Road woes continue on Island trip

Weekend Recap is presented by Iris Optometry.

With a dominate 8-0 win over the Trail Smoke Eaters at home to start their lone 3 in 3 on the season, the Kings looked to keep the momentum going as they head to Island in search of their first win streak of the season.

On Saturday the Kings headed to the Capital to take on the Grizzlies who one the only previous meeting on the season in the Kings home opener with a come from behind victory. It would be the Kings who struck first in this game as they have done so more than any other team this season. It came at 6:27 off a Will Jones shot from the side boards that found it’s way in the back of the net for his 4th. However the goal came at a price for Jones who was hit as soon as he shot it. He left the game and did not return. Already without Alexi Van Houtte-Cachero the Kings would have to do with another top scorer in Jones. The Kings would hold onto the lead until the final minute of the period when Luc Pelletier scored at 19:19 to tie it at one. It seemed to be that it would be even going to the intermission but the Kings had other ideas. Just 34 seconds later it would be an odd man rush for the Kings where Brendan Giles passed to Noah Eyre who buried his 7th to give the Kings the 2-1 heading to the break.

It would be another tight affair in the second but goaltenders Owen Crudale and Owen Bresson where on their “A” game. The Grizzlies would eventually tie it up again on a power play at 12:06 from Charlie Gollob to make it 2-2.

The Kings would have more chances to regain the lead in the third but Owen Bresson denied two glorious opportunities, one from Anthony Yu and the other off Anthony Lucarelli to keep it tied. The Kings would also have their league best power play get two chances but the absence of Will Jones was felt and they failed to muster many good chances. There will be no scoring in the third as we headed to OT.

This game would be the first time since 2020 the Kings collected a point in the Q centre but they were eager to make it two. The Grizzlies would take possession two minutes and would draw a penalty. On the delayed call the extra attacker would come out and be put to good use as with the extra man out briefly the Grizzlies caught the Kings off guard with some quick passing and Chase Pirtle eventually had an open cage to shoot at to secure the win for the Grizzlies.

Owen Crudale made 45 saves in net for the Kings as they were out shot 45-33. The Kings power play went 0 for 4 while the penalty kill went one for three.

Sunday the Kings looked to make a quick turnaround and get ready for their first meeting with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs who came into the game winning their last 5 in a row. Once again it would be a great start for the Kings who got two power plays early. Even with top power play goal scorer Alexi Van Houtte-Cachero back in the lineup the man advantage seemed out of sync without Will Jones. They would generate some opportunities but Bulldogs netminder Hlib Artsatbanov stopped everything in his path. The Kings at one point out shot Alberni 11-4 but it would be the home team who scored the opener at 9:43 from Grayson Badger who hammered a one-timer between the legs of Tresor Wotton who was coming off a shutout against Trail. Alberni would extended the lead at 16:25 when Bulldogs forward Hayden Stavroff hit a King in the offensive zone giving rooking Samuel Leonard a look all alone and he was able to slide it under Wotton to make it 2-0. Despite trailing by two the Kings manged to outshoot the Bulldogs 14-11 in the opening period.

In the second Alberni would extended their lead after a turnover in the defensive zone at 2:43 in which Matias Myllykowski finished it off. The Kings would get their first just under two minutes later off an offensive zone faceoff the puck would go the the front of the net and Van Houtte-Cachero would get a stick on it in the crease. It seemed that Artsatbanov kicked the puck out at the goal line off the shot but the referee called it a goal on the play which he would uphold. The goal would be Van Houtte-Cachero’s 10th of the season. It just took Alberni 1:56 to restore their three goal on a shorthanded goal from Mason Croucher who stole the puck in his own zone and went down the ice and fired the puck past Wotton. Croucher would add another to make it 5-1 12 minutes in 4 on 4 with a highlight reel goal. That goal would be the end of the night for Wotton who made 16 saves on 21 shots and in came Will Baker who was making his first appearance since the BCHL Showcase. Both goalies would shut the door in the period as it was 5-1 Bulldogs going into the third.

The Kings finally would come alive in the third and start to inch their way closer. Thomas Belzil would score his second of the season on the power play at 3:50, then 28 seconds later Owen Thomas would shoot the puck into the offensive end, the puck would bounce in front of the goal to Alex Sandhu who’s chance was stopped by the rebound went to Christian Maro who had a wide open net and he made no mistake for his second and make it 5-3. Then just seconds later the Kings had another amazing chance, this time Adam Mendelson had a point blank opportunity all alone but Artsatbanov came up with a clutch save to keeping a two goal lead. Alberni would get one back at 7:43 from Lucas Buzziol to make it 6-3, but the Kings would once again reduce the lead to two on Zander Stewarts second of the season at 13:16. The Kings would eventually get the extra attacker out at the end of the game but to hole was to deep and couldn’t come up with another goal as they fell 6-4 to the Bulldogs.

Will Baker made 16 saves in relief as the final shots were 38-35 for the Bulldogs. The power play was the ultimate difference maker in the game only going 1 for 8 while the PK held up going 2 for 2.

The Kings are now 4-9-2 on the season and are just 1-6-1 away from home this season. The good thing is the Kings will be back at the Hap this weekend as they host the Coastal Conference leading Surrey Eagles for two games in a rematch of last years first round playoff matchup. The first game is Friday at 7pm, then Saturday will be our Remembrance Day game which is also at 7pm.

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