The Prince George Spruce Kings picked up where they left off against the Alberni Valley Bulldogs and scored a badly needed 5-2 win Friday in Port Alberni.
Two weekend ago in Prince George the Spruce Kings swept the Bulldogs in a two-game series but they were unable to maintain their winning ways in subsequent games against South Surrey and Nanaimo.
They put that two-game losing streak to rest Friday with a convincing win in front of a crowd of 1,450 at Alberni Valley Multiplex, scoring four goals in a wild second period in which they outshot the Bulldogs 26-9.
Kazumo Sasaki fired two goals and singles went to Brady Anes, Nick Metelkin and Owen Goodbrand.
Trailing 4-1, Samuel Leonard finally solved Kings goalie Ryder Green with one second left in the second period on a Bulldogs’ power play.
Goodbrand, playing only his second game this season since recovering from a COVID-related condition that kept him sidelined for nearly five months, made it 5-1 game in the third period and finished with a goal and an assist.
Cole Bishop capped the scoring for Alberni Valley.
The Spruce Kings outshot the Bulldogs 44-25.
Ryder Shea took the loss, stopping 39 of 44 Prince George shots.
The Spruce Kings (13-19-3-1) got no help from the out-of-town scoreboard. The Nanaimo Clippers, who Prince George is chasing for a BCHL playoff spot, beat the Victoria Grizzlies 5-4 in overtime in Victoria.
The Clippers (17-18-2-0) have won six of their last eight games and moved into seventh place in the BC Hockey League’s Coastal Conference. They’re tied with the Langley Rivermen (15-16-5-1), each with 36 points, six ahead of the ninth-place Spruce Kings.
The Spruce Kings finish off their Vancouver Island tour Saturday in Victoria. Kyle Anderson will have the play-by-play broadcast starting at 6 p.m.