Ben Berard opened the scoring for the Kings, but the Spruce Kings got it back quickly then went ahead in the third period for a 2-1 win and a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-seven BCHL Semi-Final series.
The first period closely resembled a playoff period between two teams that don’t see each other very often. The messy, choppy opening period was largely controlled by Prince George who got 8 shots on Matteo Paler-Chow, while the Kings fired five shots from distance on Evan DeBrouwer and it was scoreless through 20.
Early in the second, the Kings opened the scoring through Ben Berard who got a touch on a Carmine Buono point shot for his 9th of the playoffs and a 1-0 Kings lead for the 9th time this playoffs. Prince George however got the goal back quickly on a powerplay, with a shot from Jarod Hovde that snuck through Paler-Chow at the tail end of a powerplay, his 1st of the playoffs and it’s 1-1.
It stayed that way through 40 as the Kings outshot Prince George 12-11 in the period. Into the third and the Spruce Kings got another marker on the man advantage, this time through Ben Brar who beat Paler-Chow on a rebound after the Kings netminder went post to post to deny a first chance, a 2-1 game on Brar’s 7th of the year.
Despite pushes from the Kings, they weren’t able to find an equalizer and game 1 went to the Spruce Kings by a 2-1 score. Game 2 comes up in Prince George on Saturday night.
Photos from Damon James:
