Upon first look at the stats, the first-round BC Hockey Island Division playoff series between Powell River Kings and Cowichan Valley Capitals favours the hometown green and gold.
The Kings finished the regular season 21 points ahead of the Capitals. The Powell River team has three of the top 10 scorers in the league in Jonny Evans, Tristan Mullin and Cam Donaldson. Cowichan has none.
The goaltending edge also favours the Kings with Brian Wilson and Mitch Adamyk affording head coach Kent Lewis confidence in either to start and win games, as the tandem proved during the regular season.
With the late season additions of two big players on defence, Matthew Cairns, an NHL draft pick, and Carmine Buono, the Kings have the talent and depth to win the series.
Yet, through the regular season, the Kings had more trouble against the Capitals than any of its other BC Hockey League (BCHL) Island Division rivals. The Kings took three of eight games played between the teams, suggesting a far more even matchup. According to head coach Kent Lewis and players, the first round will be tough.
“When you talk to either Kent, assistant coach Brock Sawyer or the players they’ll always say whenever they play Cowichan they’re playing down to their level,” said Kings director of broadcasting Craig Beauchemin. Beauchemin joined the organization this year and did the team’s play-by-play for all 58 regular season games.
“The Kings know they’re a better team than Cowichan,” said Beauchemin. “They have to stay away from getting involved in the physical stuff after the whistles. That might be the big problem with the Kings when they play the Capitals.”
In terms of penalty minutes, Lewis said his team is one of the most disciplined teams in the league, and its power play is second best.
Beauchemin said he thought a win the last game of the season against Cowichan on Sunday, February 26, could have given the Kings confidence heading into the playoffs, but the team ended up losing to Cowichan by a score of 3-1.
Home-ice advantage
By virtue of their second-place finish in the Island Division standings, the Kings get home-ice advantage, which, according to Lewis, isn’t an advantage.
“To win a championship, you have to be as good on the road as you are at home,” said Lewis. “I don’t care where it is, if you’re playing in a gravel parking lot, you’ve got to be better.”
The best-of-seven series will begin at 7 pm on Friday, March 3, at Hap Parker Arena. After game two, scheduled for 5 pm on Saturday, March 4, the series shifts to Cowichan for three games on March 7, 8 and 9. Kings host last two games, if necessary, at 7 pm on Saturday, March 11, and 5 pm on Sunday, March 12.
Confidence and comparison
According to forward Tristan Mullin, the 2016-17 version of the Kings has scoring depth, it’s a veteran team and solid throughout the lineup.
“Compared to last year. we’re a year older, another year wiser,” said Mullin, a playoff veteran in his last year of junior eligibility.
Kings captain Jake Kohlhauser said the team is positive and excited about the playoffs.
“We definitely have confidence in ourselves,” said Kohlhauser. “We know the kind of group we have and we know what we have to do to be successful.”
Forward Liam Lawson, who has gone to the postseason with the Kings in the last three years, said he has a good feeling about this year’s team.
“This team has really come together at the right time,” said Lawson, “and I think we’ve got a good shot at it if we play like we can.”
The coach, on the other hand, said he can’t compare this year with his 2015-16 playoff team that went out in four straight division final losses to Nanaimo.
“Different teams,” said Lewis. “Each team has its own makeup. Each team has its own identity. Each team will carve its own path. We’re in a new season now. This is what we’ve training for. This is what the regular season is for. It’s not like we have to change anything; we’ve been consistent the last two months.”
Front end
Led by Evans and Mullin, each with 36 goals, the Kings have scoring punch. Donaldson, who was nominated last week for BCHL rookie of the year and most sportsmanlike player, was the number one rookie scorer in the league, at 69 points with 32 goals and 37 assists.
However, it’s not only the top scorers who give strength and depth to the kings offence, according to Beauchemin.
“You look at a guy like Gavin Rauser, who can have a big impact on the ice, not only providing some secondary depth scoring, but also a guy who does get involved and gets under the skin of opposing players,” he said.
Beauchemin said players such as Rauser are needed in the playoffs.
“It’s not about who can score the most,” he said.
Blueliners
The Kings have won 16 games and lost three since Christmas after the team acquired Cairns, picked in the third round of the 2016 NHL draft by the Edmonton Oilers, and Buono.
“People knew that Cairns was going to be a high-profile guy being drafted into the NHL,” said Beauchemin. “He’s done exactly that. He’s the guy who is quarterbacking the power play and he’s out there killing penalties. He rushes the puck up the ice and throws his big body around.”
With those two additions, along with veterans Johan Steen and captain Kohlhauser, Beauchemin said the Kings have one of the top defence rosters in the league.
Between the pipes
Beauchemin said he thinks Lewis will start with his veteran Wilson in goal, but he does have the luxury of Adamyk.
Wilson played 38 games for the Kings and finished sixth among the league’s top goalies with 22 wins, 11 losses, one tie, a save percentage of .917 and a goals against average of 2.70.
“The way Wilson has stepped up and taken that number-one role as a veteran this year, and the way he’s been playing down the stretch, he’s shown, ‘I’m the guy,’” said Beauchemin.
Beauchemin said if Wilson falters in the first round, Adamyk will be ready to go.
“Mitch is a young guy. He’s a big-time competitor,” said Beauchemin. “If they have to go to Mitch, I don’t think that would be a problem.”
First-round predictions
The players said they are expecting a tough series against the Capitals.
“Cowichan is going to be really physical; not a ton of structure,” said Lawson. “They’re just going to come at you and you have to be smart and hungry.”
Neither the players nor the coaches will offer any predictions, other than Lewis, who said the matchup against Cowichan will be fun and exciting.
Beauchemin said he predicts the Kings will take the first round because the team is better in all categories, scoring, defence and goaltending.
“I don’t think they’re going to have trouble getting through the first round,” said Beauchemin. “If it’s Cowichan, it might go six. I think the Kings can outlast Cowichan.”
