For the Prince George Spruce Kings to be successful in the upcoming B.C. Hockey League season they need to answer the bell earlier than they did Tuesday in Grande Prairie.
If not for sharp goaltending from 17-year-old rookie Liam McCloskey, their 4-3 overtime loss to the Grande Prairie Storm would have been decided a lot sooner.
The Kings were outshot 13-7 in the first period and McCloskey held them in long enough to come out of the period with a 2-1 lead. Goals from Cole Todd and Parker Colley put the visitors ahead and they that lead until the 12-minute mark of the third period.
Jarrod Toole tied it up for the Storm 12:28 into the third period and Chase Bell scored on a power play to give the home team the lead, which lasted just 18 seconds when Spruce Kings forward Kyle Johnson potted his first goal of the exhibition season.
The Kings finished the game strongly and had several good chances for the go-ahead goal in the late stages of the third period. In overtime, defenceman Alex Stoley got turned aside on a partial breakaway by Storm goalie Anik Weersink and on the ensuing rush the opposite way, Josh Zablocki ripped a shot past McCloskey for the winner, 36 seconds into overtime.
"We just have to be ready to come out for the start of games," said Kings head coach Chad van Diemen. "We got off to a bad start and kind of got more than we deserved. They outplayed us quite badly in the first period. We got two goals on our first four shots."
Ian McLelland scored the Storm's first goal. Colley finished the game with a goal and two assists and Adam Brubacher collected two assists.
The Kings now turn their attentions to the Vernon Vipers, their opponents in a home-and-home series which wraps up the preseason this weekend. The Vipers should have former Cariboo Cougars forward Steven Jandric of Prince George in the lineup when they come to the Coliseum to face the Kings Friday at 7 p.m. The same teams meet again in Vernon on Saturday.
"It's always a good test when you play Vernon," van Diemen said. "They're well-coached (by Mark Ferner) and they play disciplined."
Next week, the expansion Wenatchee Wild make their BCHL debut against the Kings in a two-game set to start the regular season, Sept. 11 and 12.
Kings D Cooper Prechel, who hurt his hand last weekend in Merritt, is expected to play on the weekend, as will F Jake Epp, back from an ankle injury. Van Diemen said his team will be without Todd, a 20-year-old forward from Prince George, who suffered a shoulder injury when he fell on the ice in the third period Tuesday. D Ryan Fritz (knee surgery) is also out of the Kings' lineup indefinitely.
