Three points each from both Nick Poisson and Nick Bochen and a near late period comeback was not enough as the Spruce Kings fall in a spirited affair 6-5 against the Chilliwack Chiefs at the Chilliwack Coliseum on Saturday night.
First Period:
PG: Nick Poisson got a feed from Nick Bochen in the neutral zone and made a heck of an effort to cut to the goal and fired it through goaltender Mathieu Caron to give Prince George an early lead. Bochen was credited with the lone helper at 2:41 of the first.
PG: Haydn Delorme was able to spin and fire the puck in the high slot. The shot, however, got blocked and shot back to Nick Bochen at the right circle and fired it top corner on Caron to give the Spruce Kings a two-goal lead.
CWK: Arlo Merritt was able to get the puck on a rebound and fire it past the yawning cage to get Chilliwack on the board not even a minute after the Bochen tally.
Shots: 16-6 Chilliwack
Second Period:
CWK: At 4:21 of the second period, Peter Reynolds fired a shot that went off the post, hit the back side of Carter Woodside and found its way into the back of the net to tie the game at two.
CWK: At 5:01 of the period, Connor Milburn was able to whack home his first BCHL goal past Woodside to make it 3-2 Chiefs. Arlo Merritt, and Clark Nelson were credited with the helpers.
CWK: At 7:55 on the power-play, Ethan Bowen went bar down on Woodside to make it 4-2 Chiefs. Brett Willits and Jack Agnew had the assists on Bowen’s 10th of the season.
PG: Nick Poisson netted his second of the night and team leading 19th of the season to cut the lead to one. Poisson got the puck on his own rebound to make it 4-3. Fin Williams and Mason waite had the assists. That tally comes at 14:37 of the second.
CWK: At 18:08, again on the man advantage, Tommy Lyons scored his 12th of the year on a rebound to make it 5-3. Peter Reynolds and Nikita Nesterenko had the helpers Lyons’ 12th of the year.
SHOTS: 15-12 Chilliwack
Third Period:
CWK: At 5:03 of the period, Nikita Nesterenko sprung Tommy Lyons on a breakaway and fired it past Woodside to make it 6-3.
PG: The Spruce Kings went to their third power-play the night and were able to convert. Fin Williams got the puck in tight and shovelled it through the wickets of Caron to make it 6-4. The Williams power-play tally came at 6:51 of the period. Nick Poisson and Nick Bochen were credited with the helpers.
PG: At 12:57, Corey Cunningham got the puck off the end boards on the attacking zone and the shot ricocheted off the body of Caron and into the back of the net to make it 6-5. Nick Bochen had the lone assist.
Shots: 9-8 Prince George
“That little lapse was tough in that second period for sure, but we are also proud with the push back we had at the end of the game and unfortunately we just came up a little bit short tonight,” Spruce Kings Associate Coach Colin Minardi
Final Shots: 39-27 Chilliwack
Carter Woodside: 33/39 saves for Prince George (5-6)
Mathieu Caron: 22/27 saves for Chilliwack
Prince George Power-Play: 1/3
Chilliwack Power-Play: 2/4
3 Stars:
- Connor Milburn (CWK 1 G 1 A)
- Arlo Merritt (CWK 1 G 1 A)
- Tommy Lyons (CWK 2 G)
Fortis BC Energy Player of The Game:
Clark Nelson (CWK 1 A)
Next Spruce Kings Game: On the road Wednesday night against the Trail Smoke Eaters at the Trail Memorial Centre.