The Vernon Vipers were out-shot by the Prince George Spruce Kings 43-10 Friday night, and the final score reflected the shot totals.
The Spruce Kings snapped a seven game losing streak with a 5-1 win at home versus the Vipers.
While the shots were lopsided, so were the penalties. The Spruce Kings were awarded 12 powerplays, scoring on three of them, while the Vipers were on the man advantage just once.
The Vipers got on the board first as Ryan Shostak left the penalty box and skated into the attacking zone, receiving a pass from JoJo Tanaka-Campbell before roofing it top corner on goaltender Aaron Trotter for a 1-0 lead.
In the second period, Vipers goalie Ethan David stopped a point shot by Colton Cameron but after a couple rebound attempts, John Herrington buried the puck to tie the game at one goal apiece.
The scoring picked up in the third period and it was all Spruce Kings. Herrington scored his second of the night and 23rd of the season early on the powerplay. Nick Rheaume then scored back-to-back powerplay goals to extend the lead to 4-1.
With five minutes to go, Dylan Schives received a pass from Cameron and rushed up the left wing into the offensive zone. He then fired it glove side on David to bring the game to its 5-1 final score.
The win brought the Spruce Kings up to a tie in points with the West Kelowna Warriors for third place in the B.C. Hockey League Interior division, though the Warriors have three games in hand.
The Vipers sit in sixth place in the Interior, five points back of the Cranbrook Bucks with a game in hand.
The Vipers are back in action Sunday, March 13, against Cranbrook at Kal Tire Place. The puck drops at 2 p.m.
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