When all was said and done, Powell River Kings came up short by just one goal. In the deciding game of the best-of-seven BC Hockey League Island Division final in Victoria on Monday, March 27, Powell River Kings fell 2-1 to Victoria Grizzlies in double overtime.
“The kids battled,” said Kings head coach Kent Lewis. “It was a good effort.”
Veteran forward Curtis McCarrick, playing in his final game for the Kings, scored the lone goal for the visitors on a power play, 5:55 into the first period. McCarrick’s fourth goal of the playoffs was assisted by Cam Donaldson and Jonny Evans.
Grizzlies tied the game in the last minute of the first period. Not only were the second and third periods scoreless, no penalties were called.
The score remained unchanged until Grizzlies scored just less than a minute into the second overtime period.
“You can’t win a playoff game with one power play goal,” said Lewis. “You have to find five-on-five goals. We didn’t and they found one more than we did.”
Shots on goal in the final game were even at 37 for each team.
Goaltending played a critical role in all seven games. The series featured three overtime games and the starting goaltenders for both teams each recorded a shutout.
Lewis said his starting goalie, Brian Wilson, was excellent throughout the final series and during the first-round sweep of Cowichan Valley Capitals.
Playing the final year of his junior-hockey eligibility, Wilson ended the playoffs with two shutouts, a goals-against average of 2.08 and a .935 save percentage.
Evans was the Kings top scorer in the playoffs with seven goals and seven assists, followed by his linemate Cam Donaldson, who scored five times and added five assists.
Kings had a chance to end the series at home on Saturday, March 25. Leading three games-to-two, the team lost 4-2 at Hap Parker Arena in front of 1,461 hometown fans. After charging out to a 2-0 lead after the first period on goals by Donaldson and Josh Coblenz, Kings were unable to find the back of the Grizzlies net again.
“It was a real rollercoaster game,” said Lewis. “It ended up maybe being our downfall.”
