With three games remaining, the Prince George Spruce Kings need a minor miracle to squeak into the BCHL playoffs.
This after the Spruce Kings fell 4-3 in a shootout to the Chilliwack Chiefs on Saturday.
However, the worst news came in Alberta where the Langley Rivermen dumped the Spruce Grove Saints by a 3-1 margin extending their upper-hand on eighth place in the Coastal Conference to five points.
PG and Chilliwack traded first period goals five minutes apart courtesy of Trent Ballentyne (Spruce Kings) and Dru Mushumaski (Chiefs).
A boarding penalty by Mason Loewen led to a Chiefs power-play goalie by Connor Dick putting the hosts up 2-1 – 2:43 into the second period.
Brock Cummings and Owen Goodbrand lit the lamp twice in a span of six minutes for PG.
Cummings connected on a Trent LeDrew pass while Goodbrand finished off a play from Carter Hesselgrave.
The bad blood between these two long-time rivals would reach a fever pitch in the final minute of the second period.
Chilliwack defenceman Ty Campbell was given a five-minute major for an illegal check to the head followed by a cross-checking minor and a game misconduct targeting LeDrew and Spruce Kings captain Linden Makow.
Unable to capitalize, Brady Milburn tied the game at 3-3 as his 20th of the season beating Charles-Edward Gravel at 5:17 of the third stanza.
A 10-minute, three-on-three overtime session solved nothing leading to a shootout.
Mateo Mrsic scored the winner in the fifth round to improve the Chiefs record to 35-12-5-0.
Chilliwack outshot the Spruce Kings 44-32. The Chiefs went 1-for-4 on the power-play while the PG was 0-for-5.
Gravel made 40 saves in the defeat while Sebastien Gatto (Chiefs) stopped 29 pucks for the victory.
PG drops to 20-25-4-2 and must win their final three games and hope the Rivermen (21-22-8-1) drop their last two contests to claim eighth place.
The Spruce Kings complete their three-game Lower Mainland trip with a matinee against the Surrey Eagles (29-17-5-0). Puck drop is at 3pm.
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