Richmond Sockeyes showed why they are the highest scoring team in the Pacific Junior Hockey League to promptly snap a two-game losing streak.
Locked up at 2-2 with the last place Port Moody Panthers on Saturday night, the visiting Sockeyes took control with three goals over an eight minute stretch of the final period en route to a 6-4 victory. The result leaves Richmond with a 12-3-0-1 record and just a point behind the North Vancouver Wolf Pack (12-1-0-2) in the Tom Shaw Conference standings.
Veteran Matthew Bissett led his team with a hat trick, including a pair in the pivotal final 20 minutes. Daniel Oakley, Quiton Blois and Brodie Crawford also scored. Nathan Alalouf made 27 saves.
It was a rare night that saw Troy Kaczynski kept off the scoresheet. The 20-year-old Richmond Minor product has been on a tear this season with a league-leading 39 points in 16 games, including 19 goals. That total is five more than his nearest rival.
He had a big outing in a losing cause last Thursday, factoring in on every goal in a 6-4 setback to the visiting Mission City Outlaws.
The Sockeyes were cruising along with a 3-1 second period lead when the Outlaws exploded for four goals in 4:48 span that chased starting goalie Kurt Russell. The visitors made it 6-3 near the midway mark of the third before Kaczynski converted a feed from Kyle Dion and Oakley for his second of the night.
Richmond was coming off a 3-2 overtime road loss to the Wolf Pack. The Sockeyes took a 2-0 lead into the final period on goals by Tyler Paterson and Oakley when the Wolf Pack pulled even on tallies from Henry Cleghorn and Ian Creamore 1:06 apart. Greater Vancouver Canadians graduate Brodyn Nielsen beat Russell at the 3:11 mark of the first overtime period.
The Sockeyes return to action Thursday when Ridge Meadows visits Minoru at 7 p.m.
Icing…
• General manager Richard Petrowsky announced a pair of trades Tuesday night — sending forward Liam Marcoux to the Abbotsford Pilots for future considerations and acquiring 19-year-old forward Malcolm Glaholt from Grandview for Jackson Waniek.
• Former Sockeye forward Ayden MacDonald has a new address in the B.C. Hockey League after being traded earlier this month by the Vernon Vipers to the Victoria Grizzlies as part of a four-player deal. The 18-year-old Langley native, who was one of the top rookies in the PJHL last season, has one assist in seven games with Victoria.
