The Langley Rivermen are starting to hear footsteps.
It's the sound of the Prince George Spruce Kings creeping up on them in the B.C. Hockey League standings.
The Kings scored a convincing 5-2 win over the Rivermen Friday night in Langley to move within seven points of their Mainland Division rivals. The Spruce Kings (22-21-4-20 have nine games left in the season, while the Rivermen (25-16-5-20) have 10.
Aris Anagnostopoulos made 25 saves to earn his first career BCHL win in the Prince George net.
As they did in Thursday's 9-0 win over the Surrey Eagles in Surrey, the Spruce Kings scored by committee. Five Prince George players added to their season goal counts and four of those goals came in the opening period.
Jarod Hovde erased a 1-0 deficit 6:06 into the first period after Brendan Budy opened the scoring for Langley two minutes in. Adam Burnett and Brett Mennear also scored, chasing starting goalie Bo Didur from the game, 12:41 into the period. Braedon Fleming came off the bench and Ben Brar welcomed him into the game by scoring a power-play goal, his 17th of the season, for a 4-1 Spruce Kings' lead.
Keegan Ward gave the Kings a 5-1 lead with the only goal of the second period. Sean Gulka capped the scoring for Langley with a shorthanded goal in the third period.
The three stars were: 1. Mennear; 2. Brar; and 3. Anagnostopoulos.
Prince George moves on to Chilliwack to complete a three-game roadtrip tonight against the second-place Chiefs (34-10-5-0). The Chiefs posted a 6-3 triumph Friday over the visiting Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
