The margin of separation between the Prince George Spruce Kings are Salmon Arm Silverbacks is wafer-thin.
Same number of points, same number of wins. Even the goals-for, goals-against differential was only a handful different between the two teams that will meet Friday (6 p.m.) in Salmon Arm in the opening game of their BCHL Interior Conference best-of-seven playoff series.
Salmon Arm won the seven-game regular season series 4-3 and that gave the Silverbacks fourth place and the right to host the first two playoff games, with the series switching to Prince George for Games 3 and 4 next Tuesday and Wednesday.
“There are differences but (the teams play) very similar styles," said Spruce Kings head coach Alex Evin. "They’re a skilled team, they’ve got a really good goalie (Matthew Tovill) and they’re dangerous on the power play, a pretty quick transition team and they play four lines.”
Since the Christmas break, the Spruce Kings had difficulty stringing wins together and went through the last three months of the season only twice managing back-to-back victories. Over the course of the next two weeks, they’ll have to find a way to win four over the Silverbacks to advance.
Evin is counting on the 10 Spruce Kings veterans with the team last year for their 10-game playoff run to provide leadership for those who have yet to play junior playoff hockey. The Kings won that opening round in six games over the Cranbrook Bucks, then were swept by the Penticton Vees.
If it goes beyond a four-game series, Game 5 would be played on Friday, April 7 in Salmon Arm, with Game 6 in Prince George the following Sunday afternoon. If a seventh game is needed it would be played on Tuesday, April 11 in Salmon Arm.
