It's do-or-die for the Central Plains Capitals after Sunday's 3-2 loss to Yellowhead at the BDO Centre. They now trail the Chiefs 2-0 in their Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League best-of-five playoff series.

"I thought it was a great game. It was pretty evenly matched and each team had momentum at certain points of time," says Caps head coach Brad Gnidziejko. "We didn't start great again but the kids stayed in it the whole way through. So in that sense, it was a good game."

The Chiefs were up 2-0 after the first period. Braden Gillies scored an even strength marker five minutes in, Ryder Richmond and Eric Lemoine were awarded assists on the play. Parker Johnson made it 2-0 on the powerplay late in the frame with Jaxon Heeney and Ryan Heino picking up the assists.

Logan Calder and Tyler Van Deynze scored to tie the game at two for the Caps in the second period. Calder's came on the powerplay four minutes into the middle frame. Dawson Braun and Jared Hulme picked up points on the play. Braun and Calder also assisted Van Deynze's goal a short while later. Yellowhead regained their one goal lead at the 15-minute mark. Mackenzie Belinski scored an unassisted even strength goal, and it would stand as the game-winner.

Van Deynze lets a one-timer go from the point late in the game. He finished the game with a goal. (Photo by Aaron Wilgosh)

Both goalies looked sharp in the third, with neither surrendering a goal in the final twenty minutes. Central Plains had a few chances late in the game but couldn't find a way through the Chiefs' defenders. Caps' Riley Sviestrup finished with 38 saves in the loss, Yellowhead's Reese Jones stopped 34.

"It's going to be a tight series both ways. We've split with them this season, we've won in their barn and they've won in ours. The unfortunate thing for us is we're not playing with a full deck," admits Gnidziejko. "Their one goal was directly related to our guys being out of gas, and the second was on the powerplay. So other than those two it was an even game that we could've won. When you're down three guys -- your top players -- it's tough, but there is nothing the boys need to hang their heads about after this loss."

The Caps started 14 players for game two but Gnidziejko says it isn't an excuse. "We've got to keep getting the puck to the net and make sure there is traffic (in front). There are times where we've had ample chances to shoot but there is no one screening in front. Hopefully, we'll have Mitchell Wilson back for game three. He's our fastest forward so that will make a difference, and there's talk that Lane Taylor might be back as well."

Game three is Tuesday in Yellowhead.