The Ridge Meadows Flames are hoping their 3-0 shutout of the Port Moody Panthers on Saturday will give them some forward momentum.

The Flames needed something positive to happen after losing 5-1 to the Abbotsford Pilots the previous night in Abbotsford.

The host Panthers turned out to be just ideal opponents for a team looking to rebound.

Port Moody is the lowest scoring team in the Pacific Junior Hockey League with 53 markers, two fewer than the Flames.

They also reside at the bottom of the PJHL's Harold Brittain Conference with a league worst 5-16-0-1 record.

Even so, Flames' head coach Jamie Fiset said his team didn't take the Panthers lightly.

"We executed a very simple game plan, and the Panthers are one of the [league's] most improved teams over the last month, and they keep getting better and better," Fiset said. "It was not an easy game. They [the Panthers] are a much better team than people give them credit for." The local junior B squad improved to 7-9-2-2 with the win and is a respectable 2-2-1 in its past five contests. "We look at our last five games, and we've picked up points in three of them," Fiset said. "We've had setbacks against Abbotsford and Richmond, but in neither of those games, I thought we played very well. We didn't feel we put our best effort forward. We've beaten both of those teams already this year, so there's no panic or anything like that. We have a fair amount of confidence in our lineup."

Flames 3, Port Moody Panthers 0

The Flames' Travis Oddy opened the scoring in the first period, then Ridge Meadows added an insurance marker from Alexander Smith 2: 56 into the third frame to grab a two-goal lead.

With Port Moody goaltender Angus Redmond pulled for the extra attacker, the Flames' Matthew Bissett scored into an empty net with 17 seconds to go in regulation to cap the night's scoring.

"I was happy with our attention to detail," said Fiset, noting that goaltender RJ Bruni, who was named the game's first star, has been particularly sharp recently.

Abbotsford Pilots 5, Flames 1 Friday at Abbotsford's MSA Arena, the conference-leading Pilots led 5-0 lead early in the second period before cruising to a four-goal victory.

The Flames' Michael Nolan ruined Pilots' goaltender Adam Oakley's shutout bid when he found the net with 40 seconds remaining the second period.

The third period was scoreless.

Next up for the Flames: the visiting Aldergrove Kodiaks this Friday, Nov. 30. Game time at Planet Ice is 7: 30 p.m.

The Kodiaks are 10-10-0-1 and currently hold down second place in the Harold Brittain.

tlandreville@mrtimes.com