Thirteen goals were scored last night (Dec. 14) at the Rolling Mix Concrete Arena (RMCA), but the scoreboard ultimately did not go the way the Prince George Spruce Kings would’ve wanted.
The B.C. Hockey League-leading Coquitlam Express steamrolled out of the northern capital with back-to-back wins, including Saturday’s 8-5 rout, handing the ‘Kings a fifth straight loss.
Prince George’s 0-5 homestand, their last on the 2019 calendar, now has them at 3-7 in their last 10 tilts at the RMCA.
They even jumped out of the gate to a 3-0 lead to start the second of the weekend doubleheader, including consecutive goals from Corey Cunningham two-and-a-half minutes apart in the first frame.
Tom Richter scored the first goal, his second of the season, 5:22 into the contest.
He, Cunningham and Nolan Welsh all earned multi-point games combining for six.
Coquitlam cut the deficit to 3-2 before the end of the opening period and surged to a one-goal lead of their own at 4-3 with two more tallies over five minutes into the second.
Domenic Garozzo potted his first as a Prince George Spruce King at 6:46 of the middle stanza to tie it up 4-4, but that’s the closest his team would get try and salvage a potential win.
The Express four of the next five goals, including three in the third period, to board the victory train back to the lower mainland.
Goaltender Jett Alexander stayed between the pipes all night long, sans 67 seconds for an extra attacker, stopping 19 of 26 shots.
Prince George’s record drops to 11-20-2-3 with three games left until the new year, all on the road.
The Spruce Kings will meet the Express a third time in five days on Wednesday (Dec. 18) in Coquitlam, followed by games in Surrey (Dec. 20) and Langley (Dec. 22).
