Two games ago, the Port Moody Black Panthers looked destined for the golf course. Today, they're swinging toward the conference final.
The Cats clutched up again Wednesday, dominating the Ridge Meadows Flames for the second straight outing to force a seventh and deciding game in their Pacific International Jr. 'B' hockey league playoff series. Game time tonight (Friday) at the PoMo Rec Complex is 8 p.m.
The Cats' 5-1 victory in Maple Ridge was accentuated by a standout collective performance at both ends of rink, with PoMo out-shooting the hosts by a lopsided 46-29 margin. The win came on the heels of the Cats' 3-0 egging Monday of the Flames in PoMo, where they out-gunned the visitors 47-28.
Once down 3-1 in the series, the Cats now sit a win away from going to the Harold Brittain Conference final versus the winner of the Abbotsford Pilots/Mission Icebreakers series, which was 3-2 in Abby's favour heading into last night's (Thursday, after The News' deadline) Game 6 in Mission.
"We played maybe the best all-around hockey game ever," Black Panthers general manager Ron Luniw raved regarding Wednesday's win. "Defensively, we were phenomenal. We're doing simple things with the puck and not trying to force stuff."
Persistent forechecking and a penchant for staying out of the penalty box were specific keys to the win, Luniw added.
"It's speed and pressure," said Luniw, adding that three of his team's goals Wednesday came directly off turnovers forced by Cats' forwards. "Our transition game has been sensational."
Also, the Cats have found a way to blanket Flames' hot-shot Danny Brandys, who was held pointless for the second straight game after racking up four goals and six assists in the series' first four games.
"We've taken away every inch of his space and we're not taking penalties," Luniw said.
On Wednesday, the Cats' Trevor Kang opened the game's scoring three minutes in before Cameron Patterson and James Benz struck back-to-back in the second frame to give PoMo a 3-0 cushion going into the third.
There, the Flames' Alexander Smith tallied five minutes in to narrow the gap to 3-1 but Rinno Minni replied with a tally four minutes later to restore the Cats' three-goal advantage. Kang closed out the scoring on a PoMo powerplay with four minutes remaining, with goalie Nicholas Taylor turning in a solid 28-save effort.
ICING: Should the Cats win tonight and regardless of the Abby/Mission series outcome, Game 1 of the best-of-seven conference final will faceoff tomorrow (Saturday) in PoMo, 7:45 p.m.
