There is no better time than Wednesday night for the Richmond Sockeyes to get their first win of the season at the Burnaby Winter Club.
The Sockeyes will be looking to pull even in their Pacific Junior Hockey League quarter-final series with the Grandview Steelers following a 5-3 home ice loss on Monday.
Richmond opened the best-of-seven affair with a dominating 5-1 win last Thursday at Minoru Arenas — outshooting the visitors by a 50-21 margin. However, the Steelers responded with a 4-1 victory on Sunday at BWC and followed it up 24 hours later to take the series lead thanks to a big second period.
They erased a 1-0 deficit with a pair of goals from Jacob Paler-Chow and another from Richmond native Ethan Strik. Fuelling the swing in momentum was the Sockeyes being accessed five consecutive minor penalties.
A nice individual effort from Nick Wilson made it 3-2 after 40 minutes.
The Sockeyes were pressing for the potential equalizer in the third when Quinn Myles one-timed a pass from Eric Fuerderer past goaltender Braedy Euerby for what proved to be a huge insurance goal with 4:54 remaining.
Richmond didn’t let up and Wilson’s second of the night with 71 seconds left gave the hosts some hope until Max Fookes’ empty net tally.
The Sockeyes enjoyed a 42-27 advantage in the shot department with Cale Dolan enjoying another solid outing in the Grandview net.
The Sockeyes should get a lift for game four with the expected return of blueliner Ryan Watson from a suspension.
Watson is the team’s best offensive defenceman who sat out games two and three after receiving a major penalty for a check-from-behind in the series opener.
The 17-year-old typically logs big minutes and had 26 points in 27 games after joining Richmond from Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League. He had two assists in game one.
Game five of the series is Thursday (7 p.m.) at Minoru.
