Mateo Mrsic scored the deciding goal in the shootout to give the Chilliwack Chiefs a 4-3 win over the Prince George Spruce Kings in a thrilling hockey game on Saturday night at the Chilliwack Coliseum.
Prince George got on the board first just 4:53 into the game as Trent Ballentyne got a pass from Nick Metelkin on the rush and his wrister beat Sebastian Gatto to open the scoring. Nicolas Papineau drew the second assist.
The Chiefs responded at 9:53 after Brendan Gillmore was boarded in the corner, and as he was down on the ice, Jayden Veney’s shot was put home by Dru Mushumanski to tie the game. The Spruce Kings defender played a couple more shifts in the first before leaving the game.
Early on in the second period, Connor Dick’s shot just crept over the goal line on the power play as the Chiefs took a 2-1 lead in the first two minutes of the middle frame. Ty Campbell and Connor Arsenault had the assists.
The Spruce Kings responded at 10:25 as Brock Cummings deflected a Trent LeDrew point shot past Gatto. The play was set up by Kazumo Sasaki buzzing around the entire offensive zone, before coming around the net and finding LeDrew up top.
That theme continued as the second period did, with Mason Loewen and Carter Hesselgrave going to work before Hesselgrave found Owen Goodbrand at the point, and his shot went off the glove of Gatto to give the Spruce Kings a 3-2 lead.
The game took a feisty turn with one minute left in the period, as Campbell was assessed a minor for cross-checking plus a major for a blow to the head and game misconduct after delivering numerous cross-checks to Spruce Kings captain Linden Makow. The Spruce Kings were unable to capitalize though, going 0 for 5 on the man advantage in the game.
The Chiefs tied it at 5:17 of the third as Brady Milburn’s 20th of the season beat Charles Gravel from Olivier Beaulieu and Dick.
There would be no more scoring in the period, as the Chiefs out shot the Spruce Kings 12-5 in the frame and 38-28 through 60.
As the teams headed to overtime, the extra frame featured zero whistles and 10 shots on goal, as Gatto and Gravel traded saves, with Gravel making six big stops to Gatto’s four.
The shootout saw no scoring through the first three rounds, before Adam Boatter and Owen Goodbrand traded goals in the fourth round. In the fifth round, Milburn beat Gravel to the glove side, and Metelkin was stopped as the Chiefs celebrated.
Prince George heads into Surrey on Sunday afternoon at 3:00 pm (Watch on FloHockey/Listen at www.sprucekings.mixlr.com) needing at least a point, but more than likely two as the Langley Rivermen swept their Alberta road trip. The Spruce Kings are 5 points back with 3 games to play. The Rivermen play Coquitlam and Chilliwack next weekend, while the Spruce Kings face off against the Powell River Kings.
