The Prince George Spruce Kings are hearing footsteps and it's the Chilliwack Chiefs making all the noise.
As they prepare to host the Surrey Eagles tonight and Saturday, the Spruce Kings (12-8-0-2) are still clinging to first place in the BCHL Mainland Division, one point ahead of Chilliwack and two ahead of the Langley Rivermen. The Chiefs (12-4-0-1) improved their record Wednesday with a 5-4 overtime win over Coquitlam.
As close as Chilliwack is to catching the Kings, the Chiefs also have five games in hand over Prince George, which raises the stakes of this weekend's games at the Coliseum. The last-place Eagles (3-13-0-3) are ripe for the plucking, but the Kings can't afford to take their opponents lightly. They haven't exactly been world-beaters themselves lately.
Including their 3-2 overtime loss to Penticton at home Oct. 23, the Kings have lost five of their last 10 games and have been shut out in the last two. That scoring drought started Sunday with a 5-0 defeat in West Kelowna and continued Wednesday at the Coliseum, where the Kings were thoroughly outplayed in a 3-0 loss to the Vernon Vipers.
Despite their troubles finding the net lately, Kings forwards Justin Rai, Jeremiah Luedtke and Chad Staley are still among the league's scoring leaders. Rai ranks seventh in the BCHL with 26 points, including 12 goals, while Luedtke (10-15-25) and Staley (12-12-24) aren't far behind.
Corey Mackin of the Coquitlam Express (23-17-40) leads the scoring race, five points ahead of Prince George minor hockey product Liam Blackburn of the West Kelowna Warriors (10-25-35).
Having scored 68 goals in 22 games, the Spruce Kings have scored three fewer goals than the 71 they've allowed. They're the only division-leading team in the BCHL with a negative goals-for/goals-against ratio. By comparison, the Eagles are a minus-63 in that department.
Including tonight's game, the Kings will play 10 of their next 11 games at home. The only road game in the next month happens next Wednesday when they travel to Chilliwack.
Game time tonight is 7 p.m.
