The Prince George Spruce Kings know the task at hand tonight in Nanimo.
They are in must-win territory facing the Nanaimo Clippers, the team they need to leapfrog in the BC Hockey League standings to make the playoffs.
With just over two months left in the season the Spruce Kings (12-18-3-1, ninth in Coastal Conference) are four points behind the eighth-place Clippers (15-18-2-0) for the final playoff spot.Only the top eight in each conference advance to the postseason that starts the first week of April
The Clippers have won three of their last four games and have crept four points ahead of the Spruce Kings, who have 20 games left to prove they are a playoff team..
January has been a tough month. The Spruce Kings have won just one of their five games, so there’s no better time than now to start picking up steam.
Tonight, they will be getting some help from a couple of 20-year-old veteran forwards back long-term injuries.
Centre Owen Goodbrand has been out with an ankle injury and has yet to play this season. The six-foot-two, 190-pound native of Waterdown, Ont., a Bentley University recruit, was one of the team’s second-leading scorers last season with 12 goals 24 assists and 36 points.
Kings captain Linden Makow was sidelined with a shoulder injury he hurt in a Dec. 6 game in Victoria. In 22 games he has five and five assists. The Vanderhoof native will be looking to regain the form that generated 16 goals and 34 points – third among Spruce Kings last season.
The clash with the Clippers marks Spruce Kings’ debut of 19-year-old defenceman Brendan Gillmore, acquired Jan. 22 in a trade from the Blackfalds Bulldogs.
The Kings are now down to two goaltenders – 18-year-old Ben Polhill and 17-year-old Ryder Green, after they traded 19-year-old Dylan Johnson on Saturday to the Langley Rivermen for future considerations. Johnson went 3-2-0 and had a 3.45 goals-against average and a ,880 save rate in five games with the Spruce Kings.
The Spruce Kings will also face the Alberni Valley Bulldogs Friday night in Port Alberni, then head south to Victoria to face the Grizzlies on Saturday.
Spruce Kings play-by-play announcer Kyle Anderson will have the game broadcast tonight starting at 7 p.m..on Mixlr or Flo Hockey TV.
