The Prince George Spruce Kings seemed on the verge of beating one of the best teams in the B.C. Hockey League.
Then came the third period.
Friday night at the Coliseum, the Trail Smoke Eaters burned the Kings for four third-period goals and stepped off the ice with a 5-3 win. The Smokies are the first-place team in the Interior Conference and the Kings are one spot above the basement.
In Friday's final frame, Connor Mclaughlin scored twice for Trail, while Ryan Luiten and Cullen Bradshaw also found the mark. Luiten's goal came on a power play and Bradshaw's was a short-handed empty-netter. In the last 20 minutes, the Smokies outshot the Kings 17-9.
Jujhar Khaira of the Kings scored the only goal of the first period, and Connor Tiechko put Prince George ahead 2-0 early in the second. Luiten brought the Smokies into a 2-1 deficit but Kings captain RJay Berra restored the cushion with a power-play tally at 12:24.
Overall, the Smokies outshot the Kings 32-28.
Trail improved to 17-7-0-1, while Prince George dropped to 6-18-0-2.
A rematch is set for Sunday afternoon at the Coliseum.
