The Chilliwack Chiefs come out of the Christmas break to face the Surrey Eagles in a crucial home-and-home this weekend.
The Chiefs are in Surrey Saturday and host the Eagles Sunday (5 p.m.), needing to make up a ton of ground if they have any playoff aspirations.
Entering the Christmas break, the Chiefs found themselves 14 points behind their Mainland division rivals, with Surrey holding one game in hand.
In a pre-Christmas article, head coach Harvey Smyl said he wasn’t ready to wave the white towel yet, pointing out the schedule and the fact Chilliwack faces Surrey six more times.
But if his team can’t narrow the gap in head-to-head play this weekend, even the ever-optimistic bench boss would have to re-evaluate.
The Chiefs should be feeling good about themselves after a bizarre game to end the pre-Christmas schedule.
Chilliwack hosted the Trail Smoke Eaters Dec. 21, coming away with a 13-5 win.
NOT a misprint.
13-5.
The team equaled a franchise mark for goals in a game, wearing out the goal-horn at Prospera Centre.
Chilliwack led 7-1 after one period, setting a franchise mark for goals in a period. Mathieu Tibbet and Ben Butcher had two apiece with Jaret Babych, Andrew Silard and Blake Gober picking up singles.
Gober’s was on a penalty shot.
Trail’s starting netminder, Adam Todd, was yanked twice before the game was half over.
He surrendered the first five goals before giving way to backup Kai McDonald.
Trail coach Nick Deschenes put him back in to start the second period, but yanked him again after the Chiefs scored two goals on two shots.
Tibbet had two more in the second period with Zach Diamantoni and Jake Hand also lighting the lamp. Austin and Mitch Plevy had third period goals.
Mitch’s was his first BCHL goal, with his big brother drawing the only assist.
The Chiefs come into this weekend with a record of 8-26-1-2. The Eagles are 16-19-1-0.
For all of their troubles, the Chiefs are 2-1 against Surrey this year.
The Chiefs beat them 3-2 in October and split a pair of November games, losing 7-6 and winning 6-4. See bchl.ca for more info.