There’s no room for error now for the Prince George Spruce Kings.
Now five points out of a playoff spot with just three games left, the Spruce Kings know now they have to run the table and win their next three games and hope the Langley Rivermen lost their final two games next weekend on home ice.
That’s the grim scenario facing the Spruce Kings as they head into their final game of a three-game roadtrip Sunday afternoon (3 p.m.) against the Surrey Eagles.
The Spruce Kings (20-25-4-2) lost a heartbreaker Saturday, falling 4-3 in a shootout to the BCHL Coastal Conference-leading Chilliwack Chiefs (35-12-5-0).
In Alberta, the Rivermen (21-22-8-1) defeated the Spruce Grove Saints 3-1 on Saturday to move one point further ahead of the Spruce Kings
Matteo Mrsic scored in the sixth round to decide it for the Chiefs, in front of 2,804 witnesses at Chilliwack Coliseum.
The Spruce Kings led 3-2 on goals from Trent Ballentyne, Brock Cummings and Owen Goodbrand until the 9:53 mark of the third period when Chiefs forward Dru Mushamanski scored to tie it up and force overtime.
Chilliwack outshot the Kings 6-4 in 10 minutes of overtime and 44-32 in the game.
Kings goalie Charles-Edward Gravel was picked as the game’s first star after he made 40 saves. Sebastien Gatto made 29 stops in goal for the Chiefs to improve his record to 19-6.
The Spruce Kings will be in Surrey today to take on the second-place Eagles (29-17-5-), then finish up the regular season with two at home against Powell River next Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
The Rivermen have just two to play. They’ll host Coquitlam in Friday and Chilliwack on Saturday.
