The team has a well deserved off day in West Kelowna after two hard earned victories. Last night's game one again presented challenges for the Kings and they did respond well to adversity.
The Kings did not look like a team that had just travelled for four hours to the game. Powell River showed good jump early on and got on the score board early as well. Just under four minutes in, Matt Garbowsky took a pass from Andrew Pettitt from the left corner and made a nice deke on the goal line to beat Keifer Smiley and give the Kings the first goal. Garbowsky now has 33 goals and sole possession of first place in goal scoring in the BCHL.
The Kings now have scored the first goal in six straight hockey games.
However the Kings would run into penalty trouble late in the first period and that wouldn't be the only time. Cullen Bradshaw tipped home a beautiful back door feed from Paul Mailey to square the game at one with just 1:22 left in the first period. It would look like both teams would be tied after the opening twenty. But Dan Schuler had something to say about that.
Playing his first game in Trail since he recorded a hat-trick in pre season play. Schuler intercepted an errant clearing attempt by Ryan Luiten and snapped a wrist shot high blocker side cross-bar and in. To fully appreciate the shot you have to watch it again. The goalie Smiley didn't move, as in he was frozen by the shot. That goal snapped a 12 game goal less skid for Schuler.
Schuler carried his and the teams momentum into the second period when he scored his second goal of the night. Schuler would find a puck that bounced off the end wall from a Justin DaSilva blast and batted the puck past Smiley and in. The Kings weren't done their.
Brendan Hawryluk would tip a Jon Jutzi point shot in just 34 seconds later to put the Kings up by two. The play started with Brendan winning the face off in the Smoke Eaters zone and then driving to the net and being rewarded with the slightest of touches on the puck.
However just like the first, the Smokies would respond on a late power-play.
Ben Matthews would score on the man advantage with just 3:17 left on the clock. The Kings collasped to the front of the net allowing Matthews to walk down to the top of the circles in the slot and fire a wrist shot low on the glove side past Mike Garteig.
The second period saw the Smoke Eaters out shoot the Kings but I came away with the feeling the Kings were still the better team through two periods. Powell River when they were at full strength carried most of the play especially in their own end. Trail were clearly trying to chip and chase as soon as they hit centre and try and force the D to turn and chase the puck. Give credit to the Kings defense as they were able to get pucks first and get the puck out of their zone quickly on most occasions.
Just like the first two periods the Kings would score the opening goal of the third period. Justin DaSilva would find the back of the net on a wrist shot from the blue line just over five minutes into the third. It indeed looked like the puck was deflected on its way towards the goal, most likely off a Trail stick.
With a 5-2 lead at the point the game looked decided as the Kings played well at even strength not giving much to the Smoke Eaters on their attempts in the Powell River end. When tested, Mike Garteig made some sharp kick saves on sharp angled rushes by a handful of Smokie players.
Once more the Kings were penalized late in the period and were burned for it. Nic DeSousa would deflect a nice pass from Jake Baker late to make it a 5-3 game but the outcome was never in doubt at that point.
Powell River came away with a bad taste after this game as it looked like they were targeted through the game. The Kings did get the first two powe-plays in the first, however the Smoke Eaters then received eight straight power-plays. The Kings did not receive another power-play until the latter stages of the third period. Only thing I would say is you want the game to be officated by the game itself not by the score.
It does seem odd the better team on the night were handed eight penalties against. However such is hockey and you learn from it and move on.
Great to see Dan Schuler burst out of his goal slump with two goals. Over the 12 game goal less skid Schuler was nothing but patient and positive. In practice he was one of the hardest working players on the team, and he was finally rewarded. Let's hope this will tip the scales for him.
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