A quest to make the BC Hockey League (BCHL) playoffs continued for Powell River Kings at Cowichan Community Centre in Duncan on Friday, March 22.
Kings entered the contest, the third straight versus Cowichan Valley Capitals, after the teams split a two-game series in Powell River last weekend. At faceoff, Capitals held a four point lead in the race for the eighth and final postseason spot in the BCHL Coastal Conference.
Cowichan scored the only goal of the first period, then jumped out to a 2-0 lead early in period two before Powell River's Will Jones set up Jaxon Fuder's sixth goal of the season on a power play to cut the deficit in half. Capitals responded with a pair of power play goals to go up 4-1, their second and third of the game with the extra attacker, but the Kings made it 4-2 after 40 minutes courtesy of an unassisted marker from Lucas LeBlanc.
Penalties continued to be a factor in the third period. Jones assisted on Anthony Lucarelli's 21st goal of the season, then Fuder and Christian Maro combined to set up Zander Stewart's sixth, both of which came while a Cowichan player was in the penalty box. Fuder's third point on the night came 6:44 into the period when he recorded an assist on Maro's go-ahead goal, which gave the visitors a 5-4 lead.
Capitals knotted the score at five goals apiece with just under five minutes to play, again on a power play, their fourth in five opportunities. Kings were successful on three of five power plays in the game.
Anthony Yu, from Wyatt Davis, scored the eventual game winner at even strength with 2:09 remaining in the game. Fuder sealed the win for Powell River with an empty-net goal. Attendance was 1,352.
Both teams have three games remaining in the regular season. Kings play in Port Alberni tonight (March 23), before a trip to the interior to finish their schedule at West Kelowna (March 29) and Vernon (March 30). Capitals host Coquitlam tonight and have two more home games versus Chilliwack (March 29) and Surrey (March 30).
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