The Cariboo Cougars are facing elimination, for the second time this playoff season.
A 5-2 loss to the Calgary Buffaloes Friday night in Calgary in Game 1 of their best-of-three Telus Cup Pacific regional series means there''s no room for error.
The Cougars will have to beat the Buffaloes tonight (6 p.m. PT) and force a Game 3 Sunday (1 p.m.) to advance to the Telus Cup national midget hockey championship in Thunder Bay, April 22-28.
The Cougars and Buffaloes were tied 2-2 heading into the third period. John Herrington and Max Arnold scored for Cariboo, while Jayden Grubbe and Justin Ross, with his first of two goals, replied for the Buffaloes.
Marco Lopez scored back-to-back goals in the third period, the first at 9:44 and the second at 11:26. Ross added a shorthanded goal with five minutes left to put it away for Calgary.
"I thought we deserved better after 40 minutes," said Cougars head coach Tyler Brough. "I thought we controlled the majority of the play but didn't get the results and that's the way it goes sometimes. We didn't look fatigued (in the third period), they capitalized on some mental breakdowns by us and they got a save when they needed it and it cost us.
"We've been pretty resilient all year with our third periods and closing the deal and tonight it just didn't happen. We need a big effort tonight, obviously, our backs are against the wall but there's more at stake here. I fully expect us to show up with our best effort of the year."
Shots were even at 28 apiece. Garin Bjorklund picked up the win in net for the Buffaloes, while Devin Chapman took the loss. Brough said he'll start goalie Xavier Cannon in today's game.
The Cougars bounced back from a Game 1 loss in their B.C. Hockey Major Midget League semifinal series against the Vancouver Northeast Chefs, winning two straight games on home ice at Kin 1 to advance to the final last weekend in Abbotsford, where they swept the defending-champion Fraser Valley Thunderbirds.
