Braedon Fleming brought his Scrooge-like tendencies back to the hockey rink Saturday.
After getting the hook in Friday’s 8-1 blowout loss to the Prince George Spruce Kings, the 19-year-old Langley Rivermen goalie was not in a giving mood and returned to the form that earned him his reputation as one of the top goalies in the B.C. Hockey League.
He blocked 37 Spruce Kings shots in the rematch at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena to preserve a 2-1 victory.
Jake Livingstone, on a first-period Rivermen power play, and Trevor Ayre, in the second period, scored for Langley. Nick Bochen was the lone Spruce Kings marksman.
The win snapped a three-game winning streak for the Spruce Kings (15-7-0-1), who remained second in the Mainland Division, tied in points with the third place Coquitlam Express. The Spruce Kings and Express are 10 points ahead for the fourth-place Rivermen (10-11-1-0).
“We came out and played a full three periods and we got the ‘W’ and that’s what counts,” said Fleming. “We got a couple bounces at the beginning of the game and that carried on into our play and went from there, it was just an all-around better game.
We just wanted to regroup and come out a different team and that’s what we did. It’s always a tough battle with them, it’s a tough barn to play in and when they come down us sometimes they get the win but to goes back and forth and it’s a good rivalry.”
The Kings, who won twice in Langley this season by one-goal margins, now lead the season series 3-1.
The Prince George line of Patrick Cozi, Dustin Manz and Ben Brar, which accounted for five goals and six assists Friday, was held without a point. But it wasn’t for a lack of trying. At least twice Manz was denied on point-blank shots by the glove of Fleming on back-door plays while standing close to the net.
“We had a lot of chances we just needed to bear down around the net and I think that game was ours,” said Kings defenceman Layton Ahac. “They were a physical team and I think we needed to match their physicality better.
“Fleming is a good goalie but the second and third chances we got need to go in the net. Obviously we wanted that one and we want to be in first (place). I think we’ve had a good start to the year, we just have to keep going and take tonight as a learning experience.
The Kings scored four goals in the second and third periods Friday on the way to their most lopsided victory of the season. The Rivermen wiped the slate clean and came out determined to frustrate the Spruce Kings by setting the tone with their physical play. When they did falter against their speedy opponents Fleming was there to bail them out.
Livingstone scored his second goal of the weekend, sneaking in a shot from the point that caught a piece of the post before it went in, 4:08 into the game, near the end of a holding penalty to Kings defenceman Jay Keranen.
Ayre doubled the lead 6:01 into the second period on a wraparound that ticked in off the pad of Kings’ goalie Bradley Cooper. The third period was the strongest for the Spruce Kings. They outshot the Rivermen 13-5 and had a several close calls but the only one that beat Fleming came with 55.9 seconds left and Cooper on the bench. Bochen let the puck fly from the right point and it deflected in off a Langley player in front in the net.
The Kings had the puck in the Langley end the rest of game but couldn’t score the equalizer.
“Any time you beat a team 8-1 that team is going to be a bit angry and they came out tonight a little desperate and they won more battles and more races to loose pucks,” said Kings general manager Mike Hawes.
“They did a lot of little things well and their goaltender was probably the difference as well. I didn’t think we played poorly, Langley just stepped their game up and let’s give them some credit. Their coaches did a great job and they made some adjustments that really affected the play tonight. They have an elite goaltender, one of the best in the league and he showed it. He struggled (Friday night) and credit to him he came out and made some key saves for them tonight.”
The Spruce Kings leave Wednesday for Powell River, where they will meet the other Kings of the BCHL Friday in a three-game, three-day tour of the Island Division which also stops in Alberni Valley and Nanaimo.
Saturday’s BCHL summary
Rivermen 2 at Spruce Kings 1
First Period
1. Langley, Livingstone 4 (Capstick, Leyh) 4:08 (pp)
Penalty – Keranen PG (holding) 2:30
Second Period
2. Langley, Ayre 8 (Leyh, Walter) 6:01
Penalties – Capstick LA (roughing) 9:51
Third Period
3. Prince George, Bochen 5 (B.Poisson, Manz) 19:55
Penalties – Kovich LA (interference) 1:39, Watson-Brawn PG (hooking) 2:36, Versluis LA (fighting, game misconduct), Coyle PG (fighting, game misconduct) 9:13,
Shots on goal by
Langley 10 8 5 -23
Prince George 13 12 13 -38
Goal – Langley, Fleming (W,10-9-0); Prince George, Cooper (L,3-4-0).
Power plays – LA: 1-2; PG: 0-4.
Referees – Evan McKinnon, Anthony Maletta; Linesman – Graedy Hamilton.
Attendance – 958.
