The Chilliwack Chiefs split a pair of weekend road games, winning a 7-5 shootout against Powell River and dropping a 4-1 decision to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
The Chiefs had to rally from a 4-1 hole to beat the Kings Saturday night.
Powell River goals by Christian Buono, Josh Coblenz, Mitchell Williams and Levi Glasman had the home team up by three at the 16:16 minute mark of period one.
Harrison Blaisdell got one back with nine seconds remaining in the opening frame, but a Matt Rickard snipe early in period two had the Kings up 5-2.
Then the roof fell in on Powell River.
Kevin Wall’s league-leading 21st of the season at 5:55 got Chilliwack rolling and Matt Holmes collected his 10th the season at 8:13 to get the Chiefs within one heading to the third period.
Blaisdell’s second of the game knotted the score at 5-5 4:30 into the final frame and Cole Donhauser scored the game winner at 11:23.
Former Kings defenceman Nathan Kelly iced the game in the final minute with an empty netter.
“The game was such a fantastic test of our character and our will to keep playing for one another because that’s an easy game to pack it in and start looking forward to the next one,” said Chiefs bench boss Brian Maloney. “But this group stays with it and they believe in themselves and they were able to stick with it and pull out the win.”
Chilliwack hit the ice again 16 hours and 41 minutes later for a Sunday matinee at the Weyerhauser Arena.
The Chiefs ran into a red-hot goaltender. They threw 41 pucks at John Hawthorne and Brett Willits was the only one to beat him.
“It’s one of those nights when you run into a darn good goalie and a team that was hungry to beat us,” Maloney said. “Obviously you want to win every game, but that’s not going to happen in a good league like ours.
“It’s a good experience for the guys to get some lumps sometimes because everything’s not going to be rosy all the time.”
Willits opened the scoring with a power play goal 14:17 into the second period, but ex-Chief Ryan Miotto had the score knotted at 1-1 before the middle frame was done.
Mitch Deelstra broke the deadlock 5:39 into period three and Keaton Mastrodonato added insurance at 8:17.
Grayson Valente wrapped up the scoring with a last-minute empty netter.
Chilliwack still leads the 17 team BCHL with a 19-8-0-0 record, but a division foe is hot on their heels. The Prince George Spruce Kings are now just two points back with a game in hand.
The Chiefs have a mid-week matchup tonight (Wednesday), hosting the Langley Rivermen at Prospera Centre (7 p.m.).
Then it’s back to back home games Friday and Saturday versus the Sprucies.
— Blaisdell collected five points against Powell River and has climbed to fifth in league scoring with 33 points in 27 games.
Wall continues to lead the points parade with 42 points in 27 games, four more than Victoria’s Alex Newhook and Merritt’s Bradley Cocca.
Chilliwack’s Matt Holmes is on the list, sitting 17th with 29 points in 25 games.
eric.welsh@theprogress.com