The December slide continues for the Abbotsford Pilots, as they dropped two more games on Friday and Saturday.
The Pilots are now winless in four games this month, and haven’t won since Nov. 16.
Abbotsford has six losses and one tie in that stretch of seven games since the club’s last victory.
The Pilots hosted the Richmond Sockeyes on Friday, and trailed for the majority of the game in a 5-2 loss.
Richmond opened the scoring at 2:49, but Abbotsford’s Alexander Methorst tied the game six minutes later on the power play. The Sockeyes added a power play marker of their own late in the first to lead 2-1 after 20 minutes.
Richmond scored the lone goal of the second period to go up 3-1 after two, but Abbotsford’s Mateo Toledo made it a one-goal game again early in the third.
The Sockeyes then connected two more times on the power play to close out the game and earn the 5-2 win.
Penalty killing continues to be an issue for the Pilots, and the team’s once-strong kill has now dropped to seventh in the Pacific Junior Hockey League.
Abbotsford goalie Gunnar Neilsen made 17 saves in a losing cause.
The Pilots’ struggles continued on Saturday, as they dropped a 4-2 decision on the road to the Port Moody Panthers.
Abbotsford’s Brady Morton opened the scoring at 11:41, but the Panthers tied the game minutes later with a power play goal.
The Panthers then scored the lone goal of the second period to take a 2-1 lead into the final frame.
Pilots forward Tyler Falk tied the game at 1:42 of the third period, but then the Panthers took over with goals at 6:52 and another power play goal at 10:06 to secure the victory.
Pilots goalie Robert Nawrot, making his debut for Abbotsford and first start in the 2017-18 PJHL season, made 29 saves in the loss.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Pilots, as next up they host the top-ranked Delta Ice Hawks on Friday. Delta has lost just two games this season. Faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at MSA Arena.
Abbotsford then hits the road on Sunday to take on the Grandview Steelers in Burnaby.