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Cunningham's couple cuffs Grizzlies

Manz also scores a pair in 4-2 win, Spruce Kings take 2-0 series lead
Spruce Kings

Corey Cunningham’s hometown superhero status is growing in Prince George.

If he keeps playing for the Prince George Spruce Kings like he did Saturday night in their 4-2 win over the Victoria Grizzlies he might have to start wearing cape.

Cunningham scored two goals, including the gamewinner, 18:57 into the second period, which gave the Kings 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven BCHL Coastal Conference championship series.

Dustin Manz also scored a pair to help cinch the victory, the  seventh straight for the Spruce Kings, who improved their playoff record on home ice to 7-0.

“We went down 1-0 early in the game and we got some momentum after I potted one there in the second and after that we just grinded them down and played Spruce Kings hockey,” said the 17-year-old Cunningham.

“That was my first-ever two goal game in junior hockey. It’s so exciting to see my family and everybody at the game, a sold-out crowd, there’s nothing better.”

Both teams will get a night’s rest before boarding the bus Sunday morning. Games 3 and 4 will be played Monday and Tuesday in Victoria.

Despite their two-game lead Cunningham has seen enough of the Grizzlies to know there’s still plenty of work to do.

“I wouldn’t get too high up on ourselves here, we just have to keep playing our game, simplify, with no turnovers and grind them down,” he said. “We’re the better team. They have a lot of guys who like to get up in the play and we can take advantage of that and catch them out of position in their d-zone. If we play our game we’re going to win every game.”

Cunningham’s line, with Lucas Vanroboys at centre and Nolan Welsh at right wing, always seemed to make the right decisions with the puck and their aggressive forecheck created an abundance of turnovers and scoring chances.

“That line was really good again and Corey had a very strong game, working hard on both sides of the puck and gets rewarded because of it - hopefully he keeps building his game here,” said Kings head coach Adam Maglio. “They’re deserving, everything they got they worked for.”

The Grizzlies’ power play connected on their first opportunity, 7:15 into the game. With Jay Keranen off for hooking, the Grizzlies set up in the offensive end and after a couple of blocked shots, Alex Newhook found Riley Hughes at the top of the face-off circle for a onetimer that slipped through the radar of goalie Logan Neaton.

Cunningham, who led the Kings with a goal and an assist in their 4-2 win in Friday’s series opener, scored a similar type of goal Saturday to draw the Kings even two minutes into the second period. He jumped on a puck that was turned over deep in the Victoria end and outwaited goalie Kurtis Chapman, going wide with his deke around him to tuck it into the net.

Manz put the Kings ahead with a power-play goal, deflecting Nick Bochen’s point shot.

The Grizzlies countered on their third power play of the game 14:31 into the second. Cameron Thompson gained the puck in the left circle and put a low shot through the legs of Kings defenceman Max Coyle that slipped past a surprised Neaton.

Cunningham’s second of the night and fourth of the playoffs gave the Kings a 3-2 lead with less than two minutes left in the second period. Chong Min Lee chased down a loose puck in the corner and dug it out to Layton Ahac, whose point shot was stopped but the puck was left uncovered and Cunningham dug it out and chipped in a shot from the side of the net and that brought the fans out of their seats.

All 1,745 seats in RMCA were sold but the barn wasn’t totally full with 1,966 in attendance, about 100 fewer bodies than Friday’s crowd count. Including standing room, the rink can hold 2,112.

The Kings dominated the puck through most of the third period. Cunningham had a chance for his first BCHL hat trick eight minutes in when Max Coyle fed him a breakaway stretch pass but it came at the end of a shift and Cunningham’s weak backhander missed the target.

Special teams were a factor. The Grizzlies went 2-for-4 with the man advantage while the Kings were 1-for-7.

