Get your Game 7 face on, Spruce Kings fans.
The boys in blue got the job done and are bringing the series back to Prince George for one deciding game Sunday night at 7 p.m. at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena.
The Spruce Kings beat the Surrey Eagles 3-1 Saturday night in Surrey to tie the best-of-seven B.C. Hockey League Mainland Division final at three games apiece.
That ended a six-game losing streak for the Spruce Kings in Surrey, including two playoff and four regular season losses.
All the scoring happened in the second period at South Surrey Arena. Prince George scored all three goals in a 3:13 span.
The Kings’ power-play struck with a pair of goals 54 seconds apart early in the period. Ben Brar took a pass from Patrick Cozzi and scored while standing just off the post at 3:26, with the Eagles at a two-man disadvantage. Then at 4:20, Ethan de Jong gained the puck at the side of the net and skated across the crease and put the puck behind Mario Cavaliere.
Dustin Manz made it 3-0 with an even-strength goal at 5:55. Defenceman Liam Watson-Brawn fed him a perfect cross-ice pass from deep in the Eagles’ end and Manz, a native of Vanderbilt, Mich., buried the puck behind Cavaliere.
The Eagles’ power play connected late in the period, with six seconds left in a holding penalty to Layton Ahac. Matthew Campese found the net with a wristshot from the face-off circle.
The Spruce Kings’ penalty killers came to the rescue in the third period when Watson-Brawn was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct for his hit to the head which left Eagles winger Desi Burgart. The Eagles winger appeared groggy after the hit and needed help getting off the ice. The league will likely review the play and Watson-Brawn could face a suspension.
The Eagles had the puck in the Prince George end for the first four minutes of the major penalty but were limited to only a few shots, which goalie Evan DeBrouwer could see coming in and he made the saves.
Surrey outshot the Kings 13-6 in the third period but could not draw any closer on the scoreboard. Surrey outshot the Kings 38-31.
Saturday’s win marked the third time in the 2018 playoffs that the Spruce Kings have won an elimination game. They beat the Chilliwack Chiefs 3-1 in Game 7 to win their first round series and on Thursday defeated the Eagles 4-1 to extend the series to a sixth game.
Tickets for Game 7 will go on sale at 9 a.m. Sunday at the Spruce Kings office at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena. A sellout crowd of 2,112 is expected so get your tickets early to avoid the big lineups.
The winner will advance to the third round against the Powell River Kings, who eliminated the Victoria Grizzlies, winning the series 4-1 with a 4-3 overtime decision Friday in Victoria. Ben Berard scored the series-winner, 10:36 into overtime.
In the Interior Division, just one of the semifinal series is going down to the wire. The Penticton Vees staved off playoff elimination Saturday in Trail with a 6-1 Game 6 win over the Smoke Eaters in front of a crowd of 3,108 at Cominco Arena. Game 7 will be played Monday night in Penticton. In Wenatchee on Saturday, AJ Vanderbeck scored 3:38 into overtime to lift the Wenatchee Wild to a 4-3 win over the Vernon Vipers. The Wild took the series 4-2 and will play either the Vees or Smoke Eaters starting next weekend.
B.C Hockey League playoffs
Mainland Division final
(Best-of-seven series tied 3-3)
Game 6
Saturday’s result
Spruce Kings 3 at Eagles 1
First Period
No scoring.
Penalties – None.
Second Period
1. Prince George Brar 5 (Cozzi, de Jong) 3:26 (pp)
2. Prince George, de Jong 5 (Anhorn, Keranen) 4:20 (pp)
3. Prince George, Manz 4 (Watson-Brawn, de Jong) 5:55
4. Surrey, Campese 5 (Babichuk, Ross) 19:19 (pp)
Penalties – Campese Sur (interference) 1:27, Westgard Sur (boarding) 2:23, Hayward PG (hooking) 8:01, Watson-Brawn PG (boarding) 8:23, Ahac PG (holding) 17:25.
Third Period
No scoring.
Penalties –Watson-Brawn PG (checking to the head major, served by Lee, game misconduct 9:42, Ruddy PG (cross-checking) Brushett Sur (interference) 12:10.
Shots on goal by
Prince George10 15 6 -31
Surrey 10 18 10 -38
Goal – Surrey, Cavaliere (7-5), Prince George, DeBrouwer (7-6).
Power plays – Sur: 1-4; PG: 2-2
Referees – Steve Brown, Bryan Bourdon; Linesmen – Josh Long, M Mike McGowan.
Attendance – 1,195.
Game 7
Sunday
Surrey at Prince George
7 p.m., Rolling Mix Concrete Arena
