Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Chiefs blow out Spruce Kings

Taylor Allan came back to haunt the Prince George Spruce Kings. The 20-year-old forward scored two goals against his former team to help the Chilliwack Chiefs to an 8-0 victory Thursday night at the Coliseum.
sports-KingsChiefs.290116.jpg

Taylor Allan came back to haunt the Prince George Spruce Kings.

The 20-year-old forward scored two goals against his former team to help the Chilliwack Chiefs to an 8-0 victory Thursday night at the Coliseum.

Kale Kane and Linden Hora also each scored a pair for the Chiefs, who solidified their grip on first place in the B.C. Hockey League's Mainland Division. Their sixth win over the Spruce Kings in six tries this season improved the Chiefs record to 28-10-2-4. Prince George (11-31-1-3) remained fifth in the Mainland. Chiefs goalie Aidan Pelino, who played the first two periods, and Matteo Esposito who came in for the third period, combined for a 38-save shutout. The Kings outshot the Chiefs 38-36.

Allan, who played 22 games for the Spruce Kings to start the 2014-15 season, was acquired by the Chiefs in a deadline deal with the Lloydminster Bobcats of the AJHL.

He took advantage of a face-off win in the Spruce Kings' end late in the first period to notch his first of the game, 1:27 before the first intermission, one of several lowlights for Liam McCloskey. The Kings starting netminder did not look sharp while allowing four goals on 13 shots and was replaced for the start of the second period by Joseph McLeod.

Allan provided a rude welcoming for the 18-year-old McLeod.

Five minutes into the second period, Allan broke in on the left side and using Cooper Prechel as a screen, slid a low shot that caught a piece of the Kings defenceman before it trickled in low under McLeod's glove hand to put the Chiefs up 5-0.

That was Allan's fourth goal in five games since joining the Chiefs Jan. 9 in a deal for 19-year-old forward Eric Benshadle. The native of Calgary also had a goal and an assist in a 7-1 win over the Spruce Kings in Chilliwack, Jan. 10. Five of his six points in the BCHL this season have come against Prince George.

Kohen Olischefski finished off the period with a tap-in to finish off a three-way pass play with the teams playing 4-on-4 hockey.

The Chefs got to McCloskey with the game just 94 seconds sold. Kane lifted a loose puck in the crease into the net - Chilliwack's first shot of the game. Jordan Kawaguchi popped in his team-leading 29th goal of the season, and Kale counted his second of the night late in the first period.

Hora's goals, both while shorthanded, came on the same penalty kill in the late stages of the third period.

The Kings will be back in action Saturday night against the Merritt Centennials on Prince George Citizen Night.

LOOSE PUCKS: The Chiefs added 20-year-old defenceman Ryan Bechtel to their lineup at the trade deadline. Bechtel, a four-year BCHL acquired by the Spruce Kings in an off-season trade which sent defenceman Mitch Meek to the Cowichan Valley Capitals, quit the Kings in October after 10 games and later became a free agent when terms of trade could not be reached. Bechtel assisted on Kane's first goal and helped set up Hora's second of the night, and now has five points in five games with the Chiefs... The Kings will host their third annual awards banquet and auction on Saturday, Feb. 20 at the Ramada Hotel ballroom. Tickets for the team fundraiser are available at the team's Coliseum office for $40 each or $350 for a table for 10... The Spruce Kings Spring Prospects camp has been scheduled for April 8-10 at the Coliseum.

Game Summary:

Chiefs 8 at Spruce Kings 0

First Period

1. Chilliwack, Kane 11 (Bechtel) 1:34

2. Chilliwack, Kawaguchi 29, 14:42

3. Chilliwack, Kane 12 (Arseneau, Sukumaran) 17:12

4. Chilliwack, Allan 3 (Kawaguchi, Cholowski) 18:33

Penalties - Arseneau, CH (unsportsmanlike conduct), Tilsley PG (holding) 18:24.

Second Period

5. Chilliwack, Allan 4 (McCarthy) 5:53

6. Chilliwack, Olischefski 11 (Germain, Adam) 13:25

Penalties - Allan CH (slashing) 0:35, Forbes Ch (roughing), Johnson PG (roughing) 4:00, Forbes CH (boarding) 8:27, O'Neill CH (double-roughing), Tilsley PG (instigating, fighting, game misconduct) 12:05, CH bench (too many men, served by Kawaguchi) 17:59.

Third Period

7. Chilliwack, Hora 4 (Smith) 17:13 (sh)

8. Chiliwack, Hora 5 (Smith, Bechtel) 18:52 (sh)

Penalties - Burnett PG (slashing) 12:23, Kawaguchi CH (fighting), Epp PG (fighting) 15:58, Forbes CH (cross-checking) 16:53, Arseneau Ch (fighting, game misconduct), Ponak PG (fighting, game misconduct) 17:06.

Shots on goal by

Chilliwack 13 13 10 --36

Prince George 7 21 10 --38

Goal - Chilliwack, Pelino (W, 19-10-0, 28 shots-28 saves) and at 0:00 of third, Esposito (10-10); Prince George, McCloskey (L,6-16-1, 13 shots-9 saves) and at 0:00 of second, McLeod (23-19).

Power plays - CH: 0-2; PG: 0-4.

Attendance - 712.

Referees Josh Albinati, Tom Henetiuk; Linesmen - Nick Albinati, Brett Burton.