Someone should have called conservation officers to Hap Parker Arena over the weekend because there were 17 bears in serious trouble.
Had they arrived they would have found the Victoria Grizzlies already asleep and succumbing to a 13-1 drubbing on Saturday and 6-0 shutout on Sunday afternoon at the hands of Powell River Kings.
The two lopsided victories were predictable due to the BCHL playoff format this year and Victoria’s subsequent dismantling on January 10, the trade deadline.
Since then the Grizzlies have one win in 14 games and suffer serious embarrassment on the scoreboard 107-35.
The games still have to be played however and credit goes to the Kings for a strong effort and impressive 63-8 shot advantage in the first game.
Scorers were Matt Scarth and Brendon MacDonald with three, Teagan Waugh a pair and singles from Brandon Tidy, JP Villeneuve, Jarryd Leung, Steven Schmidt and Teal Burns.
Defenceman Jordan Benton said, “We had to go out and play our game and that is to be good in our own zone and work them down low. We knew they were short so we could work them and that obviously happened because we showed our offensive talents tonight.
“After the first period we wanted to keep the shots as low as we could,” he said of the single digit statistic, “because going into the playoffs it’s all about possession. If we can keep the puck in their zone and not allow shots it gives us a better chance to win games.”
Kings weren’t quite as sharp in the second game less than 24 hours later but then neither were the Grizzlies.
Kings’ Waugh, Villeneuve, Cohen Adair and Craig Dalrymple each had a goal with Scarth getting his fourth and fifth of the weekend.
Jonah Imoo had some difficult stops to make in his 13-save shutout performance but he said 21 saves in two games isn’t as easy as it looks.
“Going in I knew there wouldn’t be that much action,” he said, “but those are the tough ones because you’ve got to be focused. I just made sure I followed the play the whole time and kept moving.”
He earned his shutout in the second period when he stoned the Grizzlies after a flurry of shots on his doorstep.
“I don’t know where they went,” he said of his defencemen’s absence, “but that happens when you don’t get shots for a period of time and then all of a sudden you get three quick ones like that. That’s why you have to stay focused.”
Someone else who was focused and has been since he arrived in Powell River was MacDonald who is finding hockey life pretty good with his new team.
“My style of play definitely fits in with how these guys play,” he said. “It’s been an easy transition for me switching teams. The coaches have been awesome and they are by far some of the best in the league. I just really like playing here.” MacDonald has scored eight of his nine goals this year with the Kings.
Playoffs may be seven games and a few weeks away but a playoff nemesis, Vernon Vipers, comes to Powell River to play at 7:30 pm on Saturday, February 25.
This game and a very special ceremony to honour Joe Mastrodonato guarantees fun and excitement for Kings fans.
