The Cowichan Valley Capitals may be the Coastal Conference's seventh-seeded team, but the squad has all the markings of a tough first-round playoff opponent. On Friday, the Caps closed out their regular season home schedule with a 4-3 win over the Langley Chiefs that kept their visitors at least another day away from nailing down fourth place.
Laurent Brossoit and Mike Hammond stole the show for Cowichan Valley, with Brossoit stopping 35-shots in a first star effort while Hammond scored twice — including the game winner at the 13:25 mark of the third period — and added an assist.
Josh Myers had opened the scoring on a first period man-advantage before Hammond's first of the evening sent the game into the first intermission tied 1-1. Chase Kaiser and Dennis Robertson traded power-play markers in the second, but a Joey Massingham effort with 17 seconds remaining gave the Caps the lead. Hammond then scored in the third before Colton Beck replied for Langley with less than a minute remaining in regulation.
With the loss, Langley will need to draw points from their game in Alberni Valley on Saturday to assure home-ice advantage in their first round playoff series against the Surrey Eagles. A loss would allow the Eagles, who play Saturday in Salmon Arm and Sunday in Vernon, the chance to overtake them for fourth.
In other Coastal Conference-based action:
- Evan Richardson scored his second goal of the night at the 4:45 mark of overtime, sending Alberni Valley to a 3-2 win in Nanaimo. Scott Lewan picked up the win in net for the Bulldogs, while Andrew Gladiuk and Teal Burns accounted for the Clippers' offence. Loic Boivin made 25 saves in the loss.
- The Victoria Grizzlies scored six times in the third period en route to a 9-2 victory on home ice over Powell River. Madison Dias and Brandon Fagerheim each scored twice for the Grizzlies, whose power-play was successful on five of 12 opportunities. Daniel Carr and Justin Dasilva replied for Powell River.
