Ethan de Jong already had two goals in the bag and his Prince George Spruce Kings had the game well in hand Sunday, leading the Powell River Kings 4-2 with about 30 seconds left.
Knowing de Jong had his first career B.C. Hockey League hat trick within reach, Spruce Kings coach Adam Maglio left his star winger on the ice for an extended shift in the final minute to try for that third goal.
Ben Brar did his part. He carried the puck deep in the Powell River end and elected not to shoot at the empty net, instead passing to his linemate de Jong, who promptly whiffed on a four-foot shot with no goalie in sight.
It was about the only disappointment in an otherwise stellar afternoon of hockey at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena for the 18-year-old de Jong, who scored his 14th and 15th goals of the season, including the game-winner while shorthanded 12 minutes into the third period.
The Kings overcame a 2-0 deficit and scored three times in the third period.
“We were getting our chances and structure-wise we were good, creating opportunities, but no finish,” said de Jong. “But then in the third we kind of buckled down, started shooting the puck and good things happened.”
Blake Hayward tied it 2-2 with 3:22 gone in the third period, finishing off a 2-on-1 setup from Patrick Cozzi. Three consecutive Powell River penalties to start the final period gave the Spruce Kings two lengthy two-man advantages. They kept the puck in the offensive end almost the entire time but couldn’t score.
It was the penalty kill that gave the Spruce Kings the lead, 12:18 into the third. Brar and de Jong broke in on an odd-man rush and Brar waited until the last second to feed de Jong, who lifted the puck high into the net.
As good as he is at creating offence, leading the Spruce Kings with 45 points in 39 games, the speedy de Jong is one of the top defensive forwards in the BCHL and showed that with his assist on Sam Anzai’s goal, which capped the scoring with 5:28 left.
Defenceman Sam Pouliot, a January addition to the Powell River roster from the WHL Red Deer Rebels, ran into de Jong at full steam while trying to move the puck forward at the Powell River blueline and de Jong forced the turnover which got the puck ahead to Jarod Hovde. Hovde moved in and, while trying to shoot, the puck rolled off his stick right to Anzai, the former Vernon Viper and Los Angeles native, whose sharp-angle backhander gave him his first goal as a Spruce King.
Sunday’s win, their first on a Sunday in seven tries this season, solidified the Spruce Kings’ hold on first place in the Mainland Division and clinched them a playoff spot. Prince George (23-14-4-4) is level in points with Surrey but has played one fewer game and is two points up on Langley. After losing 4-1 to Penticton at home Thursday, the Spruce Kings beat first-overall Vernon 2-1 on Friday.
“That one felt good, and I know it helped us out a lot as a team,” said the 19-year-old Anzai. “We stayed in first place and that’s pretty huge for us so we’re looking to build on it going into playoffs.”
In the Vernon win, de Jong blocked a point shot and that led to Brar’s unassisted game-winning goal in the second period on Friday.
“Ethan is a great two-way player, he’s fast and a great backchecker and he had a pretty good weekend,” said Spruce Kings assistant coach Alex Evin. “It was nice to see (Brar) looking for him and it would have been nice for him to get that hat trick but (Brar) probably should have shot on that one, he’s got all our empty-net goals this year.
“It was nice to see us score four goals, we haven’t done that in a long time.”
Brar set up the first Prince George goal on a power play with 55 seconds left in the second period, rifling a shot from the slot that produced a fat rebound for
de Jong.
Carter Turnbull and Alek Sukunda scored for the visitors.
Powell River (23-14-4-4, first in Island Division) was coming off a 3-2 win in double-overtime Saturday in Merritt, after they did the Spruce Kings a favour Thursday when they beat the Rivermen 4-3 in Langley. Injuries left Powell River without three regular defencemen, three forwards and their backup goalie for Sunday’s game.
“We’re playing without a lot of guys in the lineup but I’m not taking anything away from (the Spruce Kings),” said Powell River head coach Kent Lewis.
“We gave up a shortie on the game-winner and the tide turned a bit when the (referees’) arms came up, a little lazy when we were already short, and that changed the momentum. Prince George was well-rested, well-prepared and we didn’t possess the puck enough in the third. We just have to learn how to get ugly stuff to the net.”
Shots were 37-19 in the Spruce Kings’ favour.
Prince George heads out Thursday for a three-game trip through the Mainland Division, visiting Langley on Friday, Coquitlam on Saturday and Chilliwack on Sunday.
