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Kings look to clip Vees

Fresh off a tough four-game road trip that took the Prince George Spruce Kings all the way to the western edges of Vancouver Island, they now have to refocus for another tough test. That would be the 10-1 Penticton Vees, in town tonight for a 7 p.m.
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Fresh off a tough four-game road trip that took the Prince George Spruce Kings all the way to the western edges of Vancouver Island, they now have to refocus for another tough test.

That would be the 10-1 Penticton Vees, in town tonight for a 7 p.m. B.C. Hockey League contest at the Coliseum.

The Kings, who are 8-4-0-1 and skated to 2-2 record on their most recent road swing last weekend that went through Chilliwack, Powell River, Nanaimo and Alberni Valley, barely have had time to unpack and prepare for the three-game homestand that begins tonight against the Vees.

Penticton, perched atop the Interior Division, has a talented crop of rookies in its lineup, among them 16-year-old forward Tyson Jost, who leads the team in scoring with 14 points (seven goals, seven assists). Defenceman Dante Fabro, another 16-year-old, has two goals and 10 assists.

"They're young and fast and really skilled - they can beat you on all four lines," said Spruce Kings head coach Dave Dupas, who saw the Penticton squad at the season-opening BCHL showcase in Chilliwack. "But we also beat them four out of the five times they were here last year."

Heading into tonight's game, the Kings are in second place in the Mainland Division, two points behind the 9-1-0-1 Chilliwack Chiefs.

To counter the Penticton attack, Dupas has shuffled his lines to boost the Kings' offensive output.

Prince George's top forward unit - the line of 20-year-olds Justin Rai, Chad Staley and Jeremiah Luedtke - that has a combined total of 53 points has been split up. Staley will now centre a line flanked by Rai and Jake LeBrun.

Luedtke, who's played down the middle before, is now centring a line with Cole Todd and Brent Lashuk.

Braiden Epp will be sandwiched between wingers Brogan O'Brien and Taylor Allan, while Rider Stoglin has Marco Ballarin and Cooper Leitch as his wingmen.

"Other teams were just keying on Staley's line all the time," said Dupas. "Stoglin's line - they're our energy line," added Dupas. "They're fast and physical. Braiden had a couple of goals on the weekend. We've mixed everything up."

LeBrun, in his third full season with his hometown Kings, seems to have discovered his scoring touch this season. He notched a pair of goals and picked up two helpers on the road last weekend and now has 11 points to sit fourth in team scoring.

In 2013-14, he notched 19 goals and 22 assists for 41 points in 44 games, his best season so far.

"I kind of got off to a slow start this season after getting off to a hot start last season," said the 19-year-old LeBrun, who stands six-foot-one and weighs 215 pounds. "I changed things up this season. I definitely want to be a point-per-game player this season and I'm looking forward to playing with Staley and Rai, they're both really great players."

LeBrun, who'd love to secure a NCAA college scholarship this year, is confident that the team can only get better.

"We're a close group of guys and we're hard to defend against," he said. "Everything is starting to fall into place."

While the Kings would've liked to have gone undefeated in their last four-game road stretch, their special teams were successful, scoring seven goals with the man-advantage.

They're now ranked fourth overall in the league on the power play, converting 16 of 55 opportunities for a 29.09 power play percentage.

"Our power play has been on fire and our penalty killing has been good too," said Dupas.

ICE CHIPS: Tonight's game is being dubbed Pink in the Rink in support of cancer research. The Kings will suit up in their third jerseys complemented by pink tape and laces. Fans are also encouraged to wear pink to the Coliseum...Kings defenceman Karan Toor remains out of the lineup indefinitely with a groin injury, while forward Riley Hawes is out with a concussion...Prince George hosts the Trail Smoke Eaters Saturday (7 p.m.) and the Powell River Kings Sunday (3 p.m.) at the Coliseum.