Game Story

Surrey Eagles vs Prince George Spruce Kings Pre-Game Report

by Ryan Ho

Soaring Back Home

Surrey, BC – After 5 games on the road over the past 2 weeks, the Surrey Eagles (18-20-7) are back at the South Surrey Arena tonight as they get set to host their B.C Hockey League division rivals, the Prince George Spruce Kings (16-24-5). The Eagles went 3-1-1 on the road including beating the Spruce Kings twice in Prince George the last two times these teams met, however the Spruce Kings are coming off a huge win in Coquitlam and are just the 2nd team to beat the Express in their own building this season. With the Spruce Kings looking to make up ground in the Mainland Division, expect tonight to be a spirited affair.

With the Eagles getting healthier, there’s no word on who will get the start tonight. There will be a familiar face who also returns to the lineup, and you can check out our full roster for tonight’s game on our social media channels this evening.

Who To Watch Out For

The Eagles have dominated the Spruce Kings so far this season, compiling a 5-1 record against the defending Fred Page Cup champions. However, the Spruce Kings will come into tonight’s game with renewed confidence after such a monumental win against the best team in the BCHL this season. Look for Prince George to prove Wednesday wasn’t a fluke while they push to make up some lost ground. As far as who to watch for, the current BCHL player of the week will look to continue his hot stretch while a former foe for Prince George looks to continue his success against this Surrey team.

Surrey Eagles: Cristophe Tellier

Tellier was a force last week, with 7 points in 3 games, including 5 against the West Kelowna Warriors a week ago. Tellier also helped his captain Hudson Schandor record his 100th career BCHL point while potting 2 goals against his former team on Saturday. The Sherbrooke, Quebec native is up to 52 points in 45 games, good for 5th in the BCHL’s scoring race.

Prince George Spruce Kings: Nicholas Poisson

The Spruce Kings leading scorer has been their best player against the Eagles in their 6 match ups this year, giving his team multiple opportunities to beat their lower mainland foe. While it hasn’t resulted in much success against Surrey in Prince George, Poisson will look to continue his great season on the olympic sized ice sheet. Nicholas is up to 40 points in 40 games before he gets set to move onto Providence College next season.

3 Keys To The Game

It’s been a while since the Eagles have played on the olympic sized ice surface inside ‘The Nest’, but they’ll need to figure out how to be successful at home as the boys get prepared for the playoffs at the end of February. They’ve been great on the road, but need to improve their 6-8-4 record if they want to do anything in the playoffs. The Spruce Kings only win against Surrey came inside the South Surrey Arena, and the boys will need to follow these keys if they want to avoid that fate happening again.

  • Special Teams: As the Eagles continue to develop from a young team with potential to potential playoff power, the special teams will be a focus for this group. The last time these 2 teams played against each other, the Eagles powerplay scored 2 3rd period goals to propel the Eagles to a 4-1 win. Look for special teams to be a factor again as the Eagles look to close in on the .500 mark for the season.
  • 5 Man Offense: One of the strengths of this team is the offensive ability of this entire Eagles defense corps. With 4 defenders with 10 points or more (Alami has 9), they’ve been instrumental at helping the forwards generate offense. On the bigger ice surface, look for more of the same as the ability to constantly rotate players around the ice could create confusion against Prince George.
  • Good Goaltending: Something the Eagles can expect for the rest of the year will need to be a key for them tonight. Whether it’s Scarfone or Klassen, expect a strong start from the man in the crease as the boys look to continue their upwards ascent.

Summary

A home coming for the Eagles gets going as the boys will look to bury their northern division rivals in the standings. On the flip side, the Spruce Kings are looking to prove Wednesday night wasn’t a fluke and that they’re turning the corner as they get set for playoffs. This sets up a great night of hockey on a Friday night, between two mainland division rivals.

Tickets are still available for tonight’s game, but what if you can’t make it to the game tonight? You can catch the live broadcast on HockeyTV and Mixlr. The broadcast will start at 6:50pm, with the opening puck drop slated for 7:00pm from the South Surrey Arena.