For the second straight weekend the Prince George Spruce Kings returned home from a three-game B.C. Hockey League road swing with only one win.
After a 4-1 victory Friday over the Surrey Eagles (5-4-0-1) the Spruce Kings (5-4-1-1) travelled to Langley for a pair of games against another Lower Mainland division rival, the Rivermen (5-2-0-1). Langley pulled with a point of Prince George, with three games in hand, after 3-2 and 4-3 wins.
Sunday the Kings fell behind 3-0 early in the first period as Austin Azurdia continued to be a thorn in the side of Prince George, putting up a goal and assist less than 24 hours after helping the Rivermen to a 3-2 win by scoring two goals. The Kings made it 3-1 before the first period was over on a power-play marker from defenceman Brad Ryan.
It took until there were fewer than three minutes to play in regulation but the Kings managed to tie the game at 3-3 on a pair of Justin Rai goals 55 seconds apart, but Kings-killer Azurdia struck again, one second before overtime to give the Rivermen a 4-3 win.
Tyson Witala had a goal and assist for the Kings in the 3-2 loss on Saturday. The Rivermen erased a 2-1 deficit scoring two goals in the final five minutes from Azurdia and Derek Sutliffe to secure the first win.
Kirk Thompson was in the Kings' net Saturday where he faced 22 shots while Liam McLeod tended the Prince George net Sunday facing 30 shots. Darren Hogg picked up the win Sunday for the Rivermen stopping 32 of 35 shots.
In their last five games the Kings are 1-4.
The Kings return home to the Coliseum for games Friday against the Powell River Kings (4-6-0-2) and Saturday versus the Eagles. Game time both nights is 7 p.m.
