island for back-to-back games Saturday night in Nanaimo and Sunday afternoon at Alberni Valley.
Rivermen 6, Surrey Eagles 3
Langley captain Cooper Leitch led the way offensively Friday with a hat trick against the Eagles.
Two of his goals came in the third period.
The Rivermen turned a 2-2 tie in a 4-2 lead in the second period when Ryan Barrow and Nicholas Ponak – with his team-leading 14th of the campaign – both found the net.
Leitch’s fourth of the season, scored 7:39 into the final frame, put the home team ahead 5-2.
But the Eagles kept battling to the end.
With 15 seconds to go in regulation, Surrey narrowed the margin to 5-3 when Ashton Calder found the net.
Then, with just a second left on the clock, Leitch completed his hat trick when he deposited the puck into the empty net, with Surrey goalie Michael Botiz pulled for an extra attacker.
Sean Gulka and Nicholas Ponak also scored for the Rivermen.
“I thought we played one of our better games of the year,” Henderson said. “We were physical, and committed to playing that way for a full 60 minutes. We were opportunistic. We capitalized on our chances and that was really the difference in the game. We had plenty of chances Thursday in Surrey and we didn’t bury [them]. We made the most of them Friday.”
Surrey Eagles 5, Rivermen 3
The Rivermen saw a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes of action slip away, when the Eagles tallied three unanswered markers in the third period to earn the victory.
“We played a great 40 minutes and just didn’t get it done,” Henderson said. “Surrey, give them full value, they played well.”
The Eagles’ Ashton Calder rounded out the night’s scoring with back-to-back markers 1:44 apart, including the winner that snapped a 3-3 deadlock.
Surrey’s Jordan Robert tied the score at three goals apiece 2:27 into the third period.
Ponak staked the Rivermen to a 1-0 lead in the first period, and, after the Eagles jumped ahead 2-1 with a pair of unanswered tallies, the visitors restored their lead with Ponak’s second of the game, and a goal from Satchel Clendenin.