A 2-goal Powell River lead wasn’t enough as the Spruce Kings took advantage of a road-weary Kings team to run out 4-2 winners on Sunday afternoon in Prince George
Searching for a perfect weekend, it was a dream start for the Kings who went to an early powerplay and converted. A puck battle in the corner resulted in Carter Turnbull taking it away from a crowd, offloading to Neal Samanski who then found Turnbull looping the net and stopping on the back post for his team leading 22nd of the season and a 1-0 lead. That lead stood up through 20 with the Kings outshot 9-6.
Into the 2nd and the Kings continued to push. On a rush down the ice the Spruce Kings entered the Kings zone on a 4-on-2 chance but a kick save from Adamyk sent the Kings back the other way on a 2-on-1 break through Ben Berard and Ben Thomas. Berard shot low from the left wing and a rebound kicked out to the slot where Alek Sukunda had hustled into a middle lane drive to bury home his 2nd of the season and a 2-0 advantage. The Kings held until late in the frame when the Spruce Kings converted on a powerplay chance through Ethan de Jong and it was 2-1 through 40.
The third belonged to the Spruce Kings, who upped the tempo to a point that the Kings couldn’t match. Blake Hayward tied the game early, Ethan de Jong scored the eventual game winner midway through, then Sam Anzai adding insurance a couple of minutes later for a 4-2 win. The long highlight from the third was a highlight reel Mitch Adamyk save to keep the Kings in the game.
The Kings take 4 of a possible 6 points from one of the toughest road trips of the season and move into a share of first place in the Island Division (with Victoria). The Kings now begin a stretch of 9 of the next 10 games at the Hap Parker Arena beginning Friday night vs the Penticton Vees, a 7:15pm start.
