The Prince George Spruce Kings’ playoff hopes are starting to fade.
A 3-2 loss to the Sherwood Park Crusaders on Sunday afternoon at Kopar Memorial Arena increased the likelihood the Kings will miss the BCHL postseason for a second consecutive year.
But don’t despair, Spruce Kings fans — as long as there’s a possibility, there’s still hope.
Despite a shaky start that led to two Sherwood Park goals in the first seven minutes, the Kings showed the intensity, commitment to teamwork, and work ethic needed to be a playoff team. They used their home-ice advantage to make the Crusaders dig deep to pull out the victory.
After seeing the game unfold, Kings captain Linden Makow certainly hasn’t lost faith in his team.
“I thought we handled that game well. We found a way to push back and tie it up at the end. We just need to clean up some minor details and hopefully put some games away,” said Makow, whose power-play goal at 10:52 of the third period briefly tied the game.
“The chances are there; we just need to bear down in front of the net. I feel we have the group here that can make playoffs, and we just have to push for it. I thought we played a good physical game. We just need to keep it rolling.”
The Crusaders, the highest-scoring team in the BCHL, flexed their muscles less than four minutes into the game. A miscommunication in the Kings’ zone led to a turnover, and Masun Fleece, standing just off the post, received a pass from linemate Joel Purdom to tuck it into the open side.
A failure to clear the puck from the defensive zone led to another disastrous result for the Spruce Kings just shy of the seven-minute mark. The puck went through a couple of Prince George sticks before squiring out into the circle for defenceman Jude Bray, who slid it past Kings goalie Charles-Edward Gravel.
Aside from those two mistakes, the Spruce Kings matched up well with their opponents in the opening frame.
Down 2-0, they came out for the second period looking like a team desperate for points to get closer to a playoff position. They had the edge in quality scoring chances, and after surviving a few dicey situations in their own zone, facing the league’s top power play, the Spruce Kings finally got on the board thanks to Mason Loewen.
The Crusaders were attempting to clear the puck when Loewen seized the opportunity to flatten defenceman Cooper Sharp with a clean check in the corner. With Sharp down on the ice, Loewen grabbed the puck, carried it to the net, and lifted a high shot over the shoulder of goalie Spencer Michnik to cut the gap to 2-1.
Gravel came up with a terrific kick save late in the period to deny Kale Dach, the BCHL’s second-leading point-getter, with the Crusaders threatening on the power play.
The Kings’ desperation was even more evident in the third period as they pressed for the equalizer. They kept the Crusaders on their heels with a mid-period surge that led to Makow’s power-play goal. Brock Cummings won the draw, the puck came to Makow, and his hard shot trickled through Michnik’s pads.
But it didn’t take long for the Crusaders to get the eventual game-winner. Off the rush, Fleece fed the puck to Lucas Brennan, whose low wrist shot from the slot deflected off Gravel’s leg and in.
The Spruce Kings (19-25-4-1) now have five games left to close a four-point gap on the Langley Rivermen for the final Coastal Conference playoff spot.
The team leaves Thursday morning for the Lower Mainland to begin a three-game weekend trip, with stops in Coquitlam, Chilliwack, and Surrey. They will complete the regular season March 29-30 at home against Powell River.
“Every game from here on out is a must-win game now, that’s how we’re looking at it,” said Makow.
The Rivermen (19-22-8-1) are down to their last four games. They head to Alberta this weekend to play in Blackfalds and Spruce Grove, before returning home to face Coquitlam and Chilliwack on March 28-29.
The Crusaders (31-18-1-0) moved within two points of Salmon Arm for fourth place in the Interior Conference. With four games left, they know that finishing fourth will secure home-ice advantage for the first round of playoffs.
Crusaders head coach Brennan Menard said it was a unique experience for his team, playing for the first time on the league’s smallest ice surface at Kopar. At 10 feet shorter than a typical NHL-sized rink, the Kings used it to their advantage.
“They played a hard, heavy game, credit to them. The degree of difficulty in that win was high for our team, and I’m really happy they were able to pull it out,” said Menard. “I know what their record is, but they play well in this rink, and that was a difficult game. They kept coming and pressed and pressed. The two goals early allowed us to make some mistakes and learn the rink a bit and not end up on the losing end.
“They know how to play in this rink. It plays differently than just about any rink. Even shots from distance are much closer, with the lively boards, and you have to make sure you don’t get beat when the puck ricochets. It always makes for a tense game, and you never get a chance to relax on the bench.”
The Kings can take some satisfaction in limiting Jeremy Loranger and Dach, who have combined for 174 points this season, to just one assist, which came on Bray’s goal.
“The effort was there, and they did a good job shutting down their top line,” said Kings general manager Mike Hawes. “Unfortunately, their supporting cast is extremely strong, with a lot of speed, skill, and work ethic. I have to give them full marks for the two points.
“Our guys battled hard but just couldn’t get it done in the end. You can’t get down early like that and have to battle back against a team like that when you’re trying to claw back the entire game. We needed to get off to a better start.”
LOOSE PUCKS: Hockey legend Dave “Tiger” Williams will be the guest panelist for the Spruce Kings gala/awards banquet on Friday, March 28, at 6 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott. Tickets for the dinner are $75, available at the Spruce Kings office at Kopar ... A group of former Spruce Kings will play each other in the alumni game on Saturday, March 30, at 2:45 p.m. The 71-year-old Williams, a veteran of 962 regular-season games and 83 playoff games in the NHL, who collected 253 goals, 538 points, and 4,421 penalty minutes in a 14-year career, is slated to play in the alumni game.
