Tuesday, March 29, 2011

King Alumnus Huisman leaving his mark at TRU

 

Another Powell River King alumnus had a successful freshman year in college hockey. Darcy Huisman just finished his first season with the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack of the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League. Huisman's Wolfpack lost the Championship game 5-2 to the Simon Fraser University Clan who repeated as champions.

From the BCHL website

Thompson Rivers University iced nine former BCHL products, including captain Korey Gannon (Vernon Vipers), defencemen Darcy Huisman (Powell River Kings), Joel Leonard (Quesnel Millionaires), Zac Rasmussen (Prince George Spruce Kings) and Tyler Halliday (Merritt Centennials). Huisman was named to the league's Second All-Star team in his rookie season after leading all BCIHL defencemen with 30 points.

TRU had edged out the Clan for the league's regular season title after posting a record of 19-4-1, one point better than SFU.
Overall, 31 former B.C. Hockey League players competed in the BCIHL during the 2010/11 season. For more information on the league, visit www.bcihl.ca.

Huisman played 114 career BCHL games between Prince George and Powell River. Husiman finished with 13 goals,  65 assists  for 78 points over his three years in the BCHL.

The Powell River Kings would like to congratulate Darcy on his accomplishments and wish him all the best for next season.

Monday, March 28, 2011

MONDAY MUSINGS

  • The Kings are challenging businesses and homes in Powell River to show their King fever. The team wants you to decorate your business or home in green & gold. More info on the team website here.
  • Games 1 & 2 will have a tailgate party before hand. The festivities will be outside of the main entrance. Details haven't been finalized but stay tuned for more information. As it stands the tailgate BBQ will go at 6:30pm.
  • If that isn't enough for you, there will be a beverage garden in the Arbutus room for both games one & two. The Wolf Brewery will have an area set up that will include a projector screen to show HNIC on Saturday. The garden will open up at 6pm and will be open between periods and will host the post-game show on 95-7 SUN FM. Join me as I will broadcast live to talk about the sixty minutes of hockey.
  • Here's a great story on King alumnus Reid Campbell, who just won the NCAA Div-3 National Championship with the Green Knights of St. Norbert College. St. Norbert defeated Adrian College 4-3 in the the championship game. Full story
  • Speaking of college hockey, they're down to the Frozen Four which goes April 7th-9th in St. Paul, Minnesota. 43 BCHL grads represented the 16 teams in the championship tournament, including four Kings. Adam Presizniuk, Daniel Carr and Kyle & Matt Bodie all suited up for the Union College Dutchmen. Unfortunately they lost their first round contest to Minnesota-Duluth 2-0, who are now in the Frozen Four, along with Michigan, Notre Dame and North Dakota. My money is on the Fighting Sioux taking the big prize.
  • Can you tell me any other time in sports where two teams have met three consecutive years in a league final?
NHL:  Montreal won five consecutive Stanley Cups from 1956-1960 but not against the same opponent. They beat Detroit, Toronto (2) and Boston (2). The Habs from 1976-1979 won four straight Stanley Cups over Philadelphia, Boston (2) and the New York Rangers.

Islanders from 1980-83 beat four different teams for four consecutive Stanley Cups and most recently, Detroit & Pittsburgh split Stanley Cups between each other in '08 & '09.

NBA: The then Minnesota Lakers won three titles from 1952-54 and defeated three New York State teams. in '52 & '53 the Lakers beat the Knicks and in '54 they downed the Syracuse Nationals.

The Boston Celtics made a staggering nine straight NBA Finals from 1958-1966, only losing once in 1958 to the St.Louis Hawks. They never played a team more than two Finals in a row over that span. Even the Johnson-Bird rivalry only met two years in a row in a NBA Final. Same too for the Michael Jordan lead Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz. They met in back-to-back finals in '97 & '98.

MLB: It might be hard to believe but no two teams have met three consecutive years in the World Series. There are over a half dozen cases of teams meeting in back-to-back fall classics.

NFL: No team has ever won three straight Superbowl titles since the championship game was played starting in 1966. Like baseball, there are numerous cases of "dynasties" winning back-to-back Vince Lombardi trophies.

