A pair of games against Victoria Grizzlies last weekend was just what Powell River Kings needed to find out where they are in terms of being a contender.
The results, a 4-3 overtime loss on Friday and 3-2 overtime win on Saturday, aside from the three points, speak volumes for the determination, health and growing confidence of the team.
They have had key players in and out of the lineup from day one and that, combined with a high turnover, has raised unprecedented challenges for coaches and players alike.
“We’re starting to get our lineup back in,” said coach and general manager Kent Lewis, “and we’re getting better every day. It’s been strange because we haven’t had lines and a lot of things. The last four or five years for us we’ve been relatively clean, but this year we’ve been hit with everything but the kitchen sink. You just deal with it and learn from it.”
It appears that they are because the Kings put together two of the best back-to-back games of the year.
On Friday they led the game most of the way but succumbed to the Grizzlies in overtime.
The feeling out process left the teams scoreless after one period and goals by Drew Dorantes and JP Villeneuve, followed by a couple from the Grizzlies, kept it tied at 2-2 after two.
Kings’ Luke Nogard jabbed in the go-ahead goal at 2:03 of the third, but the Grizzlies once again tied it 3-3 with a powerplay goal at 7:25.
The first five-minute overtime period solved nothing but in the second Myles Fitzgerald got around the Kings’ defence and fired the winner past Jonah Imoo at 2:23.
Kings outshot the Grizzlies 38-27 but went 0 for 5 on the powerplay and failed to capitalize on some great scoring chances.
Disappointed but determined, they took the ice on Saturday in an attempt to get a little closer to the team they want to be.
This time they made fewer mistakes, scored a couple of powerplay goals and again outshot the Grizzlies by a 34-21 margin.
Grizzlies scored first at 13:53 of the opening period, but Kings’ Matt Scarth and Teagan Waugh answered to lead 2-1 after two periods.
Like a bad movie, just like the night before, the Grizzlies tied it 2-2 on the powerplay at 17:05 of the third but this time the overtime ended quicker and happier for Kings’ fans.
Villeneuve intercepted a pass at the Grizzlies’ blue line and on the breakaway totally undressed the goaltender before lifting the winning goal into the top of the net.
After so many disappointing overtime losses, a huge collective weight has been lifted off the shoulders of the players.
Asked what it was like for the players watching the drama unfold, Nogard said with a big smile, “For those couple of seconds there’s no better feeling but it was also a nervous feeling. Then when he scored it was just great.”
Understanding that it’s just one game, he added, “It’s a start but now we have to work harder and harder in practice and grow more as a team and buy into Kent’s systems.”
Villeneuve, the overtime hero, was probably the least nervous person at Hap Parker Arena. “I’ve done that move a couple of times and I was pretty confident,” he said. “I just basically waited him out, waited for him to bite on one of my fakes and I went to the backhand quicker than he could get across. Then I just needed to protect myself from all the boys coming in. It felt awesome.”
Hopefully the awesome feeling carries over to Tuesday’s game against the Grizzlies in Victoria. The result was not known at press time.
Kings have just one game on the weekend when they host Cowichan Valley Capitals at 1:30 pm on Sunday, February 10.
DIVISION: Island Division
TEAM GP W L T OTL PTS OTW GF GA
Victoria 45 30 9 0 6 66 7 152 119
Nanaimo 44 25 17 0 2 52 2 139 129
Alberni Valley 44 22 16 1 5 50 5 142 148
Powell River 48 18 21 2 7 45 1 132 143
Cowichan Valley 42 10 28 1 3 24 3 108 150
