The North Vancouver Wolf Pack took a major step towards securing a playoff birth with a 4-2 victory over the Grandview Steelers tonight. The Steelers led the game 2-0 in the second period but were unable to close it out. The victory puts North vancouver four points ahead of Grandview, but the key is what the Pack will be able to do with their two games in hand. Grandview has lost four in a row.
The race gets even more interesting for North Van because the North Delta Devils, surprisingly, were knocked off at home tonight by the Ridge Meadows Flames. The Loss leaves the Devils just four points up on the Wolf Pack, and North Vancouver has three games in hand on North Delta. It was a nice bounce back for the Flames, who were playing their second game in two nights.
The Abbotsford Pilots, who were also playing for the second night in a row, got a real scare in Port Moody and needed overtime to edge the Panthers 4-3. For the Panthers, it was a encouraging sign, as they have been playing better lately, but had little to show for it in terms of results. The Pilots are now nine points up on second placed Aldergrove.
In Mission, the Richmond Sockeyes recovered from a home loss on Thursday by thumping the Outlaws 8-2. Richmond has won nine of their last ten and have a four point lead in the Shaw Conference standings over the Delta Ice Hawks. The Sockeyes and Ice Hawks will play twice more, with the regular season title hanging in the balance.
Certainly a few surprises tonight in the 'Pac', but it's junior hockey, and anything can happen on a given night.