  • Want to know something even more staggering? This isn't the first time two teams will be meeting for the third time in a  BC Junior "A" Final.
  1. Between 1962-1964 the Kamloops Blazers beat the Kelowna Buckaroos for the Memorial Cup. That was the in the short lived Okanagan Mainland Junior "A" Hockey League.
  2. The Nanaimo Clippers bested the Penticton Vees from 1976-1978 in the Centennial Cup. That run of three straight was during the days of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League. In 1990, the league would change it's name and logo (and again in 2000) to the current BCHL.
  • The final four is starting to shape up in the race for the Doyle Cup. The Spruce Grove Saints will be defending their AJHL Enerflex Cup against either the Okotoks Oilers or Camrose Kodiaks. Spruce Grove swept Fort McMurray in the North Division final and game seven between the Oilers and Kodiaks goes tomorrow in Okotoks. Camrose has battled back from a 3-1 deficit to force game seven.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Kings crowned Coastal Conference Champions

The Kings won their third consecutive Coastal Conference title with a 4-1 game six win in Surrey.

Dan Schuler (2) Chad Niddery and Cohen Adair scored for the Kings. Powell River scored three goals in the second after a scoreless first and added one more in the third.

Daniel Gentzler broke up te shut out bid with a goal just over eight minutes left.

The Kings will meet Vernon in the Fred Page Cup final for third straight year.

Congratulations and good luck to the graduting Surrey Eagles in their future hockey endevors.

More tomorrow.

Friday, March 25, 2011

 
SERIES- Surrey kept their season alive with a 3-1 game five win in Powell River one night ago. Hayden Trupp and Richard Vanderhoek scored less than five minutes apart in the third period to break a 1-1 tie. Karel St. Laurent was brilliant in goal once again, stopping 44 of 45 shots and earning first start honours.  The Kings have another opportunity tonight to close out the series in South Surrey, a place where they have won twice so far in the series.
TEAM SCOPE
Kings- Powell River continues to be plagued by an offense that is struggling to score goals. The Kings through five games have eleven goals but take away the four in game one and the team has scored seven in four games. In the last four games the Kings are averaging just fewer than two goals a game at 1.75. That’s despite putting 109 shots on the Surrey net in the past two games. That’s just a shooting percentage of 2.75%, you can see where I’m going with this. For the scoring woes to be turned around the Kings will need better contributions offensively from all areas.
Hampering the offense is the hot and cold power-play. The Kings looked like they were back on track after three goals in games three and four. Furthermore last night the Kings only goal came on the man advantage. However, that goal came on a five on three and they were left off the score sheet the rest of the way.  Their last power-play was late in the second while still leading by one and had a chance to bulge their lead to two. Situations like those have plagued the Kings in the playoffs.  This team needs to start punishing Surrey when on the PP.
Lastly, the Kings in the second and third period were being beat too many times to the puck in their own zone, in particular below the circles. The Kings bread and butter all season has been their board and down low play in both zones. The first period was a prime example as Powell River seemed to be winning every battle but as the game progressed their zone play regressed. The team will have to be more physical along the boards and smarter with the puck deep in their end.
Eagles- Surrey put in their best effort in game five and showed they didn’t want to have their season ended. The Eagles were under pressure for most of the night, including in the first period. However the birds did hang around long enough to pounce on two King mistakes and ride them to victory. You could say it was a rope-a-dope style employed by Matt Erhart’s team for most of the night. Early in the first period Surrey was very aggressive and maybe too aggressive as they ran into penalty trouble.  After the power-play goal by Craig Dalyrymple the Eagles looked like the refocused and started to get better as the game wore on.
The Eagles who are usually aggressive on the fore check and in the neutral zone, backed off somewhat and gave the Kings a tough task of trying to navigate through the middle of the ice. Surrey defenders did an effective job of stalling numerous King rushes at the blue-line. Powell River were thwarted many times trying to rush the puck wide and were mostly kept on the outside for the remaining forty minutes.
Karel St. Laurent continues to be the main story in this series for the Eagles. The twenty year-old from Quebec has stopped 106 of the last 109 shots he has faced. The lanky goaltender is excellent up high with his glove and blocker and last night was no different.  The Kings have given him confidence and that can be a scary thing at this time of year. The key for Powell River will be generating more traffic in and around the Surrey net.

