Any crime show watcher will know that when an individual is down with an injury someone will shout “Get a bus.” Powell River Kings now know where this practice comes from.
So far this season, the Kings have been packing the injured around the province at such a ridiculous rate that even their ironman driver, Norm Philip, spent a few nights in Penticton Regional Hospital.
That’s not to say that the Kings are leaning heavily on their crutches but two more road losses, 2-1 in Prince George to the Spruce Kings and 4-2 to Merritt Centennials, have added to their misery early in the season.
Matt Scarth, Brian Rideout, Jordan Paddock, Matt Quilty and JJ Coleshaw all stayed home from the lengthy two-game road trip to the Interior. Kings went with a short bench against Prince George on Friday and added affiliate player Daniell Lange of the Richmond Sockeyes in Merritt Saturday.
The pair of kings played evenly in the opening period at the Coliseum in Prince George but Powell River opened the scoring when Jarryd Leung carried the puck down the right wing to the face-off circle and wired a wrist shot in off the post.
The 1-0 lead lasted until the opening minute of the second period when Prince George tied early at 0:56 seconds and then went ahead for good at 3:02.
Winning teams like to talk about playing a full 60 minutes but the Kings, in their present ambulatory condition, need to do that more than ever.
Defensive breakdowns, such as the two-on-one on the winning goal, will eventually bite and the team simply must trust its systems until players are healthy.
Shots aren’t always an indicator of dominance, but Kings like to use that statistic as a barometer of the team’s performance.
In this game they were outshot by Prince George 31-16 and pointed to starter Braeden Ostepchuk as a key to keeping them in it.
As it was, Ostepchuk, despite playing well, is still winless and so are the Kings away from home.
They sped down to Merritt the next day to meet the only team to beat them at home this year, a 2-1 defeat just a week ago.
Kings came out with a vengeance early and struggling marksmen Teagan Waugh and Evan Richardson both had great chances to record their first goals but didn’t.
Just like the Spruce Kings the night before, after a scoreless first period, the Cents scored two quick goals in the second period before the Kings’ James Neil benefitted from a blown offside call and closed the gap to 2-1.
The glimpse of a comeback was short-lived however, when the Centennials added an insurance goal before the end of the second period and then a fourth in the third.
Kings’ Matt Joyaux closed the gap to 4-2 late, but despite pulling the goalie, Kings suffered their 10th loss in 14 games.
Given the schedule, injuries and a huge turnover this year the Kings are facing challenges unlike any in recent memory.
Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi said, after losing captain Derek Jeter for the remainder of the season, “We have an opportunity to do something great and we’ve got to find a way to get things done.”
Kings coach and general manager Kent Lewis has been saying the same thing for a few weeks now and his Kings need to respond with a grittier effort and eliminate costly mistakes.
“We have had a tough schedule and we have had injuries—so what,” he said. “That just means you work harder.”
His words and further inspiration by a visit from former Vancouver Canuck captain Trevor Linden on Friday just might be enough when the Kings host Cowichan Valley Capitals at 7:30 pm on Friday, October 19 and then Chilliwack Chiefs at 1:30 pm on Sunday, October 20.
Before those two home games, Kings visit first place Alberni Valley Bulldogs Thursday evening.
