Spruce Kings host Vernon this weekend, looking to shake five-game losing streak

The B.C. Hockey League road has not been kind to the Prince George Spruce Kings.

They’ve lost six of seven games in February and the dry streak continued in Monday’s Family Day matinee in Port Alberni, where the Spruce Kings suffered a third-period meltdown and dropped a 7-3 decision to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.

Leading 3-2 seven minutes into the third period, the Kings gave up five unanswered goals while being outshot 23-8 in that final frame.

Hayden Stavroff got the Bulldogs started it with the tying goal at the 10:35 mark on a power play, his first of two goals. Jacob Terpstra, Nichola Beneteau, and Roman Buckberger also fired singles in behind Kings goalie Markus Lam, making his first BCHL start.  

The Spruce Kings were outshot 49-41.

Kusumo Sasaki, opened the scoring on a Prince George power play and Kings defenceman Ben LeFranc gave Prince George a 2-1 lead heading into the third period.

It was only the third game of the season for the 20-year-old LeFranc, a Holy Cross University recruit who missed most of the season recovering from hand surgery.

The Kings started their weekend Vancouver Island tour with a 6-2 loss to the Victoria Grizzlies on Friday, then lost 4-3 on Saturday to the Cowichan Valley Capitals.

Prince George (13-26-3-0) remains eighth in the Interior Conference, while the Bulldogs (25-15-1-0) solidified their third-place Coastal Conference standing.

The Kings are back at Kopar Memorial Arena this weekend to face the Vernon Vipers (25-16-1-0, fourth in Interior) Friday and Saturday.