It took only 87 seconds for the Prince George Spruce Kings to turn a two-goal deficit into a 4-3 win.
Trailing 3-1 to BCHL Coastal Conference rival the Coquitlam Express midway through the third period, the Kings gave the 676 fans at The Coliseum something to cheer about with three quick goals.
Gerry Fitzgerald started the party, pulling the Kings to 3-2 after taking a pass from brother Leo, while Jake LeBrun found the puck during a scramble in the Express's crease to tie the game. It was the first goal the Cariboo Cougars' player scored in the BCHL.
With the Express reeling the Kings' top line went to work as Michael Colantone scored his sixth goal of the season 34 seconds after LeBrun tied the game, assisted by Paul De Jersey and Jujhar Khaira.
No one was happier than Kings' defenceman Ben Matthews to see his teammates bail him out after he was stripped of the puck early in the third period by Express right-winger Malcolm Mckinny, who gave his team a 3-1 advantage.
Kharia and Colantone each had two points in the Kings' win. The victory gives the Spruce Kings (6-3-0-1) 13 points this season, trailing idle Vernon by one and Penticton by two. The loss leaves the Express at 5-4-1.
The Express led after 20 minutes despite being out shot 14-10 on goals from Justin Georgeson and Clinton Atkinson. Georgeson also had an assist.
It was end-to-end action in the first period as both teams brought their skating legs to the rink.
In the first half of the second period, Express goaltender Cole Huggins kept the Kings at bay, including an early chance by De Jersey, when Huggins poked the puck to the corner before the Kings' sniper could slid a rebound into the open net.
Both teams had a goal disallowed in the middle frame - the Kings during a two-man advantage because it was knocked in with a high stick and the Express due to the whistle having gone.
Huggins shutout bid was spoiled with five minutes to go in the period when Khaira potted his ninth goal of the season - poking his own rebound past the goaltender after Colantone slid the puck past a sprawled Express defender into the slot. Matthews also picked up a helper on the goal making it 2-1.
It took 10 minutes for Coquitlam to get their first shot in the second frame, but due to three consecutive power plays the visitors fired nine shots at Kings goaltender Marcus Beesley in the latter half of the period.
Prince George out shot
Coquitlam 34-27.
The Kings hit the road for games in Kelowna on Saturday versus the Westside Warriors (5-4-0-2) and Sunday in Vernon against the Vipers (7-2). The next game at the Castle is Oct. 28 against the Vipers.
