In their 22-year history playing in the BC Hockey League, Prince George Spruce Kings have never advanced beyond the semifinal round of the playoffs.
The team is halfway there now after a convincing 5-1 victory over Powell River Kings Saturday night, which gave the Spruce Kings a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Coastal Conference final.
Ben Brar paved the offensive trail for Prince George with a goal and two assists. Patrick Cozzi, with the gamewinner, Blake Hayward, Ethan de Jong and Dustin Manz also scored.
Jack Long proved the spoiler for Spruce Kings goalie Ethan DeBrouwer, seeking his third playoff shutout. DeBrouwer had a relatively easy night while improving his playoff record to 10-6, making 13 saves as his team dominated the shots 33-14.
Spruce Kings’ power players picked up where they left off after striking twice in a 2-1 win in game one Friday. They accounted for three of the five goals with the man advantage Saturday.
The first one opened the scoring 7:17 into the second period. Kings centre Hayward parked himself right on the doorstep of the crease and got his stick on Layton Ahac’s point shot for a 1-0 lead.
The Spruce Kings continued to dominate the play, winning most of the loose-puck battles and one of those little victories led to their second goal. Cozzi, all of five-foot-nine, 170 pounds, lacks in stature but his quickness and awareness of his teammates’ tendencies have helped him emerge as one of the Spruce Kings’ top point producers in the playoffs. He gained the puck behind the Powell River net and chipped it along the boards to Jarod Hovde, who hit Cozzi with a return pass in front of the net. Cozzi finished by dragging the puck across the crease and wrapping it into the net with a backhander out of the reach of goalie Matteo Paler-Chow. It was Cozzi’s fourth goal and 15th point in 16 playoff games.
Spruce Kings jumped ahead 3-0 late in the second period on a bit of lucky break. Brar picked off Carter Turnbull’s clearing attempt at the blueline and fed the puck to de Jong, who mishandled the pass and the puck deflected of his stick and through the legs of Paler-Chow.
Two more power play goals put the game out of reach for the visitors. Powell River forward Mitchell Williams lost his cool with four seconds left in the second period and took an undisciplined cross-checking penalty and the Spruce Kings made him pay. Fifty-four seconds into the third period, Dylan Anhorn quick shot from the point deflected high into the net off Brar’s stick.
A couple minutes later, Manz unloaded on another power-play shot that echoed off the inner bar of the Powell River net and the rout was complete. Derek Krall replaced Paler-Chow shortly after Manz scored and stopped all seven shots he faced.
The teams loaded up both buses and travelled into the night for the 15-hour trek to Powell River, the site of games three and four on Monday and Tuesday.
LOOSE PUCKS: Saturday’s attendance was 1,807… Spruce Kings defenceman Liam Watson-Brawn served the third game of a four-game suspension for a high ht in game six of the Surrey series… If game five is needed it will be played Thursday night n Prince George, with game six a possibility for Saturday in Powell River and game seven set aside for Monday night in Prince George… The Wenatchee Wild took a 2-0 lead in the Interior Conference final, beating the Trail Smoke Eaters 4-2 Saturday night in Wenatchee.
BCHL scoring champion Jasper Wetherby scored two goals in the third period, one into an empty net, as the Wild scored three times in the third period to break a 1-1 deadlock. Zak Galambos and Sam Morton also scored for Wenatchee. Seth Barton and Connor Welsh replied for Trail. Games three and four will be played Tuesday and Wednesday in Trail.
BC Hockey League playoffs
Coastal Conference final
Prince George Spruce Kings vs. Powell River Kings
(Spruce Kings lead best-of-seven series 2-0)
Game 2
Saturday’s result
Kings 1 at Spruce Kings 5
First Period
No scoring.
Penalty – Brar PG (hooking) 19:30.
Second Period
1. Prince George, Hayward 2 (Ahac, Anzai) 7:17 (pp)
2. Prince George, Cozzi 4 (Hovde, Manz) 17:35
3. Prince George, de Jong 10 (Barr) 18:57
Penalties – Stevens PR (slashing) 4:05, Raffler PR (boarding) 6:00, Berard PR (misconduct) 7:17, Williams PR (cross-checking) 19:56.
Third Period
4. Prince George, Brar 8 (Anhorn) 0:54 (pp)
5. Prince George, Manz 4 (Johnson, Brar) 2:40 (pp)
6. Powell River, Long 1, 5:51
Penalties – Buono PR (cross-checking) 1:08, Raffler PR (slashing) 3:15, Berard PR (roughing) 9:11, Manz PG (interference) 9:41, Long PR (tripping) 9:56, Samanski PR (unsportsmanlike conduct), Hayward PG (unsportsmanlike conduct) 12:37, Rauser PR (unsportsmanlike conduct), Thomas PR (misconduct), Slater PG (unsportsmanlike conduct) 16:00, Berard PR (hit to the head, served by Rauser, misconduct) 16:57.
Shots on goal by
Powell River 6 3 5 -14
Prince George9 15 9 -33
Goal – Powell River, Paler-Chow (L,7-4, 26-21) and, at 2:45 of third, Krall (14-14); Prince George, DeBrouwer (W,10-6, 14-13).
Power plays – PR: 0-2 ; PG: 3-8.
Referees – Ward Pateman, Bobby Williamson; Linesmen: Tim Plamondon, Nick Albinati.
Attendance – 1,807.
Three stars – 1. Ben Brar, PG; 2. Dylan Anhorn, PG; 3 Ethan de Jong, PG.
Scratches – Powell River: D Sam Pouliot (injured), F Jonny Evans (injured), F Kevin Obssuth (injured), G Mitch Adamyk (injured), F Ethan Jones (healthy); Prince George: F Ben Poisson (ruptured spleen), D Oliver Lester (ankle injury, out for season), D Liam Watson-Brawn (suspended), F Corey Cunningham (healthy).
