(Ben Brar with two goals Sunday night, Photo by: Matt Jensen Photography)
Sunday night the Chilliwack Chiefs got off to a hot start, but after that it was all Prince George. Entering the game without a win in Chilliwack against the Chiefs in nearly three years (last victory was February 21st 2014), the Spruce Kings went down 2-0, but battled back to come away with the 3-2 decision in double overtime.
On the first power play of the game, the Chilliwack Chiefs were able to strike as Ben Fanjoy danced down to the left corner, and centred the puck for Connor McCarthy who was unmarked at the bottom of the left circle. It was McCarthy’s 9th on the power play giving him sole possession of 1st amongst BCHL defensemen for PPGs one ahead of Tyler Anderson. Three minutes later the 6’6 defenseman led a two man breakaway, and dished off to Kohen Olischefski who buried his 24th of the season.
Parker Colley would take a penalty with over six minutes in the game, and gave the Chiefs a chance to triple their lead. Instead the penalty kill for PG came up big, and shortly after putting his team down a man, Colley scored to get them within one. Kyle Johnson took a huge hit at his own blueline, but was able to clear the puck to Jarod Hovde. A quick poke to Colley, and down the left wing the forward was able to tuck a shot along the ice inside the right post to get Prince George within one at 2-1.
In the second, the best chance for Chilliwack came at 17:54 as Kale Kane received a pass in the slot from Jordan Kawaguchi, but fired a shot right into the crest of Aris Anagnostopoulos.
Prince George would tie the game on a power play of their own, with Jordan Kawaguchi in the box for a cross-check on Tyler Anderson. The big defenseman got his revenge as a point shot was tipped in front by Ben Brar. It was Brar’s 20th of the season, and eighth in his last 10 games.
Neither team would break through in the third, sending the game to overtime. Chilliwack had eight shots in four-on-four, but couldn’t capitalize.
Going around Tyler Anderson, Jake Smith couldn’t get a shot off, so he wheeled behind the net aiming for a wraparound. With that cutoff, he centred for Will Calverly who was denied point blank. Jordan Kawaguchi came down as the trailer later, and received a perfect pass but fired the shot wide from the slot.
It didn’t take long in the second overtime for Prince George to capitalize. Brett Mennear raced ahead off the faceoff, and wound up in the right corner with the puck on his stick. He dropped the puck pack behind him, to the trailing Brar. With one goal in the game already, Brar was knocked down, but managed to get a pair of pokes at the puck before finally driving it past the sprawled Sinclair. The Chiefs netminder fell funny on the play, and was down for a period of time, but got off the ice under his own power. While he suffered the loss, the three allowed goals made it eight straight games for Sinclair making it nine straight games without allowing more than three in a game.
The loss was just the fifth time Chilliwack has fallen at home, and the second time it’s happened in overtime.
The Prince George Spruce Kings are in Langley tomorrow at 7:15 to take on the Rivermen in the George Preston Arena. The Spruce Kings are a perfect 1-0 in Langley this season coming out with a 5-2 win in early February.
