Powell River Kings put themselves in a position to move onto the second round of BC Hockey League playoffs with a pair of gutsy and eventful wins on the road earlier this week in their best-of-seven series against Nanaimo Clippers.
The series began on home ice Friday, March 1, as Nanaimo and Powell River opened their second consecutive first-round series, and fifth playoff matchup in the last six years. In front of a loud and large crowd, Levi Glasman opened the scoring just past the three-minute mark to give Powell River a 1-0 lead.
The teams traded goals in the second period with Ben Berard scoring for the Kings to make it 2-2 after 40 minutes and setting up the eventual game winner from Mitch Williams six minutes into the third period for a 3-2 win.
“Kimmy [Ethan Kimball], Willy [Williams] and I came in and just tried to play our game, play with a bit of energy, but we’re also a line who can score and we showed that,” said Glasman, who was named first star for a one-goal, two-assist performance. “Guys were trying to get under my skin all night, and that’s when I play at my best.”
Game two took place the following night. All the scoring came in a three-minute stretch of the first period as Clippers’ forward Ethan Scardina scored a pair, with Rowan Miller countering for the Kings. The eventual game-winning goal came with just four seconds remaining in the first as Nanaimo evened the series up with a 2-1 win.
“Nanaimo is clearly trying to win a game in the first period, that’s where they’re getting most of their chances,” said Kings head coach Tyler Kuntz. “We can’t afford to settle into a hockey game, we need to get going right away. We gave up 10 chances in the first period, which is usually a game total for us.”
The series transitioned to Nanaimo for games three and four on Monday, March 4, and Tuesday, March 5. Kuntz challenged his team to play with more “dirt,” an energy metric combining stats such as hits, blocked shots and forechecking well.
Kings responded to the challenge. After falling behind 1-0 for the second straight game, players responded on the powerplay through Neal Samanski, who returned to the lineup following a six-game suspension. Samanski added another in the second, also on the powerplay, before Glasman notched some insurance for a 3-1 victory and a 2-1 series lead.
“We got down early and had to battle back, but this was a great effort tonight,” said assistant coach Brock Sawyer. “We get one on a good shot from Neal, then another two going to the blue paint and scoring, and those are the areas you have to get to in order to win at this time of the year.”
The game was marred by a late check from Ryan Brushett on a Clippers defender. He was assessed a five-minute major for spearing and a match penalty.
Brushett was suspended for three games and is eligible for return in game seven of round one, or into round two if the series ends sooner. The hit stemmed from the frustration of football-style tactics by Nanaimo through three games, according to the Kings.
“Our running game was strong (in game three), we fought through the blocks, our passing game was good, we broke through tackles,” said Kuntz jokingly before game four, likening the hockey game to football. “The whole situation with the calls and non-calls is tough, but there’s no reason to beat it down; we just have to grind through it. It’s frustrating, we’ve been shorthanded all year, missing top players and it’s something we just have to deal with.”
Game four included a rollercoaster of emotions and highlights. Nanaimo jumped out to a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes with a flat Powell River team searching for answers. They found them in the intermission and, combined with a goaltending change that brought in Matteo Paler-Chow, the team rallied to score four times in the second including a pair from Glasman. Berard and Josh Coblenz also scored.
Nanaimo tied the game in the third period to force overtime. In the extra session, both teams had chances with Nanaimo’s best coming in a flurry of action around the Powell River net, all kept out in acrobatic, highlight reel fashion by Paler-Chow. Not long afterward, Ryan Pouliot set up Glasman for his first playoff overtime game winner, a 5-4 Kings win and a 3-1 series lead.
“To win two on the road in a series is tough to do, and credit to our guys for getting the job done,” said Sawyer. “Guys went into the room after 20 [minutes] and pledged no quit, stuck with it and chipped away with one, then another and another.”
It was just the second time this season in 14 occasions Powell River has rallied from a three-goal deficit.
Game five starts at 7 pm on Thursday, March 7, at Hap Parker Arena in Powell River. The winner of the series will face Victoria Grizzlies in the Island Division final. Grizzlies defeated Alberni Valley Bulldogs in four straight games.
