An overtime loss Tuesday night has left the White Rock Whalers on the brink of playoff elimination.
The second-year junior ‘B’ hockey squad opened its best-of-seven Pacific Junior Hockey League series with a Game 1 victory over the record-setting, top-seed North Vancouver Wolf Pack last week, but lost the next three contests and now trail 3-1 heading into Game 5, which is scheduled for North Vancouver on Saturday night.
A loss Saturday would eliminate the Whalers from the playoffs.
Tuesday’s loss – on home ice at Centennial Arena – was a tough one to swallow for the Whalers, as they continued to play the Wolf Pack closer than any other team has thus far in the PJHL season; North Van lost just three games in regulation during the regular-season.
White Rock opened the scoring midway through the first period, on a power-play rebound tally from Tristian Takats, but the lead lasted less than a minute, as North Van’s Jacob Fournier quickly tied the game with a goal of his own. The two teams traded goals in each of the next two periods – with Michael Penman and Bryce Margetson scoring for the home side – before Wolf Pack captain Lucas Barker scored the overtime winner six minutes into the sudden-death frame.
FINAL: The captain stepped up in OT tonight. Lucas Barker sends his @northvanwolfpac squad home with a 3-1 series lead.#PJHL pic.twitter.com/yqLNJQQqq2
— PJHL (@Pacific_Junior) February 19, 2020
White Rock was not without an opportunity to win the game themselves, as they had a power-play opportunity in overtime just prior to Barker’s goal when the North Van forward was whistled for an interference penalty.
Whalers goalie Christoper Akerman stopped 35 shots in the game.
Puck drop for Saturday’s Game 5 is 7 p.m. at the Harry Jerome Rec Centre in North Vancouver.