WHO’S HOT- Craig Dalrymple has one goal and four points in his last three games. Dalrymple and Jon Jutzi are looking like a formidable duo when paired together on the power-play.  Matt Garbowsky hasn’t scored since game one, which was an empty net. He does have however, four points in five games against the Eagles.
Richard Vanderhoek continues to put up points in the series. The winger has points in four of the five games including two goals and five points.

Stat Pack: The Road team in the series is 4-1 and 8-2 in both conference finals.


Thursday, March 24, 2011

Eagles frustrate Kings in game 5 win

  • The Surrey Eagles hung around just long enough Thursday night and were rewarded in the third period. Hayden Trupp and Richard Vanderhoek broke a 1-1 tie mid way through the period to force a game six in Surrey.
  • Powell River was all over the Eagles in the first half of the third but couldn't find a way to put a puck past Karel St. Laurent. Say what you want at his unique style but it's getting the job done. St. Laurent was solid if not great in the late going turning away the Kings comeback attempt. St. Laurent seemed to be hampered by a cramp in the third but it didn't stop him at keeping Powell River off the score board in the final period. St. Laurent was the first star and rightly so as he stopped 44 of 45 shots.
  • The Eagles won without top scorer Bradley McGowan. McGowan was injured back in the third period of game four when he collided with Dan Schuler. Jeff Vanderlugt was terrific in sliding over to the middle in the absence of McGowan.
  • The Kings started off on the right foot but couldn't finish it off in the third. It's been the same story for the Kings. Great first periods, out scoring their opposition 13-2 but no being able to build on that in the late going.
  • This game was very similar to the game two overtime loss. The Eagles were out played in long stretches of that game, yet hung on and forced OT and converted on the chance the Kings gave them. Tonight was no different as the Eagles held the Kings attack at bay before converting on two chances in the third. The goals came off King turn overs or mistakes, the Eagles were very oppurtunistic in the third.
  • Where has the Kings offense gone this post season? Tonight they threw 45 shots on net yet have only a first period bomb from Dalrymple to show for it. In the last two games the Kings have 119 shots yet only three goals.
  • Why did the Kings stop hitting after the first period. Powell River did a effective job at using the body and keeping Surrey out of their zone. The Eagles were frustrated and looked tired yet were given an easy pass in the second and third. 
  • It seems to be between the ears with this team. When mentally focused this team looks like world beaters but tonight something didnt look quite right.

PREVIEW GAME 5: Eagles vs. Kings


SERIES: Steven Schmidt scored his first goal of the post season 4:52 in to the third overtime to give the Kings a 2-1 game four win. That was the first goal since 17:45 of the first period. Both teams combined for 127 shots in six periods. Mike Garteig stopped 62 of 63 shots in the win. Karel St Laurent also made 62 saves on 64 shots.

The Kings can clinch their their 3rd consecutive Cliff McNabb trophy with a win at home in game five tonight.

TEAM SCOPE

Kings- Powell River carried their regular season success in Surrey to the playoffs with two one goal victories in games three and four. The latter was a tight affair as both teams knew what was at stake in game four, dubbed as a swing game and it came down to the last shot.

Game four would of turned the series in two opposite directions. If the Eagles won game 4 the series would of been split, making for a very interesting best of three scenario in games five through seven. Emphasizing how tight the series has been, with the exception of game one, every game has been decided by a single goal.

However the Kings gave themselves some breathing room and now an opportunity to end a series in five games and on home ice. The power-play was a contributing factor in both games for Powell River.

In the first two games of the series the power-play was a thorn in the Kings side. Powell River was a combined 0-10 in games one and two. However, the man advantage turned around scoring two goals in game three and one more in game four. In both those games combined the Kings went 3-9 on the power-play.

Tonight comes down to seizing a chance to put away an opponent on your first chance and not giving Surrey any momentum to come back in the series.

Eagles- The Eagles for the first time in the playoffs are facing elimination. Surrey swept through Coquitlam in round one and only trailed one game to none to Langley in round two.

Surrey can very well argue they could be in Powell River's position in game five. The Eagles have lost all four games by one goal, considering game one was sealed with an empty net and Surrey has only been out scored 10-7. Every game has been close and the Eagles simply haven't found a way to break through yet.

