Tonight the Maple Ridge Burrards travel to the Langley Events Centre to face off against the Langley Thunder. The Burrards have got off to a great start this season and will look for their third win of the season. The Thunder on the other hand have struggled so far this season losing three games in a row and are in desperate need to get their first win of the season. These two teams last met on Sunday in what was a total one-sided affair as the Burrards dominated the Thunder for the 15-3 victory.
Going into this game the Thunder need to come out full force and make a statement. They cannot dwell on their last meeting with the Burrards. They need to show the Burrards they are a force to be reckoned with and gain their respect. The Thunder have struggled to get their offense going so far this season. The Thunder will need players to step up and support Alex Turner and Athan Iannucci. The other major problem for the Thunder so far this season has been the play of Brodie MacDonald. MacDonald has struggled so far this year posting an 11.44 goals against average and .763 save percentage. MacDonald will be under heavy pressure against the Burrards and will need to step his game up and regain his 2013 form. If the Thunder can get MacDonald to hold the Burrards offense and Iannucci can spark the offense they will be in a good position to win this game.
The Burrards heading into this game need to do one thing and that is to create offensive pressure. In the last meeting the Burrards shelled MacDonald in net and were able to jump out to a 7-1 lead in the first period. The Burrards will want to do the same in this game and take the fight out of Langley early. Riley Loewen and Mike Mallory have been on fire this year. The Burrards have been able to win so far this year thanks to their offense getting off to quick starts and forcing their opponent to work from behind. In net the Burrards have got solid performances from Carson Michaud and Chris Levis. The Burrards should be able to handle the Thunder one again but need to be careful not to let their guard down as the Thunder are a team that, with one little spark, can quickly turn a game around.
In the end it seems like this should be an easy victory for the Burrards as they are riding on momentum while the Thunder are sinking quickly. If the Burrards can get off to a quick start and demoralize the Thunder they will win this game but if Langley can hold off the early Burrards attack and gain some confidence they could pull off the upset.
