Once again, the Prince George Spruce Kings failed to solve the Chilliwack Chiefs.
For the third time in six days, and fourth time this month, the Spruce Kings lost to the Chiefs in a B.C. Hockey League game. The latest setback happened Wednesday night in Chilliwack, where the Chiefs -- Mainland Division rivals of the Kings -- cruised to a 6-2 victory.
Last Friday and Saturday at the Coliseum, the Chiefs beat the Kings 4-2 in a pair of games. Back on Jan. 11, the host Chiefs downed the Kings 3-2 in overtime.
In Wednesday's game, Chilliwack blitzed Prince George for four unanswered goals in the first period and was really in no danger after that. Philip Zielonka scored the first two for the Chiefs, who later got a power-play marker from Cooper Rush and a shorthanded tally by Austin Plevy.
In the second period, the Kings gave themselves some hope when Cameron Lawson and Lyndon Martell struck for power-play goals, but Plevy answered back for the Chiefs, also on a power play.
In the final frame, Zielonka completed the scoring with his hat-trick goal.
The Chiefs outshot the Spruce Kings 44-29 in front of 1,898 fans at Prospera Centre. The Chiefs went 2-for-7 with the man-advantage and the Kings were 2-for-6.
Chilliwack improved to 27-12-1-1 and now sits in first place in the Mainland Division, three points up on the second-place Surrey Eagles and 11 ahead of the third-place Kings (19-15-1-6).
The Spruce Kings will be back on their blades Saturday (7 p.m.) and Sunday (3 p.m.) at the Coliseum for games against the Coquitlam Express, last in the Mainland Division with a 17-24-1-0 record.