Manz was at his best in the third period and provided the insurance goal, a play that started when Ben Brar forced a turnover on Newhook in the neutral zone. Patrick Cozzi chipped the puck ahead to Manz and while getting hooked from behind he flipped a wrister in over Chapman’s shoulder.

“It’s tough we didn’t get that result again but I thought we brought it tonight, more so than last night,” said Newhook. “It’s not good to get a few unlucky bounces, it’s a bit frustrating but we’re going back home and we’ll be up for it. We’re excited to get back in our rink, obviously a bigger surface and we think it plays better to our style.”

Newhook was held to one assist, giving him 20 points in 13 games. He came close to a one-goal game with 4:30 left in the third period but Neaton deflected the puck away with a shoulder shrug, one of his best saves of the game as his team outshot the Grizzlies 27-21.

“He’s been rock-steady,” said Maglio. “He prepares so well and you see his confidence out there, it feeds through our whole team and guys build off of it.”

The Grizzlies survived a seven-game series with Powell River after sweeping Alberni Valley to start the playoffs and they’ve had to amp up their game another notch to keep pace with the Spruce Kings, who have lost only one of their 11 playoff games.

“They’re a fast physical team and they’re well-structured and they’re really far away (from Victoria) so travel’s going to definitely play into that,” said Newhook. “They’re a good team and we’re going to have to bring to every night to be successful the rest of the series.”

LOOSE PUCKS: The Grizzlies lost right winger Marty Westhaver to what appeared to be an upper-body injury when he got flattened by 15-year-old Kings’ centre Finn Williams with a clean check in the Victoria end six minutes into the third period. Westhaver, who had 15 points in 13 playoff games, left for the dressing room and did not return… The Vernon Vipers took a 1-0 lead in the Interior Conference championship when they beat the Wenatchee Wild 4-3 in overtime Saturday in Wenatchee. Michael Young scored the winner, 26 seconds into overtime. Game 2 goes Sunday night in Wenatchee.

 

B.C. Hockey League playoffs

Coastal Conference championship

Prince George Spruce Kings vs. Victoria Grizzlies

(Spruce Kings lead best-of-seven series 2-0)

Game 2

Saturday’s summary

Grizzlies 2 at Spruce Kings 4

First Period

1. Victoria, Hughes 3 (Newhook, Berger) 7:15 (pp)

Penalties – Watson-Brawn PG (hooking) 6:06, Johnson Vic (interference) 10:41, Hughes Vic (roughing) 16:31.

Second Period

2. Prince George, Cunningham 3, 2:10

3. Prince George, Manz 6 (Bochen, Brar) 12:15 (pp)

4. Victoria, Thompson 5 (Berger, MacDonald) 14:31 (pp)

5. Prince George, Cunningham 4 (Ahac, Lee) 18:03

Penalties – Bucheler Vic (unsportsmanlike conduct) 2:10, Veilleux Vic (double slashing) 4:17, Brar PG (boarding) 8:29, Johnson Vic (roughing) 11:40, Keranen PG (roughing) 13:48, Vanroboys PG (slashing) 14:55.

Third Period

6. Prince George, Manz 7 (Cozzi, Brar) 10:37

Penalty – Johnson Vic (interference) 11:27.

Shots on goal by

Victoria           8          7          6          -21

Prince George8          10        -9         -27

Goal – Victoria, Chapman (L,8-5); Prince George, Neaton (W,10-1).

Power plays – Vic: 2-4; PG: 1-7.

Referees – Troy Paterson, Matt Hicketts; Linesmen – Amthpny Maletta, Riley Balson.

Attendance – 1,966.

Scratches – Victoria: F Charlie Campbell (healthy), D Nico Somerville (injured), F Ryan Nolan (suspended); Prince George: F Spencer DenBeste (healthy), F Tyler Schleppe (healthy), F Craig MacDonald (healthy), D Jason Chu (healthy).

Three stars – 1. Corey Cunningham, PG; 2. Dustin Manz, PG; 3. Carter Berger, Vic.