Clearly, the Powell River Kings gave it all they had last weekend but the schedule, ferries and injuries finally got the best of them.
They fell behind by two goals in all three games but came back to win in Cowichan 5-4 in double overtime against the Capitals, lost to Nanaimo Clippers 4-3 in double overtime and ran out of gas in a nail-biter in Alberni Valley Bulldogs 6-4.
Kings’ new year optimism for a healthy run to the post season has taken a hit with injuries to Ryan Scarfo, Matt Scarth, Stephen Hiff, Jordan Burns and Luke Ripley but hockey games still have to be played and affiliates Bo Lewis, Jake Calverley, Garrett Dunlop and Eric Margo rounded out the weekend’s roster.
Off the Kings went for the second week in a row for the first of three games in three days and they got off to a great start in Cowichan.
JJ Coleshaw and Luke Nogard put them up 2-0 after the first period but Cowichan roared back with three goals in the second and another one at 0:36 seconds of the third to lead 4-2.
Cue the comeback, with a powerplay goal from Kurt Keats at 5:45 and then with an extra attacker, Jarid Lukosevicius tied it 4-4 at 18:53.
The first overtime didn’t solve anything but the second three-on-three overtime period was a thriller.
Right from the faceoff Cowichan’s Brayden Gelsinger had a step on Kings’ defenceman Aidan Wright and was closing in on the Kings’ Jonah Imoo.
Wright dove and struck the puck first and the legs of Gelsinger second but the referee saw it differently and signalled a penalty shot at 0:12 seconds.
Imoo got a piece of Gelsinger’s shot from six feet out and the faceoff went back to centre.
This time the Kings got possession and Keats moved it to Brian Rideout who, on the two on one, slipped it over to Lukosevicius and he one-timed the winner at 0:27 seconds.
The comeback win was well-deserved for the Kings who outshot Cowichan 42-28 and except for the middle period really dominated the game.
The players travelled up to Nanaimo on Saturday where the Clippers were waiting to avenge a 2-1 come-from-behind win at the hands of the Kings last week.
Kings outshot Nanaimo 18-9 in the opening period but came away empty while Nanaimo beat Jeff Smith twice to lead 2-0.
Keats scored at 1:28 of the second and then, while shorthanded, he and Lukosevicius had nothing but daylight from their own blue line to complete a pretty passing play and tie 2-2.
It was a nice response by the Kings but spoiled at 18:57 when Nanaimo also scored shorthanded to lead 3-2 after two.
Keats, a workhorse all weekend, pulled the Kings even 3-3 when he poked in his second of the game but this time Nanaimo was the victor in double overtime at 4:36.
After a couple of very intense double-overtime games the question would be “how much more did the Kings have to give?”
They arrived in Port Alberni knowing that the Bulldogs were scratching and clawing for the last playoff spot in the division with Cowichan but they weren’t prepared for the onslaught that started at 1:30 pm on Sunday.
Kings’ goaltender Smith had registered three shutouts against the Bulldogs so far this year and they had scored just two goals against the Kings all year.
On Sunday the Bulldogs scored twice on their first three shots, one at 0:25 and the next at 2:45, and once again the Kings were faced with an uphill climb.
Lukosevicius popped in a powerplay goal at 4:40 to close the gap 2-1 after one period but the Bulldogs restored the two-goal lead 3-1 with the only goal of the second.
Bulldogs had blown a two-goal lead over West Kelowna Warriors the night before so they increased the lead 5-1 with a couple of early third period goals.
To the Kings’ credit the tired team mounted a comeback that put a scare into the Bulldogs and life into the Kings’ bench.
Cole Arcuri got it started with his first as a King at 8:27 and they closed to 5-4 with goals by Keats and Coleshaw at 17:12 and 17:46.
Bulldogs may have bent but they didn’t break when they scored at 17:54 and held on for the 6-4 win.
Considering the circumstances, Kings played very well and the three points leave them atop the island division and just two points behind Langley Rivermen for the league lead with three games in hand.
This weekend they host Cowichan for a pair of games starting at 7:30 pm on Friday, January 31, and 5 pm Saturday, February 1, at Hap Parker Arena.
