Jordan Kawaguchi scored the first goal of the game and then the last, supplying the dramatic OT winner for the Chilliwack Chiefs in a 3-2 home victory that also gave them a 4-1 series win over the Wenatchee Wild.
Kawaguchi opened the scoring just 1:19 into the first, set up by Kale Kane and Rylan Bechtel. The Wild responded as the midway point of the first period approached with Charlie Combs getting his seventh of the postseason to tie it heading to the first intermission.
Each team had opportunities on the man advantage in the second period but neither side was able to capitalize. In the third, the blueliners got into the scoring act as Dennis Cholowski scored for the Chiefs after retrieving the puck from his own end and skating the length of the ice before slipping one past Chase Perry. Then Bryan Yoon equalized for the Wild with 5:32 remaining in regulation.
For the first time in the series, the teams went to overtime and the Chiefs held the bulk of the play in the extra session until Kawaguchi ended the game and the series with his second of the night at 5:18. Aidan Pelino made 31 saves in the win for Chilliwack while Chase Perry faced 30 shots in the Wild net.
With the win, Chilliwack moves on the Round 3 joining the Nanaimo Clippers who advanced past Powell River on Tuesday. That now leaves just the Interior finals where the Penticton Vees and West Kelowna Warriors are knotted 2-2 with Game 5 happening Friday in Penticton.
(In Round 3 – the double-round-robin format, the teams will be seeded 1, 2, and 3 based on their regular-season points totals in the standings. Should West Kelowna advance, the seeds would be #1 Chilliwack, #2 West Kelowna and #3 Nanaimo. Should Penticton advance, the seeds would be #1 Penticton, #2 Chilliwack and #3 Nanaimo).
