Last time they played the Quesnel Millionaires, they gave up three goals in the third period and lost in overtime.
That was the first game of the season, and the Prince George Spruce Kings have long memories of that 4-3 overtime loss they will take with them onto the ice tonight at Quesnel Twin Arenas.
Since then, both teams have followed similar paths, and neither are where they want to be in the standings.
The Mills have registered just two more wins in the 11 games since they took on the Spruce Kings in the season-opener Sept. 11 at the Coliseum. With seven points in 12 games, sixth-place Quesnel (3-8-1-0) leads the seventh-place Spruce Kings (2-11-0-2) by a single point.
Goalscoring has been a major concern in Quesnel. The Mills rank last in the BCHL, averaging just 1.80 goals per game. The Kings haven't been much better in that department, scoring at a 2.80 per game pace, but only two teams in the league -- Merritt and Cowichan Valley -- have a worse defensive record than the 4.90 goals-against average the Kings' have allowed.
The Kings on Thursday traded goaltender Ryan Benitez to the Yarmouth Junior A Mariners of the Maritime Hockey League for future considerations. Benitez, a Princeton recruit for 2011 who turns 20 on Nov. 20, had a 4.82 goals-against average and .873 save percentage in 11 games with the Kings. The native of Denver played for New York Apple Core of the Eastern Junior Hockey League last season.
He became expendable when 20-year-old Alex Wright rejoined the Kings on Wednesday.
In one other roster move announced Thursday, the Kings traded 18-year-old forward Tyler Sybil to the Trenton Golden Hawks of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. Sybil had one goal in 13 games with the Kings.
