When a hockey team is badly outshot it is usually only a matter of time before they are badly outscored.
That was the case for the PIJHL's Port Moody Black Panthers, which dropped two games last week, falling 12-2 against the Richmond Sockeyes Thursday and 10-2 to the Aldergrove Kodiaks on Saturday.
In a test against the league's top teams -Aldergrove and Richmond both lead their conferences - Port Moody came up short and will have to retool if they hope to defeat these teams in the post-season.
Richmond outshot Port Moody 66-19, while Aldergrove managed to almost double their opponent's shot total 59-33.
Things got off to a bad start early last Thursday for the Cats' when Richmond came out firing in the first period. By the time the game hit the 13 minute mark the score was 4-0 for the Sockeyes, while Black Panthers' Richard Moul notched the first for Port Moody with 50 seconds left in the opening frame.
Richmond came out strong again in the second and, aside from a goal from Port Moody's Rino Minni, dominated the middle frame.
Four more goals in the third period helped Richmond to a 12-2.
The Sockeyes were one-for-four on the powerplay while the Cats' did not register a marker with the man advantage.
Port Moody goalie Zachary Station stopped 54 of 66, while on the other end of the ice Tyler Klassen stopped 17 of 19.
Things did not get much better for the Cats' on Saturday when the Harold Brittain Conference leaders the Aldergrove Kodiaks visited the Port Moody Arena. The home team faltered early, allowing four goals in the first 14 minutes, before Black Panthers' forward Julian Klaric potted a powerplay goal with less than three minutes left in the opening frame.
Another powerplay goal from the Cats' early in the second cut Aldergroves lead to 5-2, however the Kodiaks poured on the shots -and the scoring -for the remainder of the game.
The visitors scored a pair in the middle frame before netting three more in the third period.
Aldergrove's Brandon Potomak, who was the game's second star, tallied two goals and an assist while Colton Precourt bumped his season point total to 37 with a hat trick and two assists.
The Port Moody Black Panthers play tonight in the valley against the Abbotsford Pilots before returning home Saturday to play the North Vancouver Wild Pack at the Port Moody Arena.
For more information go to www.portmoodyblackpanthers.com.
