The new year has been good to the Powell River Kings. Since December 30, the Kings have been on a roll in the BC Hockey League Island Division, winning seven straight games and outscoring their opponents 47-15.
The team’s most recent wins were on a three-game Vancouver Island road trip where they opened up with an 8-0 win over Nanaimo Clippers. Then it was onto Victoria for two games; they won both, 4-2 and 5-3, over the Grizzlies.
According to head coach Kent Lewis, the goal of the weekend was to let teams really see the Kings play hard.
“We did that,” said Lewis. “Playing three games in two and a half days is hard. It’s good to get the points and good to get the guys starting to understand our capabilities.”
Against the first-place Grizzlies, Kings narrowed the gap between the two teams to four points, with Victoria at 61 and Powell River close behind at 57. In seven meetings this season, Kings have won four, but the Q Centre in Victoria has not been kind.
“We’ve not played well in that building,” said Lewis, “we all know that. We had a little stumble in the third period against Victoria, but we regained ourselves and managed two hard-fought victories.”
Grizzlies have a game in hand on the Kings.
In the 8-0 win over the Clippers, Kings goalie Brian Wilson recorded the shutout, stopping 34 shots.
After a scoreless first period, the team opened it up in the second with six goals.
Kings are back on the road this weekend, starting with a game on Friday, January 20 in Salmon Arm and followed by stops in Vernon on Saturday and Langley on Sunday.
