Hunter Findlater’s first BC Hockey League goal enabled Powell River Kings to salvage a single point in a 5-4 overtime loss to Alberni Valley Bulldogs on the weekend.
Findlater’s goal capped a comeback after falling behind 4-2 Sunday afternoon in Alberni but the tired Kings succumbed to the Bulldogs early in the first overtime period.
They opened the three-game road trip with their first overtime win in five tries in Cowichan, 2-1, on Friday, but lost the next night in Victoria 4-2.
After a successful pair of games against Nanaimo Clippers last weekend the Kings hit the road hoping to build on the back-to-back wins.
Unfortunately, they ran into three straight games where teams were hosting parents for the weekend and naturally their opposition wanted to leave a good impression.
Cowichan Valley Capitals, winners of just three games thus far, fell behind by a goal when Kurt Keats sparked his team to a 1-0 lead at 11:29 of the first period.
The Caps evened the score 1-1 midway through the second and in a rather uneventful game neither team could break the deadlock in regulation.
Kings got a break early in the first five-minute overtime when the Caps took a minor penalty and on the ensuing power play Jacob Pritchard, from just off to the side of the crease, squeezed around a defenceman and deked the goalie at 2:15.
Brett Magnus was, once again, very good in the net stopping 38 of 39 shots and he earned the start Saturday night in Victoria.
It was the first meeting of the year for these two clubs and Kings set the pace early with a Pritchard power-play goal just 0:52 seconds into the game and added another at 2:21 from Stephen Hiff.
Possibly lulled into a false sense of security with the early lead, Kings backed off and paid the price when the Grizzlies roared back with four unanswered goals, including an empty-netter, to complete the comeback 4-2.
Magnus was once again very good in goal with 32 saves in 35 shots, but he was given a rest for the third game in Alberni, in favour of Stefan Wornig.
After sitting out the last few weeks with an injury, Wornig was chomping at the bit to get into some action.
He recorded his first win in Duncan against the Capitals on September 28 but really turned the coaches’ heads when he came in to relieve Magnus and made saves on 17 of 18 shots against Prince George Spruce Kings on October 17.
Unfortunately, he suffered an injury in practice prior to his next scheduled start on October 19 and had been on the sidelines until Sunday’s game in Alberni.
Wornig was good again stopping 30 of 35 shots but his tired teammates, even after scoring first for the third game in a row, couldn’t hold onto the lead.
Hiff scored singles in the first and second period but the Bulldogs held a 4-2 lead after two periods and looked to be in full control entering the final frame.
Kings sucked it up for one more period, however, and in the last five minutes shocked the Bulldogs with a couple of late goals.
Keats moved into second place in the BC Hockey League with his 17th goal at 15:49 and then Findlater evened the score 4-4 with a long wrist shot at 16:51.
Unfortunately, the Bulldogs won when Kurt Gosselin slid around his check at the point and walked into the slot to beat Wornig at 0:27 of the first overtime.
Kings can park the bus in the garage for a while as they are home for the rest of November.
They began a six-game home stand when they hosted Alberni on Tuesday, November 11, and then Chilliwack Chiefs on Friday, November 14 at 7:15 pm at Hap Parker Arena.
