If that barnburner of a game Friday night at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena was any indication, fans of the Prince George Spruce Kings are in for a treat watching their team in action this season.
The Kings and Merritt Centennials finished in a 2-2 B.C. Hockey League tie in what was a thoroughly entertaining battle from start to finish.
The Cents had the bulk of the best scoring chances in both OT frames. Nick Fidanza and Zach Metsa had the win on their sticks but couldn't beat Kings goalie Stefan Wornig, the obvious choice as the game's first star. At the other end of the ice, Adam Burnett and Chong Lee had glorious chances turned aside by Cents goalie Jake Berger.
Brett Mennear and Jamie Huber were the Kings goalscorers in regulation time. Nick Fidanza and Brett Jewell replied for the Cents, in front of 1,023 witnesses.
The first goal of the Spruce Kings' season came on a power play in the first period off the stick of Mennear, the newly christened Kings captain. The 20-year-old was parked in perfect poison in front of the net as linemate Braiden Epp tried to score on a wraparound and the puck deflected off Berger right to Mennear for an easy tap-in.
The Cents had their chances in the opening period, outshooting the Kings 10-7, and their 10th shot, with 14 seconds left in the period, found the back of the net. Fidanza stole the puck away from Travis Schneider, went wide around the rookie centre and ripped a low snap shot past Wornig.
The teams traded chances in an evenly-played, fast-paced second period. The Cents had Wornig at their mercy in alone on a two-man break behind enemy lines. Nick Wicks fed Tyler Ward for a one-timer that caught a piece of a diving Wornig and skipped high over the net.
The six-foot-six Wornig, in his first game as a Spruce King since joining the team over the summer as the futures in the deal which sent Adam Brubacher to Powell River, looked sharp from the start of the game, using his big body and stand-up style to take away the shooting lanes.
The 19-year-old Huber, another off-season acquisition, gave the Kings the lead again 11:32 into the second period. Huber corralled Mennear's hard pass in the slot, spun to his forehand side and whistled a wrist shot in past Berger.
The Cents had an answer for that, scoring on the power play late in the period. Ward took off in full flight at the blueline and took the puck in deep on Wornig and Jewell was there to follow up, picking the corner high with a backhander.
The Cents' top line of Ward and Wicks with centre Ethan Skinner was dangerous all game. Skinner had a great chance to break the 2-2 deadlock when he was set up in front eight minutes into the third, but his wicked blast went high over the net.
The Cents came close to scoring while shorthanded late in the third. Fidanza picked up a clearing pass off the side boards which got behind defenceman Sam de Melo and Wornig came up with the kick save to rob Fidanza on the breakaway.
Berger made his best saves of the game in the dying minutes of regulation time, first denying Epp from point-bank range, then taking away a labelled wrister from Tanner Campbell.
Shots were 35-29 in favour of the Cents.
The Kings host the Penticton Vees tonight (7 p.m. start). It's the only regular season visit to Rolling Mix Concrete Arena for the Vees. Jason Becker, a former Prince George Cougars assistant coach who left the WHL after the 2014-15 season, has joined the Vees as an assistant to head coach Fred Harbinson. The Vees have a revamped roster, with just six returning players from the team which won 50 of 58 games and totalled 101 regular season points in 2015-16.
Game Summary
Centennials 2 at Spruce Kings 2 (OT)
First Period
1. Prince George, Mennear 1 (Epp, Huber) 8:25 (pp)
2. Merritt, Fidanza 1 (Jewell, Bell) 19:46
Penalties - Mennear PG (hooking) 5:03, Regush Me (holding) 7:30, Watson-Brawn PG (check to the head, served by Poisson, misconduct) 10:25, Gleekel Me (hooking) 15:05.
Second Period
3. Prince George, Huber 1 (Mennear, Russell) 11:32
Penalties - Metsa Me (roughing), Tilsley PG (roughing) 4:30, Court ME (hooking) 6:10, Buckley ME (tripping) 14:31, Lee PG (hooking) 16:32.
Third Period
No scoring.
Penalties - Van Unen ME (tripping) 15:05.
First Overtime
No scoring.
Penalties - None.
Second Overtime
No scoring.
Penalties - None.
Shots on goal by
Merritt 10 7 6 5 7 -35 -23
Prince George 7 11 8 1 2 -29
Goal - Merritt, Berger (T,0-0-1); Prince George, Wornig (T,0-0-1).
Power plays - Me: 1-3; PG: 1-5.
Referees - Troy Paterson, Greg Taylor; Linesmen - Nick Albinati, Brett Burton.
Attendance - 1,023.
