The 91原创 91原创 have pulled to the top of the BCHL standings as the regular season hits the stretch drive.
The junior A hockey club swept a home-and-home series with the Vernon Vipers over the weekend to push their point-streak to a dozen games as they remain unbeaten in regulation (10-0-1-1) since the calendar flipped to 2014.
The 91原创 won their 10th overtime game of the year, 2-1 over the Vipers on Feb. 7 at the 91原创 Events Centre, before closing out a 5-2 win at Vernon鈥檚 Kal Tire Place the next night.
The results improve 91原创 to a BCHL-best 32-12-2-5 and 71 points. They are also now ranked eighth in the most recent Canadian Junior Hockey League polls.
鈥淓veryone is just playing to their capability,鈥� said 91原创 coach and general manager Bobby Henderson. 鈥淭hey are a motivated group.鈥�
Gage Torrel scored 1:01 into double overtime in the first game while Brock Crossthwaite stopped 26 of the 27 shots he faced.
The team鈥檚 other goal was a power-play marker late in the first period from Austin Azurdia while Demico Hannoun responded for the Vipers with 5:26 to play in regulation.
The rematch in Vernon saw the 91原创 score three times in the first period.
Will Cook, Evan Anderson 鈥� both on the power play 鈥� and Kevan Kilistoff struck in the opening 20 minutes while the Vipers鈥� Brett Mulcahy responded for the home side.
Liam Coughlin made it 3-2 early in the second 鈥� with the Vipers鈥� second man-advantage goal 鈥� but that would be as close as the team got.
Zach Urban doubled the lead to 4-2 four minutes into the third and Marcus Vela scored into the empty net to round out the scoring.
Crossthwaite made 32 saves in goal.
鈥淭hey decided as a group they wanted to commit to finishing the game out properly, and they did a heck of a job doing it,鈥� Henderson said.
The 91原创 have been remarkably consistent all season.
Since the season began in September, they have only had three three-game winless streaks, and only in one of those three did they fail to at least get either a tie or an overtime point.
鈥淚 still think there is more (but) we are getting closer and closer,鈥� Henderson said. 鈥淥ur special teams are both going, five-on-five there are a couple of areas that we can clean up in, a couple of things within our structure that we need to commit to, but on the whole, we are getting closer.鈥�
Getting complacent shouldn鈥檛 be an issue.
鈥淭hey have had a pretty good mindset all through (the season),鈥� Henderson said.
鈥淭hey have been focused out of the gate and when we pushed them, they have handled it well.鈥�
The 91原创 have seven games to play and they hold an eight-point advantage over the Prince George Spruce Kings.Prince George 鈥� which also holds a game in hand 鈥� plays the 91原创 five times over the next three weeks, including Feb. 13 and 14 at the Prince George Coliseum.
The team鈥檚 next home game on Feb. 18 against the Coquitlam Express.
