The Ridge Meadows Flames continued their strong start to the 2009/10 Pacific International Junior Hockey League season with a three-point weekend, bringing their record to an impressive 6-1-2, and leaving them tied for second in the league.

On Friday night the local junior B hockey team extended its home win streak to four games with a 4-1 shellacking of the defending Keystone Cup champions, the Richmond Sockeyes.

The Flames power play connected for three goals on eight opportunities, while Prince Albert Raiders prospect Eric Williams stopped 34 of 35 shots on net.

The Flames took an early lead after Matt Pesut and Shane Harle scored in the first five minutes of the game.

“We haven’t started well in a lot of games this season, but they got the message,” said Flames head coach Tavis Eaton. “They had something to prove.”

The Sockeyes pulled to within in one with a power play goal from Sean Thorsteinson late in the first, but it would be their only tally of the night.

Flames captain Brett Allen scored a pair of power play goals in the second and third period to ensure the victory, earning himself first-star honours for his three-point performance. Allen has 12 points so far this season, leading the team in scoring.

“He’s a true leader in that room,” said Eaton. “He leads by example, and its contagious.”

The Flames travelled to Port Moody Saturday night to take on the last-place Black Panthers, but quickly found themselves in an unenviable position after allowing five goals in the middle frame.

The Panthers ventilated rookie goalie Nick Taylor, who got the hook in the second intermission after allowing six goals.

“I thought it was pretty unfair to Nick how we played in front of him,” said Eaton. “I told them you should be ashamed of yourselves for hanging him out there like that, and they got the message in the third.”

Down 6-3, the Flames rallied in the third to tie the game and send it to overtime.

However, Port Moody’s Chris Stew put the puck past Williams with a minute left in the extra frame to give the Black Panthers the win, just their second of the season.

“We took the night off and we underestimated them,” said Eaton. “They are a lot better team then their record.”

The Flames powerplay was again effective, connecting on four out of five opportunities. Sean Pesut led the Flames in scoring with a goal and two assists, while CJ Legassic potted a pair of goals, including the game-tying marker with less than three minutes left in regulation. Other scorers for the Flames were Matt Pesut, Bayne Ryshak, and Danny Brandys. Shane Harle had a pair of assists and earned third-star honours.

Nine games into the season, the Flames are sitting pretty in second place in the PIJHL, and that suits Eaton just fine.

“I’m proud of our players,” he said. “We’ve got 14 out of a possible 18 points, so I’m happy with that.”

The Flames return home to Planet Ice this Friday night to face the Grandview Steelers. Game time is 7:30 p.m.