Kings take one of three on the road

After a wild start to their three-game road trip through the Interior conference the Prince George Spruce Kings settled down and split a pair of games in West Kelowna and Salmon Arm.

The Spruce Kings (12-7-1-3) fell 8-7 in Trail on Friday as the B.C. Hockey League teams combined for seven goals in 5:28 of the first period (Kings led 5-3) before the Smoke Eaters (11-13-0-1) outscored the visitors 4-2 to tie the game at 7-7 after 60 minutes.

It took double overtime until Valik Chichkin beat Spruce Kings goaltender Kirk Thompson with the Smokies 51st shot of the game for the win.

It was the Spruce Kings fourth straight loss. But the streak was snapped Saturday in West Kelowna as Liam McLeod stopped 33 shots in a 4-3 Spruce Kings win over the Warriors (10-6-1-5). The Warriors out shot the Kings 36-17. Jeremiah Luedtke had a three-point (one goal, two assists) while Ryan Keis, Skylar Pacheco and Sean Landrey had the other goals for the Spruce Kings. Luedtke also had a goal in Trail. Prince George native Seb Lloyd picked up two assists for West Kelowna.

The winning streak lasted less than 24 hours though as the Spruce Kings fell 4-3 on Sunday afternoon in Salmon Arm to the Silverbacks (8-11-1-3).

Thompson was back in net for Prince George and faced 30 shots compared to the 19 his teammates fired on Salmon Arm goalie Adam Clark.

Shayne Morrissey, Cameron Lawson and Bryant Christian scored for the Spruce Kings.

The Silverbacks were 2-for-4 on the power play.

Morrissey and Tyson Witala started the road trip with three points each in Trail.

After playing 14 of their 23 games away from the Coliseum the Spruce Kings begin a seven-game home stand this weekend against their Mainland division rival Surrey Eagles (13-7-0-2), Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m.