Goals were hard to come by for the two highest scoring teams in the B.C. Hockey League's Mainland Division as playoffs began last weekend.

The Surrey Eagles and Langley Rivermen combined for 389 goals during the regular season but could muster a grand total of three in the first two games of their opening round series at South Surrey Arena Friday and Saturday. Surrey won the opener 2-0 Friday before Langley answered with a 1-0 decision the following night.

"Playoff hockey is funny and after two games, there's been just one five-on-five goal scored between the two teams," said Eagles coach Matt Erhart. "I was expecting more of the 5-3 type of scores going into this series. These are two of the highest scoring teams in the conference facing each other and nobody can score.

"We just have to keep doing what we're doing - if you get 43 shots in a game, not scoring is not because of lack of chances. Both goalies have been playing well, obviously, but we have to finish our chances."

In Friday's opener, Santa was not in a giving mood. Surrey goalie Michael Santaguida stopped all 32 shots he faced to blank the Rivermen and earn first star honours.

Kevan Kilistoff opened the scoring for Surrey in the first period before Adam Tambellini iced the game with a power-play marker in the final frame.

The goalie show continued on Saturday with Langley's James Barr stealing the spotlight with 42 saves in the 1-0 Rivermen win.

Langley scored on a first-period power play and then turned to Barr the rest of the way to even the series at one game apiece.

"There's been a lot of shots from the outside and the goalies have been able to handle those," Erhart said. "Both teams have been able to eliminate the Grade A type of chances and when there have been those chances, the goalies have been able to make the big saves. On Saturday their goalie (Barr) made eight or nine great saves. I was standing on the bench thinking, 'Are you kidding me? He stopped that?' He would dive across and the puck would hit him the in back or in the legs. It was just one of those games.

"We can't do anything different because we are getting good chances. We just have to stick with it and hope he can't do it again the next game."

The series resumed last night in Langley with Game 4 slated for tonight at the Langley Events Centre.

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