For the first time in four years, the Prince George Spruce Kings and their playoff lives are dangling by a thread.
The Penticton Vees were at their opportunistic best and slipped a figurative noose around their opponents’ necks Monday night at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena, where they defeated the Spruce Kings 5-3 to take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven BCHL Interior Conference semifinal series.
The Vees will have a chance to pull off the sweep when they meet the Kings in Game 4 Tuesday night (7 p.m.). The Spruce Kings, the three-time defending BCHL champions, have not been in this position in a playoff series since 2018, when they lost in the league final to the Wenatchee Wild.
Adam Eisele’s third goal of the playoffs eight minutes into the third period was the difference-maker and Josh Nadeau continued to hold a hot hand in the series with an empty-net goal.
“It definitely feels good, they’re a pretty good team so that doesn’t mean anything that we’re up 3-0, we still have a job to finish here,” said Eisele, a native of Stillwater, Minn. “It’s a fun night tonight but we turn the page and we’ll look forward to tomorrow.”
Eight minutes int the third period, with the Vees nursing a 4-3 lead, Eisele and his linemates Josh and Bradly Nadeau got their forecheck working behind the Kings’ goal line. Eisele forced Kings defenceman Ben LeFranc into turnover at the side of the net and the Vees centre whacked the puck in high into the net.
“I just chipped it in (to the zone) and my linemates, the Nadeaus, are pretty special players so you’ve got to give them credit,” said Eisele. “They forechecked and I got a little gift right in front and I just buried it.”
The Kings got within a goal on their third power play of the game. Nick Rheaume fed Luc Laylin in the slot and his slapper caught the net in behind Kaeden Lane for his team-leading seventh goal of the playoffs with less than four minutes left. The Kings got Aaron Trotter to the bench for the extra skater late but Josh Nadeau ended the suspense, scoring from centre into an empty net.
After two evenly-place periods with great chances at either end in each period, the Vees got a huge lift 32 seconds before the second intermission when the Vees trapped the Kings in their own end for an extended period and defenceman Josh Niedermeyer cashed in from the point on a delayed penalty to put the Vees ahead 3-2.
“Obviously that’s tough, I felt we had a lot of momentum there but that’s hockey and a lot of stuff happens,” said Kings defenceman Dylan Schives. “We’ve just got to bear down. It’s not the end of it. We’re going to stick to the Spruce Kings’ way and we’re going to go at ‘em.
“We’re a resilient group and I have confidence in what we can do here. Obviously, we’re going to bring our A-game and work our butts off. We’re not quitting.”
The Kings will try to stave off elimination Tuesday night (7 p.m.) in Game 4 at RMCA.
The Vees have shown throughout the playoffs their ability to pounce on opponents’ mistakes and they certainly did that when it counted most in Monday’s pivotal game. But the Kings kept it close and stayed within striking range until the very end.
“All three games have been that way, really,” said Vees head coach and general manage Fred Harbinson. “It was big getting that fourth goal and scoring at the end of the second period to get that lead was massive. After they had gotten that power play goal, getting that fourth one gave us a bit of breather. We did a good job on the forecheck there and I thought the Nieuwendyk line played extremely well tonight too and Niedermeyer on the back end was outstanding for us.”
The first period was a tossup. Both teams had some great cracks at the net and each ended up with a goal. The Vees struck first on a power play, 3:43 in. Casey McDonald was perfectly positioned to bash in a perfect pass from Wilson. The Kings got back on even terms 11:36 into the first. LeFranc collected his first career BCHL playoff goal when he quickly released a wrister from the point on a pass from Laylin after Kolton Cousins and John Herrington did most of the grunt work gaining control of the puck in the offensive zone
Herrington, whose 24 goals in 54 regular season games ranked second among the Spruce Kings, continued to be snakebitten trying for his first playoff snipe. He hit the crossbar about a minute into the game and was twice denied by Lane on great scoring chances in the second period.
The Vees regained the lead nearly 14 minutes into the second period and Wilson, their leading scorer with 75 points in a 52-game season, continued to make life difficult for the Spruce Kings. His slow centring pass attempt went wide through the crease and slid past goalie Aaron Trotter and Vees winger Thomas Pichette was there to take it from him and with nobody else in the vicinity he tucked the puck into the open side of the net.
