The Prince George Spruce Kings have had a full week of practice to eradicate some the bugs that have crept into their game.
Defensive lapses and a questionable work ethic last weekend against the Chilliwack Chiefs resulted in a blown lead and an overtime loss to the Chiefs at the Coliseum last Saturday and the Kings' coaching staff is counting on a much more complete effort from the home team tonight and Friday night when the Kings host the Langley Rivermen.
The two teams have developed a bitter feud over the years since the Spruce Kings joined the B.C. Hockey League's Mainland Division in 2012 and there's no reason to believe that healthy hatred has diminished.
The Kings (5-0-0-1) are six points ahead of the Rivermen (2-3-0-0), who have a game in hand over Prince George.
The Rivermen have four players who have locked up NCAA scholarships. Nineteen-year-old forward Evan Anderson, who ranks third in team scoring with two goals and five points through six games, has been recruited to join UMass-Lowell for the 2015-16 season. F Ryan Coulter, 19, is bound for Bowling Green in 2015.
The Rivermen also have two 17-year-old forwards -- Marcus Vela (New Hampshire) and Justin Szeto (Harvard) -- who have signed to start their college careers in 2016.
Gage Torrel, a 20-year-old forward from St. Paul, Minn., lead the Rivermen with three goals and seven points in six games. The Spruce Kings have three players in the BCHL top-10 in the scoring, including Justin Rai, eight goals, 14 points, Chad Staley, four goals, 10 points; and Jeremiah Luedtke, three goals, 10 points.
The Rivermen advanced to the second round of the BCHL playoffs in 2014. They beat Surrey four games to two in the opening round, then lost to Coquitlam, the eventual league champions, in a six-game series.
