The Prince George Spruce Kings have defeated the Coquitlam Express 5-2 in BCHL action.
The Coquitlam Express and Prince George Spruce Kings took to the ice in Burns Lake for the first game of the BCHL Road Show. After a day full of events around the community it was game time from the Tom Forsyth Memorial Arena between the two tops teams in the Coastal East Division. It’d be the Spruce Kings finding the back of the net first as Marcus Lougheed found his 15th of the season on the powerplay. It’d take only 1:32 before Lougheed would get another. As he finished off his 2nd powerplay goal of the period to put the Spruce Kings up 2-0. They’d be able to shut the door on Coquitlam through 20 minutes as they’d take their 2 goal lead to the dressing room.
The Express came out hot to start the 2nd period. And it’d take just 58 seconds for Tyler Chiovetti to work his way around the net and tuck in his 11th of the season to get the Express on the board and cut the lead to 1. Tai Ushio reinstated the Spruce Kings 2 goal lead with his 24th of the season, and Prince George’s lone even strength goal of the game. Shortly after a shot from the point off the stick of Jack L’Esperance found its way into the back of the net, as once again Coquitlam would begin to chop into the 2 goal lead. No teams could find a tide shifting goal through the back half of the 2nd period. As Coquitlam headed into the final frame down 3-2.
The game ramped up physically throughout the night. As both teams looked to take the first game of the Road Show. Powerplays were once again the driving force for Prince George in the final 20 minutes. As Carter Hesselgrave potted his 18th of the year on the man advantage to once again put the Spruce Kings back up by a pair. They wouldn’t look back from there, as with the goalie pulled and still shorthanded the Express looked to find one more to get them back in the game. But Hesselgrave picked up his 2nd of the period on the open net to ice game, as the Spruce Kings take game 1 of the Road Show by a score of 5-2.
The Express return to action against the Spruce Kings for the 2nd and final game of the Road Show tomorrow, Sunday February 15th for a 1:00 PM puck drop at Tom Forsyth Memorial Arena.
