The Langley Rivermen moved one point closer to clinching a BCHL playoff berth Friday night in Langley
Their 3-2 loss in overtime to the Coquitlam Express gave the Rivermen a four-point gap over the Prince George Spruce Kings in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Coastal Conference.
That means the Rivermen will clinch eighth place if they manage to get a point Saturday in their final regular season game on home ice against the visiting Chilliwack Chiefs.
Either that or a Spruce Kings’ loss in either of their weekend games against the Powell River Kings at Kopar Memorial Arena will guarantee Langley will face first-place Chilliwack in the opening round of playoffs next weekend.
But if Langley (21-22-9-1) loses in regulation to the Chiefs on Saturday and the Spruce Kings win their final two games Saturday (6 p.m.) and Sunday (3 p.m.), Prince George (21-25-4-2) will get what it’s been after all season, a postseason berth.
If they end up tied in points with the Spruce Kings the Rivermen would be seeded ninth because they would have fewer wins than Prince George.
The Rivermen led Saturday’s game 1-0 after one period on a goal from Keenan Ingram and they took a 2-1 lead into the locker room after Ben Portner scored late in the second period to break a 1-1 deadlock after Nate Crema scored for the Express.
Trip Pendy scored the 2-2 equalizer for Coquitlam, 16:16 into the third period, and Thomas Zocco ended it with the only shot on goal in overtime, 55 seconds into the extra session.
Former Spruce King goalie Dylan Johnson made 38 savers in the Langley nets and was named the game’s second star. The Rivermen were outshot 41-29.
Fans attending Saturday’s Prince George-Powell River game might want to show up at the rink a few hours early to catch the Spruce Kings alumni game that starts at 3:45 p.m. That game will feature former NHL forward Dave “Tiger” Williams, still strutting his stuff at age 71. Williams was the guest panelist at the Spruce Kings gala awards banquet Friday night and the Courtyard by Marriott.