A few observers have said the Eagles have ran into injuries and have been using a smaller then usual line-up that maybe is starting to catch up with them. I don't read into that too much as the Eagles have given the Kings everything they can handle and more. Yes their top players have been playing quite a bit but so too have the Kings.

The Eagles offense has dried up in this series and that in turns lies the problem. Coming into the conference finals the Eagles scored 43 goals in their previous 10 games. The Eagles were averaging just over four goals a game through two rounds. In this series against Powell River, Surrey has scored only seven goals in four games and that's an average of 1.75 goals a game. The top players on the Eagles will need to find a way to get more rubber past Mike Garteig.

WHO'S HOT- Chad Niddery now has goals in back to back games for the Kings and eight in the playoffs. Craig Dalrymple has three assists in two games. Steven Schmidt sure picked a good time to score his first in the post season.

Richard Vanderhoek was kept off the score sheet for the first time in the series in game four. Bradley McGowan was pointless as well and has been held pointless in two straight games.

STAT PACK- The Kings dating back to the regular season won four out of five games in Surrey. Their only blemish was a 1-1 tie in November.

PUCK DROP: Pre-game show at 6:45pm and play-by-play at 7pm on Sun FM

SCHMIDT OT WINNER-GAME 4

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

GAME 4 PREVIEW: Kings vs. Eagles


SERIES: The Kings took back home ice advantage last night with a 3-2 win in game three. Mike Garteig made 37 saves including 24 in the third period alone to preserve the win. The Kings out shot the Eagles
28-13 after two periods and lead 3-0. However the Kings were caught on their heels in the third when Surrey scored twice and were out shot 26-6.

TEAM SCOPE

Kings- The team will need to find a way to execute for a full sixty minutes tonight in game four. It's been a reoccurring problem this post season for Powell River. At times this team can look dominant and almost unbeatable and at other times look nervous and up tight. The Kings have been caught playing not to lose rather just going out to and playing how they have in the regular season.

There were plenty of positives to take out of game three including a noticeable turn around on the power-play. The Kings scored on their first power-play when a Craig Dalrymple point shot deflected off Chadd Niddery. In the second the Kings increased their lead to two when Jon Jutzi put a howitzer past Karel St. Laurent's glove. At one point mid way through the game the Kings were two for three with the man advantage and finished two for five on the power-play. More of the same will be needed tonight.

The team looked rock solid defensively going into the third period. The Eagles were continually turned back as the Kings gave them nothing up the middle in the first two periods. However as mentioned, the team was caught on their heels in the third. The forwards were giving too much time and space to Eagle forwards coming across the blue line and that resulted in the Kings running around in their own  zone. The fore check and neutral zone pressure needs to be sustained for an entire game tonight.


Eagles- Matt Erhart's club inconsistent in game 3. The Eagles took forty minutes before life was breathed back into their game. Early on Surrey was guilty of one too many turn overs at or near their own blue line. Credit the Kings fore check for being aggresive and causing problems for the Eagles defense. Surrey will be treating this game as a must win, as they don't want to be headed back to Powell River down 3-1 in the Conference Finals.

For whatever reason home ice hasn't been so friendly for Surrey in the playoffs. In six games at the South Surrey Arena the Eagles are only 3-3. You have to go back to game two against Langley in round two for their last win at the SSA.

Tonight will be all about the start and compete level for the Eagles. They have plenty on the line tonight and will need to leave it all on the ice to even the series.

WHO'S HOT: After having a quiet round two against Victoria, Matt Garbowsky is starting to come around. Garbowsky had two assists last night and now has three points in his last two games. Chad Niddery continues to score goals in the playoffs. Known more for his play making ability, Niddery picked up his seventh goal of the post season last night. Jon Jutzi is developing into the Kings go to point man on the power-play. Jutzi now has four power-play goals and is one goal shy of regular season total of six.

Richard Vanderhoek continues to put up points in this series. Vanderhoek scored his 11th goal last night and now has four points in three games against the Kings. Brad McGowan's apple in game three gives him points in back to back games and so too for Tyler Morley.

STAT PACK: Last night's third period shot total was the highest for any opposition this season against the Kings. Powell River rarely gave up over 25 shots in a game let alone in one period.

