by Glen Gibbs Peak Sports Just like the ferries, Kings found it difficult staying on course over the stormy weekend.
They delighted the home crowd with a masterpiece on Friday scoring a 7-1 victory over Surrey Eagles, but faltered in the rematch losing 4-3 in overtime before losing their last game in Langley against the Rivermen 5-4.
Quality Foods warmed the hearts of fans when Bruce Robertson and his staff hosted a tailgate party to raise funds for the Kings and celebrate BC Hockey League’s 50th anniversary.
Kings responded by beating the Eagles who seemed overwhelmed by the energy of the Kings and eventually retaliated with stickwork and punches.
Kings, on the other hand, let their powerplay do the talking as they went five for nine with Matt Scarth, Jarryd Leung, Chris Williams, Craig Dalrymple and Evan Richardson finding the net.
Teagan Waugh set the tone scoring just a minute into the game and Scarth added his second to close it.
Dalrymple’s goal told the whole story when he took a slash from Tyler Morely, ignored it, then seconds later drilled the puck, the Kings’ sixth, into the net.
That’s the kind of hockey they want to play but Kent Lewis, coach and general manager, wanted to talk about the rule book after the game.
“We thought [Jon] Jutzi took a pretty bad shot against Coquitlam that went uncalled,” he complained of the defenceman who was injured and sat out the weekend, “and he’s been out a week. [Cohen] Adair is out,” he said of the forward’s two-game suspension for a similar offence in the same game on a player who subsequently returned after missing a couple of shifts.
Lewis’s frustration was clearly evident but he was also pleased with the club’s response saying, “our powerplay tonight was really good and it’s a good way to start the weekend.”
Tanner Cochrane, who took several punches to his head from Surrey’s Colton Mackie without retaliating, said, “I thought he was going to get a seven-minute penalty but the ref called it two and 10 which we capitalized on and it was the sixth goal and the dagger for our team. We definitely played a good game and as a team we were real solid, rolled four and it was good to see.”
Unfortunately for the Kings they lost their focus on the ferry to Surrey and fell behind 3-0 midway through the game.
Dalrymple and Williams scored to mount a comeback which was completed when Steven Schmidt’s deflection tied the game at 19:08 of the final period.
It took double overtime to determine a winner but this time the Eagles were the victors scoring at 3:29.
Kings made the short trip to Langley for an afternoon game on Sunday and once again dug themselves into a deep hole early.
They took four minor penalties in the offensive zone and Langley scored three powerplay goals and later added a couple of others to open a 5-0 lead midway through the third period.
Kings made it interesting when Waugh, Daniel Schuler, Richardson and Williams scored but it was too little too late as they fell 5-4.
Flashes of brilliance are overshadowed by breakdowns and if the Kings want to be in the final four this year they are going to have to overcome their self-inflicted challenges.
They start December’s schedule with a tour of Vancouver Island on Friday, December 2 against the Bulldogs in Alberni Valley, then Saturday, December 3 in Victoria against the Grizzlies and end up playing at 3:30 pm in Duncan on Sunday, December 4 to play Cowichan Valley Capitals.
