Out with the old and in with the new.
Powell River Kings said good riddance to 2014 with a 3-2 overtime loss to Alberni Valley Bulldogs on New Year’s Eve, but rang in 2015 with a pair of wins: 6-3 over Victoria Grizzlies and 8-3 against Surrey Eagles.
December was a tough month for the Kings but after lengthy absences from Hap Parker Arena 11 of their 18 remaining games in league play will be enjoyed at home.
Last reported were two road losses on Vancouver Island to Cowichan Valley Capitals and Alberni but for the fourth time this season the Kings recovered with a strong effort in Victoria on Monday, December 29, to win the third game of a three-game road trip.
They dominated for most of it getting out to a 5-0 lead and eventually won 6-3 on Tony Devito’s first BC Hockey League goal, an empty-netter.
Kings returned home to host Alberni Valley on Wednesday, December 31, and predictably this was a nail-biter that needed overtime to determine a winner.
Alberni struck for the first two goals but JJ Coleshaw pulled the Kings to within one on the power play at 14:37 of the second period.
Lots of hard work and chances ensued but the Kings had to wait until they pulled Brett Magnus for an extra attacker to get the equalizer.
Jarid Lukosevicius got it in a scramble at 19:30 but the Kings became league leaders in the overtime loss column with eight, when Alberni scored at 0:31 to win 3-2.
As the teams jockey for playoff positions every game is a big one especially those between divisional rivals.
Grizzlies came to Hap Parker Arena on Saturday, January 3. Kings jumped out to a big lead, as they had in Victoria, and won decisively 4-1.
Liam Lawson, Jacob Pritchard and Lukosevicius with a pair, gave the Kings a 4-0 lead they protected until just nine seconds to go when Magnus lost his shutout bid.
Victoria didn’t take the back-to-back losses very well and each team received a couple of misconducts and fighting penalties which bodes well for hockey fans when the two rivals meet for a doubleheader this weekend.
On Sunday the Kings were hoping to even their series with the Eagles after a 4-3 overtime loss at South Surrey Arena in December.
Not so fast, said Surrey as they scored on a power play, shorthanded and even strength to stun the Kings 3-1 after one period.
The only bright light for the Kings was Rylan Ball’s first BCHL goal, a screen shot from the point on the power play. It was his second point of the weekend and in both games he looked right at home in a Kings’ uniform.
“Coleshaw kicked it off the wall and I saw an opening and just let her rip,” he said of his goal. “I don’t know if the goalie saw it, there was a lot of traffic in front.”
Kings regrouped between periods and rattled off six goals in the second period and another in third to rout the Eagles 8-3.
Curtis McCarrick led the way with a hat trick while Coleshaw, Carmine Buono, Pritchard and Lukosevicius each added singles.
McCarrick scored twice from close range but his first goal was a sniper’s delight.
“[Mitchell] Hawes fed it over to [Adam] Tracey on the far boards and I was the trailer,” he said. “Tracey hit me and I just tried to get it off as quick as I could. I think it was low, far pad and it obviously squeaked in.”
He also commented on the flat opening period and his team’s response.
“We didn’t have a very good first,” he admitted, “and we talked in the room about having to come out in the second a lot stronger. We need to fear losing and today was a big two points for us.”
Head coach and general manager Kent Lewis said, “You’ve got to take advantage of clubs on a tired day. We gave them life and we had to work real hard to take it away, so we did.”
Of the first period break, he said, “Coaches can take too much credit and too much blame but at the end of the day it’s kids, at this time of year, knowing how we have to play. It’s playing hungry and I think we showed that over two periods and good things happened.”
As mentioned, Grizzlies and the Kings are virtually tied in the standings and Victoria is the opposition at 7:15 pm on Friday, January 9, the night of the Kings Dream Lottery ticket draw, and again 5 pm on Saturday, January 10.
DIVISION: Island Division
TEAM GP W L T OTL PTS
Nanaimo 38 26 11 0 1 53
Powell River 40 18 14 0 8 44
Victoria 37 17 12 1 7 42
Alberni Valley 35 18 13 1 3 40
Cowichan Valley 41 15 24 1 1 32
