Spruce Kings Score Late for 6-2 Win Over Eagles

(Defenseman Sam de Melo takes a shot on goal, Photo by: Matt Jensen Photography)

 

They weren’t able to dominate the same they did a week prior, but the Prince George Spruce Kings were still able to come out on top over the Surrey Eagles with a 6-2 victory.

The Spruce Kings were able to dominate the first period, but couldn’t hold the same 3-0 lead that they did a week ago after the first.

Surrey had the best first chance of the game, as they sent a puck off the left post missing an empty net. Prince George would make them pay two and a half minutes later as Hunter Luhmann snapped in his 7^th of the season ending an eight game goal drought.

The Eagles had a chance to tie the game on a power play with Tanner Campbell taking a holding penalty at the far end of the ice, but were unsuccessful. Late in the first, a failed clearing attempt for PG led to Paul McAvoy alone in the slot and snapping in his 17^th goal of the season. The shots after one were 19-11 for Prince George.

Thanks to an early power play, Prince George was able to regain their lead early in the second as Kyle Johnson tipped in a Tyler Anderson shot from the slot. After the power play had gone 0 for 7 the game before against West Kelowna, Johnson was put on the man-advantage, and it worked wonders with the Port Moody scoring another goal seven minutes later. On a scrambly play, the puck was sliding in the slot, and Johnson was able to bat it in off the right past and into the net for the 3-1 lead at 9:40. That goal came again one the power play putting Prince George at 2 for 3 after two periods.

Surrey would make things interesting shortly after the media timeout in the third, as Darius Davidson picked the top left corner to make the score 3-2 at 12:31. The Spruce Kings allowed the goal shortly after not scoring on the power play, but made up for it by earlier killing off 1:34 of 5-on-3 with key penalty killers Anderson and Burnett in the box.

Before Surrey had a chance to pull the goalie, the Spruce Kings would regain the lead on a blunder by Keelan Williams. Coming out of the net to play the puck, Kyle Johnson beat him to the puck, and chipped it out front for Luhmann to bat in for his second goal of the game. Sealing the game was Ben Brar as he took a feed from Adam Burnett, and scored his league leading fourth empty net goal of the season.

With Williams back in the net, Prince George scored late once again with Travis Schneider batting in a loose puck in front of the net. The goal gave him 10 on the season making him the 9^th player on the team to hit double digits on the season. Last season the team had eight, and still has six games to add to that total.

Tomorrow the Spruce Kings will be back in Surrey to take on the Eagles for the final meeting this season. Puckdrop will be at 4pm in the South Surrey Arena.