Chad Staley scored with just over five minutes remaining as the Prince George Spruce Kings knocked off the Langley Rivermen 4-3 in a first-place showdown.
The game was played Nov. 21 at the Langley Events Centre.
The victory opens up a three-point lead for Prince George atop the B.C. Hockey League’s Mainland Division as the Spruce Kings (15-8-2-2) have 34 points and Langley (14-9-1-2) has 31. The Rivermen do hold a game in hand.
Langley has just one win in its past six games (1-4-0-1).
After the Spruce Kings’ Braiden Epp opened the scoring less than two minutes into the game, James Robinson notched a power-play goal to tie things up at one before the first intermission.
Matt Ustaski gave the Rivermen their first and only lead of the night early in the second period but 60 seconds later, Christian Weidauer had knotted the score at two.
And in the third, Prince George’s Matt Painchaud and Langley’s Marcus Vela traded goals before Staley netted the winner.
Jesse Jenks made 21 saves in the win while Steve Myland took the loss after a 23-save performance.
Vela has been on a tear for the Rivermen, notching six goals and one assist in his past six games.
•••••
Up next for the Rivermen is a home game Nov. 22 against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks at the LEC and then a road game at Chilliwack’s Prospera Centre against the Chiefs on Nov. 23.