Less than two minutes later, on their first power play of the game, the Kings made it a 2-2 game. Laylin caught up to a dump-in from Josh Wright and fed the puck to Simon Labelle and his high shot found a sliver of net in over Lane’s glove.
“It was actually a pretty good playoff game to watch, two really good teams going at it and it was back and forth and unfortunately for us they were able to get a couple in the third and seal the deal,” said King general manage Mike Hawes. “But I was proud of our guys, they got that goal late and were able to make it interesting.
“Fred does a good job every year of putting together good teams and this year is no different, they’re a hardworking team, well-balanced, good goaltending, with d-men that exit the zone well and forwards that capitalize when they get their chances. They’re built to have success in the playoffs and they’re showing that and its going to be up to us (Tuesday) night to show we have the resiliency in the group to see what we can do.”
Trotter was hurt in Game 6 of the Cranbrook series and missed the first two games in Penticton with an upper-body injury. He played well in stopping 30 of 34 shots he faced as the Kings outshot the Vees 35-32.
“Credit to Jordan Fairlie for the job he did in those two games in Penticton, I mean he was stellar, especially in that first game,” sad Hawes. “It certainly wasn’t his fault, he played well, but it’s always nice to get Aaron back. He has been the go-to guy for the most part this year and he’s been tremendous for us in the playoffs and it wasn’t his fault tonight.”
Harbinson predicts the Spruce Kings aren’t about to go down without a fight.
“I know that group over there, they’re defending champs before the series started and every game has been real tight so I know they’re not going to quit over there,” said Harbinson. “We’ve just got to worry about tomorrow and we’ll see where it goes.”
Tickets for Game 4 are available at the Kings’ office at the rink starting at 9 a.m. or online on the Kings’ website https://sprucekingsshop.ca/collections/2022-playoff-tickets/products/2022-playoff-ticket-package. If Game 5 is needed it would be played Thursday in Penticton. Game 6, if needed, is scheduled for Saturday in Prince George, with a seventh game set for Monday in Penticton.
LOOSE PUCKS: Kings defenceman Amran Bhabra left the game early in the first period after suffering an apparent upper-body injury and did not return…. In other BCHL playoffs results Monday, the West Kelowna Warriors pushed the Salmon Arm Silverbacks to verge of elimination with a 4-1 victory in Game 3 in the other Interior semifinal in West Kelowna. The Warriors won the first two games in Salmon Arm and now lead that series 3-0… In Nanaimo, Keighan Gerrie scored his second goal of the game 10:30 into over time to give the Clippers a 2-1 win over the Chilliwack Chiefs and a commanding 3-0 series lead… The other Coastal semifinal resumes Tuesday in Langley, where the Riverman have a 2-0 series lead over the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
BCHL playoffs
Interior Conference semifinal
Prince George Spruce Kings. vs. Penticton Vees
(Vees lead best-of-seven series 3-0)
Game 3
Saturday summary
Vees 5 at Spruce Kings 3
First Period
1. Penticton, McDonald 3 (Wilson, Moravec) 3:43 (pp)
2. Prince George, LeFranc 1 (Laylin, Cousins) 11:36
Penalty – Rheaume PG (holding) 1:57.
Second Period
3. Penticton, Pichette 1 (Wilson, Nieuwendyk) 13:53
4. Prince George, Labelle 5 (Laylin, Wright) 15:28 (pp)
5. Penticton, Niedermeyer 1 (Nieuwendyk, Wilson) 19:28
Penalties – Fox PG (hooking) 7:55, J.Nadeau Pen (tripping) 14:54,
Third Period
6. Penticton Eisele 3, 8:09
7. Prince George, Laylin 7 (Rheaume, Herrington) 16:11 (pp)
8. Penticton, Eisele 3, 19:28 (en)
Penalty – Nieuwendyk Pen (tripping) 15:38.
Shots on goal by
Penticton 11 11 10 -32
Prince George 11 11 13 -35
Goal - Prince George, Trotter (L,3-3); Penticton, Lane (W,7-1).
Power plays – PG: 2-3; Pen: 1-2.
Referees – Steve Brown, Jake Podann; Linesmen – Caden Fanshaw, Anthony Maletta.
Attendance – 1,005.
