After launching puck after puck on Trail Smoke Eaters netminder Adam Marcoux, the dam finally broke and led to a dominant Prince George Spruce Kings victory.
Led by captain Ben Poisson, the Spruce Kings smothered the visitors into submission in front of 758 fans at the Rolling Mix Concrete Arena, skating to a 4-1 win on Wednesday.
After neither team got much traction in the opening 20 minutes, the floodgates finally opened in the middle frame as a 17-shot second period led to a pair of quick goals from Poisson and local product Corey Cunningham who started the offensive surge by putting the puck into a yawning cage.
The 17-year-old returned to the lineup after missing the past five games due to concussion like symptoms after a blocking a shot off the head earlier this month against the Penticton Vees.
Cunningham was fueled even further to succeed after going through a personal tragedy earlier in the week.
“I felt pretty good. I was playing for my grandmother who passed away on Monday so I just played my heart out for her.”
Shortly after his goal, Poisson lit the lamp less than two minutes later against Marcoux with a big-league shot going bar down.
“Earlier on the game I was coming through the middle and Max (Coyle) was on that and he probably could have hit me on that same type of play and he said sorry Benny, and then on the next one it worked out.”
The two-quick markers provided the Spruce Kings a collective sigh on the bench after Marcoux stoned the hosts on their first 20 attempts during the opening 30 minutes.
“Obviously we were getting a lot of good shots and he was playing well and then when Corey got one that opened up the floodgates.”
“We’ve been in games like that where were not scoring until the second or third period so we’re used to it and we were not going to change our game, we were playing fine and once we got one it worked out for us.”
Poisson added another in the third period while Dylan Anhorn iced the game on the power-play for the Spruce Kings who outshot Trail 35-18.
The win keeps Prince George within two points of the Chilliwack Chiefs for the Mainland Division lead, both teams play each other Friday and Saturday in Chilliwack.
“We haven’t seen them since the first weekend of the season so a lot of guys probably don’t remember what it’s going to be like so we’re going to have to work pretty hard and everyone is excited to prove themselves that we’re going to be the number one team this year.”
The Spruce Kings are 10-3-0-0 at the RMCA this season.
Logan Neaton ranks at the top of the goalie standings for Prince George with a record of 15-3-0-1 coupled with a BCHL-best 1.93 GAA and a .913 save percentage.
Trail forward and ex-Spruce King Layne Sniher did not play in his return to the northern capital after being dealt for Sean Donaldson.
Former PG Cougar Max Kryski was held pointless for the Smoke Eaters.
