Mitch Edens blast from the point in the third period was the winner as the Prince George Spruce Kings edged the Coquitlam Express 3-2 Tuesday night at the Coliseum.
It was the first game of a best-of-seven Mainland Division semifinal tilt as the 2014 playoffs got underway in the B.C. Hockey League.
Edens even-strength goal, the second of the night for the 19-year-old defenceman, gave the Kings a two-goal cushion with 13 minutes left to play in the game.
That didnt prevent the Express from attempting a comeback though.
Coquitlam narrowed the Kings lead to 3-2 on a goal from Joey Santucci with four
minutes left in the game.
With Kings forward Jake LeBrun sent to the penalty box with just under three minutes left, Coquitlam couldnt capitalize with the man-advantage to score the equalizer.
Kings rookie Matt Painchaud opened the scoring in the first period when he tapped the puck into a wide-open net five minutes in. Cole Todd picked up the assist.
Eden gave Prince George a 2-0 lead when he flew down the left wing and wristed a pass from Brogan OBrien to beat Coquitlam netminder Gordie Defiel stick side.
Coquitlam narrowed the lead to 2-1 when defenceman Marc Biega scored on a goalmouth scramble with three and a half minutes left in the first period.
All five goals were scored while five-on-five. The two teams only took six penalties between them and both went 0-for-3 on the power play.
Kings netminder Alex Murray picked up the win, stopping 29 of 31 shots, even after Coquitlam fired 11 shots on him in the third period.
Defiel swept aside 29 of 32 shots.
The teams return to the Coliseum tonight for Game 2 at 7 p.m. The series resumes in Coquitlam Friday and Saturday.
