It’s been a cold December for the Prince George Spruce Kings, and winter has yet to begin.
Three times in the past six days the Kings have had the unenviable task of trying to beat the team with the best record in the B.C. Hockey League. They came up empty-handed last weekend on home ice in a pair of losses to the Coquitlam Express and it was the same story Wednesday afternoon in Coquitlam, where the Express skated to a 4-1 victory.
The Express scored three goals in a 93-second span midway through the first period and carried that 3-0 lead into the third period. Austin Fraser, Ethan O’Rourke and Cooper Connell all found the net behind Kings’ goalie Carter Woodside.
Nick Bochen countered for the Kings six minutes into the third but their hopes of a comeback were quashed when Connell connected for his second of the game with nine minutes left.
Clay Stevenson stopped 25 of 26 shots in net for Coquitlam. Woodside took the loss, making 27 saves.
Left winger Nick Poisson rejoined the Kings for Wednesday’s game after missing five games while he was with Canada West playing in the World Junior A Hockey Challenge in Dawson Creek. Poisson continues to lead the Kings in scoring with 30 points, including 11 goals. The Kings also had left winger Wil Kushniryk back after a six-game stint in the WHL with the Calgary Hitmen.
Kings centre Preston Brodziak served the second game of a two-game suspension for a hit from behind in Friday’s game against the Express.
The loss was the sixth in a row for Prince George and the Kings’ last-place Mainland Division record fell to 11-21-2-3-0. They have yet to win a game in December. The Express (31-5-0-0-0), winners of 12 straight, (31-5-0-0-0) continue to set the pace in the BCHL. Coquitlam hasn’t lost since Nov. 10, a 2-0 shutout defeat in Powell River.
The Kings have two games left in 2019. They’ll play the Eagles in Surrey Friday (7 p.m.), then head to Langley to face the Rivermen Sunday afternoon (2:30 p.m.). They’ll play their first game after the Christmas break on Friday, Jan. 3 in Langley and return to Rolling Mix Concrete Arena Jan. 10-11 for a weekend set against Surrey.
