With the playoffs just around the corner one would think that Powell River Kings would want to finish the regular season firing on all cylinders.
Instead they slipped into neutral last weekend with three straight losses, sending them out of the Canadian Junior Hockey League standings. They lost 5-2 to Coquitlam Express, 5-4 to Cowichan Capitals and 4-3 to Victoria Grizzlies, and now have just seven games left to be the number one seed in the playoffs.
That’s important because home ice is such a big advantage in this year’s playoff format.
Situational lapses in each of the games opened the door for the opposition and all three of them walked right through.
Against Coquitlam on Friday, Kings’ Jeremy Leclerc scored to give his team a lead at 4:37 and a solid first period thrilled one of the largest crowds of the year.
Kings appeared to sit on the lead in the second period against the highest scoring team in the league and paid the price when Coquitlam outshot them 15-9 and scored three unanswered goals including one shorthanded.
Kings’ Luke McCaw scored on a terrific individual effort at 11:35 to get his team back in it but Luke Ripley hit a forward high at 18:33 and the Express didn’t even wait for the powerplay as they scored on the delayed call to make it 4-2 and then added an empty-netter.
Despite scoring a great goal McCaw wasn’t smiling after the game. “We’ve got to learn to work hard every night, play our game and work a full 60,” he said.
Saturday they journeyed to Duncan where they fell behind 4-1 to the Capitals after two periods.
Jonah Imoo struggled through 35 minutes, allowing four goals in 16 shots before Jeff Smith came on in relief.
Kings turned the corner in the third period when Stephen Hiff, Drew Dorantes and JJ Coleshaw scored to tie the game 4-4 but for the second game in a row Ripley took a penalty late in the game and Cowichan got the powerplay winner at 19:36.
Disappointed and tired, Kings took on Victoria the next day at 1 pm.
Fireworks between the two teams fighting for top spot in the division started with the opening faceoff when Dorantes and Storm Wahlrab of the Grizzlies dropped their gloves.
Grizzlies apparently drew more inspiration from the fight however, when they scored twice to lead 2-0 after the first period.
Kings bounced back on goals from Curtis McCarrick and Dorantes before things got really interesting late in the third.
Lucas Grayson was nailed in the back near the boards and retaliated with a slash that got him a five-minute major and game misconduct at 14:20.
Kings killed four minutes of it but finally Leo Fitzgerald scored to put the Grizzlies up 3-2 at 18:15.
Jarid Lukosevicius put the Kings in a deeper hole with a goaltender interference penalty at 19:31 but the Kings fought through the adversity.
From the faceoff deep in the Kings end, Kyle Chatham fed Ryan Scarfo who gave it to Dorantes on the right wing and he threw the puck to the net where Chatham poked it in to tie the game shorthanded 3-3 at 19:43.
Kings salvaged what could be a huge point but Grizzlies, still on the powerplay in overtime, scored the 4-3 winner at 0:49.
It was a disappointing weekend on so many levels but the Kings still have seven games to work things out.
“We’re a good hockey team,” said coach and general manager Kent Lewis, “but we try to tell them only one other team in the history of this franchise has captured first overall which means you’ve got to be good and consistent. This group hasn’t dealt with the street fight yet and the urgency you need for what’s to come.”
Kings are in Alberni Valley tonight, Wednesday, February 12, and return to Powell River to host Merritt at 7:30 pm on Friday, February 14 and Alberni at 6:30 pm on Saturday, February 15.