A third-period surge by the Coquitlam Adanacs led them to a 10-6 win over the New Westminster Salmonbellies on Thursday night in WLA action.
Coquitlam trailed 4-2 after the first period but rebounded to take a 7-6 lead into the third.
In the final frame, the Adanacs outscored New Westminster 3-0 to cruise to the win.
Christian Del Bianco was sensational between the pipes for Coquitlam. The Adanacs were outshot 51-41, but Del Bianco made 45 saves to earn the victory.
The Adanacs were led by Remo Schenato, Robert Church and Connor Robinson, who each finished with two goals and one assist. The win firmly cements Coquitlam in third place with two games remaining in the regular season.
The same can’t be said for New Westminster. The Salmonbellies dropped to 6-10 with two games remaining. They sit four points back of the Nanaimo Timbermen for the fourth and final playoff spot, and because Nanaimo owns the tiebreaker, New Westminster has been eliminated from playoff contention.
First Period
New Westminster wasted little time taking control, with Lukas Nielsen opening the scoring just 54 seconds into the game before Dylan McIntosh doubled the lead less than 70 seconds later.
The Adanacs battled back midway through the period. Robinson got Coquitlam on the board before Church tied the game at 2-2 with just over six minutes remaining.
The Salmonbellies responded with two more goals before the intermission.
McIntosh restored the lead on the power play, and Linkin Twamley added another late in the period to send New Westminster into the dressing room with a 4-2 advantage.
Second Period
New Westminster extended its lead to 5-2 early in the second when Will MacKay found the back of the net.
That goal sparked an impressive response from Coquitlam.
Thomas Semple started the comeback just 28 seconds later before Robinson scored a shorthanded marker to cut the deficit to one.
Kyle Brunsch tied the game at 5-5, and just 14 seconds later, Schenato gave the Adanacs their first lead of the night.
Ethan Ticehurst stretched the advantage to 7-5 less than a minute later, capping a stretch of five unanswered Coquitlam goals in just under eight minutes.
Owen Rahn scored on the power play for the Salmonbellies late in the period, but the Adanacs still carried a 7-6 lead into the final frame.
Third Period
The Adanacs tightened up defensively in the third, with Del Bianco turning aside all 12 New Westminster shots he faced in the period.
Sean Kriwoken provided some insurance midway through the frame before Church scored with 1:39 remaining to extend the lead to three.
Just 13 seconds later, Schenato added his second goal of the game to cap the third-period surge and seal the 10-6 comeback victory.
Top Scorers
Coquitlam Adanacs
- Remo Schenato, 2g 1a
- Robert Church, 2g 1a
- Connor Robinson, 2g 1a
New Westminster Salmonbellies
- Dylan McIntosh, 2g 2a
- Noah Armitage, 3a
- Linkin Twamley, 1g 1a
- Dalton Lupul, 2a
Three Stars
- Christian Del Bianco, Coquitlam Adanacs
- Dylan McIntosh, New Westminster Salmonbellies
- Remo Schenato, Coquitlam Adanacs
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