Powell River Kings embarked on a three-division road trip last week and, as they rumbled through the difficult schedule, lost some more players and games.
Already down a handful of starters, they lost a couple more players in the first game against Alberni Valley Bulldogs but they won 3-2 in overtime. However, they lost the second game against Langley Rivermen 8-5 and the third in Vernon against the Vipers 5-2.
Kings would never use injuries as an excuse but this is a young team that needs its leaders and integral pieces to compete.
It also helps to have a goaltender who is piping hot and that’s what they got in Alberni when they faced the Bulldogs on Thursday night, December 18.
Brett Magnus faced seven shots in the opening minutes but withstood the barrage until the Kings could get their first.
Captain JJ Coleshaw made it count on a perfect pass from Jacob Pritchard to shock the Bulldogs who were feeling pretty good about the way things were going.
Actually, Kings were outshot 49-34 in the game but played within themselves behind the goaltending of Magnus and got another goal from Coleshaw to tie 2-2 at the end of regulation.
Early in the first overtime Coleshaw and Pritchard were working over Bulldogs’ defenceman Kurt Gosselin behind the net and Pritchard came out with the puck and lifted home the winner at 0:35.
It was a big win for the Kings and the first time they’ve won the opener of a three-game road trip, but unfortunately it came at a cost.
Jonny Evans and Austin Kamer were added to the list of the scratches for the immediate future and a long road trip was about to get even longer.
Coaches scrambled to schedule a couple of affiliate players in an attempt to plug some more holes but as they found out against Langley on Friday it’s difficult to play a system with so many missing parts.
Kings had a similar start to the night before. They were outplayed early but Magnus was sharp and Coleshaw, once again, scored to put them up 1-0 after one period.
Somebody must have thrown a switch between periods, however, when a defensive game became a free for all that resulted in Magnus’s departure with the score 6-3 early in the third period and eventually a Langley 8-5 win.
Mitchell Hawes and Pritchard each added a pair of goals in the shootout but the Kings were outshot 43-34 and just didn’t have the guns to win this battle.
With one more game to go before Christmas break the Kings faced nemesis Vernon on Saturday night.
The game was scheduled to start at 6 pm but a traffic accident, which had happened between Kelowna and Vernon, delayed the referees and the game a half hour.
Despite being outshot 20-4 in the first period, Kings survived the onslaught with a great effort from goaltender Stefan Wornig and a goal from Jarid Lukosevicius for a 1-1 tie.
Kings stepped it up in the shots department 15-15 in the second but fell behind 3-1 with a couple of well-placed wrist shots on Wornig.
Fatigue started to show in the third period as the Kings mustered just six shots and another goal from Lukosevicius but fell 5-2 to the Vipers.
This was not exactly the way they wanted to go into the Christmas break, but hopefully the short five days off will be enough to rejuvenate and allow some of the players to get back in the lineup.
They will need as many hands on deck as possible when they resume play with four games in five nights.
They visit Alberni Valley on Saturday, December 27, then Cowichan Capitals at 2 pm on Sunday, December 28, and Victoria Grizzlies on Monday, December 29, before returning home to play New Year’s Eve against Alberni, 5 pm at Hap Parker Arena.
Amidst all the bruises, bumps and exhaustion, head coach and general manager Kent Lewis wanted to talk more about the Kings’ supporting staff, billets, volunteers and fans.
“For everybody involved with the Kings,” he wished, “have a great Christmas and a very good New Year.”
