The Chilliwack Chiefs left Prince George knowing they dodged a bullet.
The Prince George Spruce Kings had the Chiefs in their sights and from the opening puck-drop dictated most of the play, more than doubling their opponents in shots 48-21.
They made goalie Mark Sinclair sweat, but he won the ultimate battle on the scoreboard, making 46 saves to preserve a 3-2 victory Thursday in front of 689 witnesses at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena.
Jake Smith led the Chiefs' cause with two goals, including the game-winner late in the second period.
That snapped a five-game winning streak for the Spruce Kings. The win moved the second-place Chiefs (20-7-4-0) 13 points ahead of the third-place Spruce Kings (14-11-1-2) in the Mainland Division standings. Heading into the game the Kings were one of the hottest teams in the B.C. Hockey League the past month, with 11 wins and only two regulation losses in their previous 14 games.
In a fast, hard-hitting first period the Kings got off to a great start and had the Chiefs pinned in their own zone for lengthy chunks, but were unable to score. Jarod Hovde and Tyler Anderson each rang the crossbar behind Chiefs goalie Sinclair by the five-minute mark and neither of those counted on the shot clock.
The only time in that opening period the Chiefs were allowed to get set up in the offensive end came 14 minutes in, when Kings defenceman Connor Russell was sitting out a cross-checking penalty. Kohen Olischefski toe-dragged the puck in on the Kings net and the rebound was left for Smith, who found the net from a sharp angle past goalie Tavin Grant.
The Kings outshot the Chiefs 15-5 in the opening frame and came out flying again to start the second period. They'd already fired two pucks at Sinclair when Jamie Huber pounced on a loose puck in the crease that had deflected off a Chief on a shot attempt from the corner from Huber's linemate, Chong Lee. That goal came just 27 seconds into the second period.
The Chiefs' offence got untracked in the second period and that led to a couple of dangerous chances that Grant handled easily. But late in the period, with Hunter Luhmann off for roughing, the Chiefs' power play struck again.
Jordan Kawaguchi let go a wicked blast into the top corner on a one-timer from the face-off circle to put Chilliwack ahead 2-1, 16:13 into the period. Twenty-two second later, Smith took a pass at the side of the net and chipped it in before Grant could get across to cover it.
The Kings made it close late in the third period. Ben Brar popped in a rebound with 3:13 left and Grant on the bench for the extra skater to make it a one-goal game. Less than a minute later, Brett Mennear followed up with another shot from point-blank range but Sinclair made the save.
The Spruce Kings will be back on the same ice tonight (7 p.m.) to face the Island Division-leading Victoria Grizzlies on Prince George Citizen night.
Game Summary
Chiefs 3, Spruce Kings 2
First Period
1. Chilliwack, Smith 13 (Olischefski, Bunz) 14:46 (pp)
Penalties - Watson CH (holding) 5:59, Poliziani CH (double roughing), Huber PG (roughing) 7:34, Russell PG (cross-checking) 13:39.
Second Period
2. Prince George, Huber 11, 0:27
3. Chilliwack, Kawaguchi 23 (Olischefski, Le) 16:13 (pp)
4. Chilliwack, Smith 14 (Calverey, Bernard) 16:34
Penalties - Lee CH (kneeing) 5:27, Hora CH (goaltender interference), Anderson PG (roughing) 5:38, Luhmann PG (roughing, misconduct, served by Colley) 15:42, Connor CH (roughing), Huber PG (roughing) 19:42.
Third Period
5. Prince George, Brar 4 (Huber, Mennear) 16:47
Penalties - de Jong PG (slashing) 3:40, Watson CH (cross-checking) 8:20, Russell PG (slashing) 15:12, Olischefski CH (interference) 15:17.
Shot on goal by
Chilliwack 5 12 4 -21
Prince George 15 18 15 -48
Goal - Chilliwack, Sinclair (W,15-8-0); Prince George, Grant (L,7-5-0)
Power plays - CH: 2-5; PG: 0-4.
Referees - Quinn Bjordal, Jonah Lachapelle; Linesmen - Nick Albinati, Ian Walker.
Attendance - 689.
