Patience is Prince George Spruce Kings head coach Dave Dupas greatest virtue these days when it comes to his team's offensive production.
The Spruce Kings (7-6-0-1) are without two of their top forwards, Jake LeBrun and Brent Lashuk, and are also in the middle of a six-game B.C. Hockey League road trip and will play eight of their next 10 games on the road. Both LeBrun (13 points) and Lashuk (10) are out of the Spruce Kings' lineup indefinitely as they recuperate from concussions.
Lashuk is closer to a return than LeBrun, who is gone for at least another three weeks, but Dupas is preparing his game plan for tonight's and Saturday's clashes with Mainland division rival the Surrey Eagles (5-8-0) and Sunday's matinee with the division-leading Langley Rivermen (9-3-0-1) as if both players will still be benched.
"If we can come through this, all these injuries, and stay in the hunt we think it's just going to make us a better team," said Dupas.
The injuries have allowed the Spruce Kings young rookies to get more playing time than they would normally receive and, Dupas said he's looking for it to pay off eventually in goals. Young lines normally play third-and fourth-line minutes, but the Spruce Kings young players have racked up a lot of time against the opposition's first and second lines. It's a struggle most shifts for the young players, facing off against the top forwards in the league but, Dupas said the experience will help their growth.
"Once our young guys get on track and figure it out we're going to be pretty good," he said. "They've all put up points in the various leagues they've played in so we know they're capable of doing it, it's just a matter of them getting used to the B.C. league and figuring it out for themselves what it takes to score in this league."
Brogan O'Brien leads the pack of young players the Spruce Kings are expecting big things out of eventually. The 16-year-old signed with the Spruce Kings out of training camp, but started the season with the BCMML Cariboo Cougars. After putting up six points in the Cougars first two games, the Spruce Kings coaching staff decided O'Brien was ready to leap into the junior A league full time.
"If he was going to sit on a fourth line and not play we would've left him in major midget, but he's getting lots of ice time here," said Dupas. "He's fully capable of making things happen by himself and scoring some goals.
Dupas said in last week's 4-1 loss to the Merritt Centennials O'Brien was fantastic, beating the defencemen on three occasions, but hitting the crossbar once and having the goalie come up big with stops twice.
"He's showing he absolutely belongs in the league," said Dupas. "He's getting a ton of chances and he has good skill and eventually the pucks are going to start to go in."
Other Spruce Kings balancing hockey with high school classes include Matt Painchaud, Mitchell Barker and Braiden Epp. Cole Todd and Riley Hawes are also adjusting to the league.
The Spruce Kings are averaging 2.43 goals per game this season. The only teams averaging less are the Chilliwack Chiefs (1-7-1-1), Alberni Valley Bulldogs (1-10-2-1) and the Trail Smoke Eaters (4-7-1-1) - teams in the cellars of their respective divisions.
