After a poor start to the 2017-18 BCHL season, the Chilliwack Chiefs have battled back to .500.
Chilliwack doubled up the Merritt Centennials by a 4-2 count Wednesday night, winning for the fifth time in their last six outings while improving their record to 6-6-1-1.
The Chiefs had to overcome a pair of one-goal deficits to win.
Merritt’s Mathieu Gosselin scored the only goal of period one, but a Kaden Pickering snipe just 50 seconds into period two tied it a 1-1.
Merritt went ahead 3:57 later on a Jack Vincent penalty shot goal, but that lead lasted just 53 seconds before Skyler Brind’Amour netted the equalizer.
Jordan Roy’s first as a Chief at 12:19 stood up as the winner and Pickering added insurance in the final frame, scoring his team-leading seventh of the season.
Mathieu Caron stopped 27 of 29 shots for the win, dropping his goals-against average to 3.16 and boosting his save percentage to .892.
After missing several games due to a concussion, Daniel Chenard dressed as Caron’s backup.
Chilliwack beat the reigning BCHL Player of the Week in the Merritt net. Cents keeper Jacob Berger came into the game with a 3.20 GAA and .910 SP, but the Chiefs pumped four pucks past him on 24 shots.
Chilliwack now sits third in the Mainland division standings, four points behind the first place Langley Rivermen with a game in hand.
Langley (6-3-6-0) provides the opposition for the Chiefs Saturday night at Prospera Centre.
Chilliwack hosts the Salmon Arm Silverbacks (7-6-0-0) tomorrow (Friday) night.
The start time for both games is 7 p.m.