A quick start by the Maple Ridge Burrards on Thursday night led them to a 12-8 win over the New Westminster Salmonbellies.
Maple Ridge scored seven goals in the first period, including five straight, to build an early 7-3 lead.
The win helps the Burrards keep pace near the top of the WLA standings. Maple Ridge improves to 9-4 and sits two games back of the Victoria Shamrocks for first place.
New Westminster falls to 5-7 and sits in fifth place, two points back of the Nanaimo Timbermen for the fourth and final playoff spot.
Tyler Pace led the Burrards with a hat trick and two assists, while Marcus Klarich had a goal and four assists. Riley Loewen also recorded a hat trick, and Ries Bower added a pair of goals.
Brandon Humphrey got the start between the pipes and stopped 36 of 44 shots for the win.
Dylan McIntosh led the Salmonbellies with a hat trick and two assists. Will Malcom also had a hat trick and an assist, while Lukas Nielsen chipped in three assists and Noah Armitage scored twice and added an assist.
Ashton Leclair got the start in goal for the Salmonbellies and stopped 27 of 37 shots in the loss.
First Period
Maple Ridge opened the scoring 4:54 into the game when Pace found the back of the net.
Malcom answered for New Westminster 34 seconds later to tie the game. The Salmonbellies then took the lead shortly afterward on a goal by McIntosh.
It was all Maple Ridge after that. Klarich scored at the 6:40 mark to start a five-goal run for the Burrards. Bower followed just 16 seconds later to give Maple Ridge a 3-2 lead.
Loewen scored off a feed from Pace at the 11:27 mark, and Pace added another goal 40 seconds later.
Rhys Blake rounded out the five-goal run at the 12:29 mark as the Burrards extended their lead to 6-2.
New Westminster finally got back on the board at the 14:20 mark when Armitage scored. However, Loewen scored on the power play with 2:31 left in the period to give Maple Ridge a 7-3 lead at the first intermission.
Second Period
The Salmonbellies narrowed the gap with a late surge in the second period.
New Westminster opened the scoring when Armitage found the back of the net on the power play 1:57 into the period.
Pace then scored with the extra attacker on the floor during a delayed penalty at the 8:41 mark. Loewen extended Maple Ridge’s lead to 9-4 just 15 seconds later.
The Salmonbellies closed the period with three straight goals to cut the deficit to two.
McIntosh scored at the 9:33 mark before adding another with 4:00 remaining. Malcom rounded out the scoring with an unassisted power-play goal with 2:02 left to make it 9-7 heading into the third.
Third Period
New Westminster struck early in the third period, but its comeback fell short.
Malcom scored another unassisted power-play goal at the 7:29 mark to make it 9-8. However, that was as close as the Salmonbellies would get.
Drew Andre scored at 14:11 before Nathan Miller and Bower added empty-net goals. Maple Ridge took advantage of its quick start to secure the 12-8 victory.
Top Scorers
Maple Ridge Burrards
- Tyler Pace, 3g, 2a
- Marcus Klarich, 1g, 4a
- Riley Loewen, 3g, 1a
New Westminster Salmonbellies
- Dylan McIntosh, 3g, 2a
- Will Malcom, 3g, 1a
- Noah Armitage, 2g, 1a
- Lukas Nielsen, 3a
Three Stars
- Marcus Klarich, Maple Ridge Burrards
- Dylan McIntosh, New Westminster Salmonbellies
- Tyler Pace, Maple Ridge Burrards
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