361 days. That’s how long it has been since Keyvan Mokhtari scored a double overtime, game-winning goal for Victoria Grizzlies to eliminate Powell River Kings from the BC Hockey League Island Division final last season.
This year, Kings forward Ben Berard flipped the script and ended the Grizzlies season with an overtime winner of his own in game five in Victoria on March 23.
“Carms [Carmine Buono] took a shot that went wide, then Neil Samanski went in to get it behind the net,” said Berard about the game winner. “Carter Turnbull came out of a puck battle and made a great pass to me and I got the one-timer away.”
What followed was madness from Powell River players, who mobbed Berard at centre ice to celebrate the series win, but not before Berard was able to rub a little salt in the wound by mimicking Mokhtari’s celebration from 12 months prior.
“It was kind of planned; I had it in my head,” said Berard. “Once I scored, I pretty much went right to the spot and did it. Last year was in the back of our minds all series and it was a huge motivator.”
Following a narrow 3-2 win in game four in Powell River on March 20, the Kings ventured to Victoria with a 3-1 series lead.
Powell River gained the early advantage in the first period of game five. Constant pressure on the Victoria net eventually led to the dam breaking as Hunter Findlater scored his third 1-0 goal of the series to open the scoring late in the period. Kings also outshot their opponents 16-8.
For everything the first period was for Powell River, the second period was for Victoria. A pair of goals for the home team by Ethan Nother put Powell River behind, and the Grizzlies also turned the table by outshooting the Kings 17-12.
The third period was predictably tense, given the gravity of the situation. However, it was the Kings who responded and rose to the occasion, with the team’s leading scorers doing the damage in quick succession.
First, Turnbull scored on a individual effort, undressing a Victoria defenceman en route to his sixth goal of the playoffs. Then 40 seconds later, Berard notched his seventh to hand Powell River a 3-2 advantage with 12 minutes to play.
Victoria scored from a failed clearing attempt to tie the game at three, a score that held up through the final minute of regulation.
The overtime session belonged to Powell River. Kings piled on pressure, outshooting Victoria 11-3 and eventually received the golden opportunity when Turnbull fired the pass out to Berard, who scored the series winner and clinched a 4-1 series victory.
Kings coach Brock Sawyer was thrilled not only with the win, but with the route his team took to victory in the extra session.
“Our care and attention to detail was through the roof all night, but guys found that extra gear in overtime to take the game over and dominate offensively,” said Sawyer. “Victoria iced it right before [the game winner], so all the talk was trying to take advantage of that and get an early shot away.”
Matteo Paler-Chow backstopped the Kings to another win, stopping 35 Victoria shots to improve his record to 7-2 in the playoffs.
With the 4-1 series victory, Powell River advances past the second round of the BC Hockey League playoffs for the first time since appearing in the league final in 2012. The team’s next test, a best-of-seven series against Prince George Spruce Kings with a spot in the league final on the line, begins on Friday, March 30, in the northern BC city. Game two is scheduled for the following night. Games three and four will take place at Hap Parker Arena on Monday, April 2, and Tuesday, April 3.
If necessary, Prince George will host game five on Thursday, April 5; Powell River will host game six on Saturday, April 7; and the series will return to Prince George for game seven on Monday, April 9.
All game times start at 7 pm.
