The Powell River Kings will have their season on the line on Thursday night after dropping a nail biting 5-4 game in Powell River on Tuesday night to the Prince George Spruce Kings, giving Prince George a 3-1 series lead.
A flip of the script from game 3 as the Spruce Kings got out to a 2-0 lead through 20 minutes on the back of an early goal from Blake Hayward, then a late second period marker from Nolan Welsh having the visitors in control through the opening period. Shots favoured the Kings 12-10.
Into the second and much like other games in this series, special teams became a huge factor with Powell River benefiting from a string of Spruce King penalties. After an 0/26 powerplay through the Victoria series and through the first two games against Prince George was broken with the double overtime game winner in game 3, the Kings came out and scored on three consecutive man advantages to change the game.
First, Carmine Buono was left all alone at the right point off a faceoff win and allowed to walk down to the top of the circle and snap home his 2nd of the playoffs. Five minutes later, Neal Samanski won a goal mouth scramble from a Ben Berard shot from the side of the net for a 2-2 game. Two minutes after that the Kings took the lead through Berard’s team-leading 11th of the playoffs and a weak point for the Kings through the playoffs had turned the game around.
Prince George however weren’t done and rallied in the game. Late in the period the Spruce Kings scoring on back to back shots to re-take the lead. A nice solo effort from Nolan Welsh tied it up, before Layton Ahac capped a 4-on-2 chance for Prince George to make it 4-3 through 40.
An early third period goal for Prince George came on a powerplay and stood as the game winner. Kevin Obssuth tallied late, again on the powerplay, for a one goal game but Powell River unable to find the equalizer and they fall in game 4 by a 5-4 score. It’s the third one goal game of the series. Final shots were 37-26 in favour of the Kings as they went 4/7 on the powerplay, while Prince George were 1/2.
Here is the Kings Facebook Live postgame show with Brock Sawyer from game 4:
Game 5 is up in Prince George on Thursday, April 5th at 7:00pm. Kings fan can watch the game live on HockeyTV at viewing parties at the Carlson Club, TC’s or the big screen at the Hap. If necessary, game 6 comes back to Powell River on Saturday, April 7th.
