The Mission City Outlaws began their 2015 playoff run on the wrong skate, dropping a 3-1 decision to the visiting Langley Knights on Tuesday night in Mission.
The loss puts Mission down one game to none in the best of seven series.
While it was an evenly played contest, the Outlaws couldn’t seem to take advantage of their scoring opportunities.
Langley opened the scoring in the first period when Joshua Smith found the net behind Mission keeper Bryce Phenix
The Outlaws tied the game at one when Kolby Steen scored, before the end of the first. In the middle frame, Langley’s Dylan McCann and Mitchell Biermann scored to put the game away. The Knights poured on the defence in the third, not allowing Mission to get any closer.
“We just didn’t bury our chances, they did,” said Outlaws coach Brad Veitch.
“We played an OK game. They caught us on our heels a little bit in the second period but other than that it was a pretty even hockey game.”
The coach said his players needed to play a little more disciplined style and stay away from the penalty box.
Special teams was another area that seemed to hurt the Outlaws.
“We definitely at the end there, we stubbed our toe on the powerpay… We definitely have some work to do there and game plan against them.”
The local squad had little time to prepare for the next contest, which takes place in Langley on Thursday night.
“We have to adapt a little bit to how they like to stretch the ice and make sure we have good defensive coverage in our zone. Then I think we’ll be fine,” said Veitch.
The two teams face off again Friday in Langley, followed by contests on Saturday (in Mission), Monday (Langley), Tuesday back in Mission and game seven is scheduled for Thursday in Langley.
The winner of the series will take on the winner of the Abbotsford/Aldergrove playoff match up.
For complete schedule information, visit pjhl.net.