The Chilliwack Chiefs put the boots to the Surrey Eagles in game one of their BCHL playoff series, winning 6-3 Friday night at the Chilliwack Coliseum.
After losing their last six head-to-head meetings, the Chiefs had something to prove against their Mainland division rivals.
In front of 1,577 loud fans, they out shot Surrey 38-21 on their way to a relatively comfortable win.
The home team led 2-0 after one period on goals by Kyle Penney and Brody Gagno, firing 17 pucks at Eagles goalie Reece Klassen.
Surrey’s Gabe Schovanek cut into the lead with a power play goal one minute into period two, but Chilliwack responded with two quick goals at 4:26 and 5:39, scored by Joey Larson and hometown kid Peter Reynolds.
The teams traded two goals apiece in the final frame. Schovanek collected his second of the game at 6:17 and Hudson Schandor’s snipe at 10:16 got the visitors within one.
But 12 seconds after Schandor lit the lamp, Trevor Adams deflated Surrey’s balloon with an unassisted strike.
Larson iced the game at 18:27 with an empty net goal.
Mathieu Caron stopped 18 shots in the Chilliwack net.
The three stars were Penney (first), Schandor (second) and Nikita Nesterenko (third). Brett Rylance was the Fortis B.C. Energy Player of the Game.
The teams play game two tonight (7 p.m.) at the Chilliwack Coliseum.