The New Westminster Salmonbellies faced the Maple Ridge Burrards Thursday night at Queens Park Arena in their final meeting of the regular season. New Westminster already has a playoff spot locked up, but had lost two of their last three games, both to league co-leader Coquitlam. Meanwhile, Maple Ridge is holding on to the fourth and final playoff spot, but by the slimmest of margins as Langley and Burnaby look to leapfrog them in the final two weeks of the season.
Four different players recorded five or more points as New Westminster won a scrappy affair, 13-9 over the Burrards, sweeping the season series. New Westminster improves to 11-4 but remains the #3 playoff seed. Maple Ridge falls to 5-9-2, still in fourth place, two points ahead of Langley and four points ahead of Burnaby. However, both teams have at least one game in hand on the Burrards as the regular season winds down.
New Westminster controls the first two periods
New Westminster took control from the start, as five different players found the back of the net in the first period. Scoring for the Salmonbellies were Brandon Goodwin (1:31), Mitch Jones (6:06), Tye Kurtz (11:58 power play), Noah Armitage (12:27), and Will Malcom (19:58 extra attacker). The Burrards countered with a goal from Garret Winter (6:51), and two from Marcus Klarich (12:10; 18:30 shorthanded), but trailed 5-3 after 20 minutes.
Haiden Dickson scored 28 seconds into the second period to extend the lead to 6-3, but Klarich scored his third (1:23) to keep it a two-goal game. New Westminster then reeled off four unanswered goals, starting with Anthony Malcom (1:57) and Will Malcom’s second (7:33 power play). Armitage (10:08) and Dickson (15:57 power play) each followed with their second goal to give the Salmonbellies a 10-4 lead. Brayden Laity broke the run with an empty net goal just before the second period buzzer (19:59), but Maple Ridge still trailed 10-5.
Burrards’ rally falls short as tempers flare
A shorthanded marker from Dagan Carlson (4:51 third period) cut the lead to 10-6, and it appeared the Burrards would rally. But back-to-back goals from Dickson (6:52; 8:43 shorthanded) extended the lead to 12-6 for New Westminster. Carlson scored again (15:25), followed by Nash Moog (16:54) as Maple Ridge pulled within four, 12-8. Preston Lupul pushed the lead back to five with an empty net goal at 18:11, and the Burrards could only manage a power play goal from Ryan Jones with three seconds left in regulation.
Tempers flared between the teams in the final 10 minutes of the game. Drew Andre of the Burrards and Drew Belgrave of the Salmonbellies were each assessed game misconduct penalties and ejected from the game at the 12:08 mark. Moog and Mitch Jones threw hands with 40 seconds left in the game. Jesse Gillespie of the Burrards was assessed two misconduct penalties at the 19:56 mark.
Dickson (4g, 2a) was named 1st Star of the Game, and Will Malcom (2g, 3a) took home 2nd Star. Klarich (3g, 2a) earned 3rd Star honors for Maple Ridge. The Burrards host Burnaby Sunday night in an all-important rubber match, then finish the regular season next Tuesday, hosting Nanaimo. New Westminster has a crucial showdown with Victoria on Friday, before finishing with a home-and-home against Langley in Week 10.
