Landon Smith and Evan Anderson are 1-2 in the BCHL scoring race but you can bet they're glad they've seen the last of the Prince George Spruce Kings this season.
With Chad Staley and Company hogging the spotlight on the ice Saturday at the Coliseum, the Silverbacks' dynamic duo wasn't much of a factor in what became a 4-3 Spruce Kings' victory.
Staley, the Kings leading scorer, took a pass from defenceman Christian Weidauer and blasted the puck from the slot beyond the lanky reach of goalie Adam Clark for the gamewinner 12:29 into the third period on a Prince George power play to complete another a comeback victory.
"They just keep battling and battling and it's just really not over for us until that buzzer sounds," said Kings head coach Dave Dupas, whose team has lost just once in regulation time in their last 13 games.
"That line of Salmon Arm's has three guys in the top-six in the league and we did a good job against those guys. That was Staley, Luedtke and LeBrun going head-to-head with those guys like they did two weekends ago in Salmon Arm and they're shutting down what statistically is the best line in the league."
In the only other meeting between the teams, Nov. 10 in Salmon Arm, the Kings won 3-2 in overtime and Staley had a big hand in that, assisting on all three Prince George goals, including Brogan O'Brien's OT winner. Smith had one goal in that game, held to a single point.
On Saturday, Anderson hooked up with Smith and linemate Alex Gillies for the second Silverbacks goal, which came on a 5-on-3 Salmon Arm power play, 18:30 into the third period. Twenty-one seconds later, before the second penalty expired, Andrew Famy scored to give the Silverbacks a 3-2 lead. That held up until the 6:29 mark of the third period, when Staley and his linemate Jeremiah Luedtke set up Weidauer with a back-door pass which he redirected into the net behind Clark, setting the stage for Staley's late-game heroics.
Staley and Luedtke, who were minor hockey teammates in Washington state, are climbing to the head of the league's scoring class. Staley is now tied for fourth with 33 points while Luedtke is in the top-24 in the league with 26. With their usual right winger Brent Lashuk having a relapse of his concussion symptoms as a result of a hit Thursday in Langley, Jake LeBrun took over Lashuk's spot and scored the first goal Saturday, 3:53 into the game. Luedtke and Staley set up Mitch Eden a few minutes later before Alex Jewell got the Silverbacks on board.
Staley finished with a goal and three assists while Luedtke collected three helpers.
Close wins have been a Kings' trademark lately. Five of their nine games so far in November have been decided by one goal, which is a mild cause for concern for their coach.
"Our margin for error is very small and we just have to stay on top of things and start putting teams away and not wait until the third period," said Dupas. "We've had opportunities to blow teams out in the first period and we just haven't been doing it. We're going to need those games down the road."
Shots were 30-28 in the Kings' favour. Alex Murray picked up his 10th win of the season in the Kings' nets.
The Kings host the Langley Rivermen this Wednesday at the Coliseum in what will be a battle for first place in the Mainland Division. Langley (16-9-1-2) is one point behind the Kings (16-8-2-2).
