The surprising Chilliwack Chiefs won two of three games on a traditionally tough road trip to Vancouver Island last weekend.
The junior A club started the swing Friday night with a convincing 4-1 win over the Nanaimo Clippers at the Frank Crane Arena.
The Chiefs held the home team to just 19 shots on net, with defenceman Robby Drazner the only Nanaimo player to put a puck past Chilliwack goaltender Mathieu Caron.
Nanaimo netminder Jordan Naylor was beaten by Harrison Blaisdell in the first period and Matt Holmes in the second. Blaisdell tacked on another in the third with Kevin Wall also scoring.
Ethan Bowen collected two assists.
Chilliwack faced the Cowichan Caps Saturday night, eight days after beating them 4-3 in overtime at the BCHL Showcase.
The Chiefs had to erase a three-goal deficit in that one, but Chilliwack led wire-to-wire in the rematch.
Holmes opened the scoring in the first period and Wall doubled the lead in period two, with defenceman Alexander Marrocco drawing assists on both goals.
Lucas Vanroboys had the Caps within one as the second period ended and Cowichan peppered the Chilliwack net with 16 third period shots.
But Caron stopped them all, finishing the night with 36 saves.
Colton Kitchen’s first BCHL goal at 13:57 gave the Chiefs all the breathing room they needed in a 3-1 triumph.
Back on the ice for a 2 p.m. start in Victoria Sunday afternoon, the team lost a 6-0 decision to the Grizzlies. The score was misleading as Chilliwack out-shot Victoria 45-37. Only an outstanding effort by Grizzly goalie Kurtis Chapman kept the Chiefs off the scoreboard.
Caron, who has played every minute for the Chiefs this season, was due for a stumble playing his third game in less than 72 hours.
The Abbotsford native was pulled 9:09 into the final frame after giving up five goals on 27 shots.
Hope native Dawson Pelletier stepped in for his first career BCHL action, stopping nine of 10 pucks.
Cameron Thompson scored a pair for Victoria with Jordan Guiney, Jeremie Bucheler, Ryan Nolan and Riley Hughes adding singles.
— Trevor Peca made his Chilliwack Chiefs debut Friday, picking up a two-minute slashing minor against the Clippers. Back in action against Victoria, Peca racked up two minutes for charging, two minutes for a blow to the head and a misconduct.
— Chiefs head coach/general manager Brian Maloney didn’t need to make a roster move to get Peca on the roster, but he made one anyways, sending Chris Brown to the Central Canadian Hockey League’s Brockville Braves in exchange for future considerations.
The Chiefs are home for two games this weekend, hosting the Coquitlam Express Friday and the Wenatchee Wild Saturday.
Both games are 7 p.m. starts at Prospera Centre.