PUCK DROP: Pre-game show gets going at 6:45pm with puck drop scheduled for 7:03pm

NUMBERS GAME

  • 40- Amount of minutes the Kings played well and executed their game plan against Surrey.
  • 13- Number of shots Surrey was held to in the first two periods.
  • 26- Shots the Eagles had in the third period alone.
  • 20- Shot differental between Surrey and Powell River in the third p5eriod.
  • 5- Time in seconds it took Bond Hawryluk to score the game winning goal when stepping on the ice for a shift.
  • 40- percentage of the power-play tonight against the Eagles. The Kings finishd 2-5 on the man advantage
  • 75- Amount of shots Karel St. Laurent has faced in the last two games.
  • 6- Players who had at least a point tonight for Powell River.
  • 2- Number of players who had two point night's for the Kings
  • 4-Power-play goals scored by Jon Jutzi in the playoffs.
  • 3-wins in Surrey for Powell River dating back to the regular season.
  • 12-time in minutes the Kings took in penalties against the Ealges
  • 1354- The number of fans at South Surrey Arena. Great crowd.
  • 3-2-Final score in game three in favour of the Kings
  • 2-1-Series lead for Powell River after the win

Monday, March 21, 2011

GAME 3 PREVIEW: Kings vs. Eagles


SERIES: The Eagles bounced back from a game one defeat to shock the Kings in overtime in game two. Dan Gentzler was the hero just forty seconds into the first overtime period. The Eagles were badly out shot 41-17, but Karel St. Laurent turned in a solid performance between the pipes to pick up the win.

This series is eerily similar to how the first two games played out in round two against the Grizzlies. Victoria took game two in overtime and went on to take a 3-1 series lead. We all know how that finished but the Kings can't afford to let that happen again. 

TEAM SCOPE

Kings- Powell River goes on the road for games three and four in the Conference Final. The Kings were very good in Surrey this season winning two out of three and taking five out of a possible six points. The Kings are 1-2 in the post season away from Hap Parker Arena, with one of those being an overtime loss.

Powell River is coming off a frustrating loss to the Eagles in game two. The team peppered the Eagles goal all night, firing 41 pucks on net, but only got one goal to show for it. However, the issue wasn't the volume of shots, it was the quality of the shots on St. Laurent. The coaches are emphasizing shot selection going into tonight's game.  Simply put... make every shot count. The team hasn't made it diffitcult enough for the Ealges goaltender.

Also the power-play will need a jump start in game three. With the league going to a two referee system you will see more power-plays, and as of now, the Kings haven't capitalized on their chances.  A perfect example was late in game two, tied at one, the Kings had a full two minutes in the Surrey zone but were unable to cash in. The Kings are 0-10 so far in the first two games combined.


Eagles- Surrey is coming off a big win in game two. Playing with only 10 forwards and under pressure for most of the night, the Eagles erased a first period deficit and won in overtime. Surrey essentially played with two and a half lines for the majority of the game, especially late when overtime was looming. One wonders if this team can sustain their pace of play as the series continues.

If you look at the series on paper, you would assume the Eagles have the advantage with the next two games in their own barn. However, the Eagles are 3-2 on home ice, going 1-2 in round two against Langley. Furthermore, the Eagles only mustered 1 point out of a possible 6 versus the Kings in three games at the South Surrey Arena in the regular season. How much weight does that hold? We will find out tonight.

As much as I talk about the struggles of the Kings power-play I should also credit the Eagles penalty-kill. It has been almost unbeatable this playoffs. Coming into tonight the Eagles have the best PK in the BCHL at 93.65 %. Through 11 games in the playoffs the Eagles have only surrendered four power-play goals against. The key will be which team can break through on the power-play tonight.

WHO'S HOT- Matt Garbowsky now has goals in back to back games after being held scoreless in seven games against Victoria. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for the Kings sniper. Chad Niddery is stepping up in his final post season in the BCHL. The twenty year old picked up one more point on Saturday and now has 12 points in nine games.

Bradley McGowan scored for the first time in three games in game two. The regular season and playoff leading scorer for Surrey hadn't scored since game three in Langley. The depth players have been clutch for the Eagles of late. The Eagles have four players with ten or more points and 11 with five or more.

STAT PACK: The Kings on the road in the playoffs are 1-2.  Powell River has been out scored 8-7 in three road games (1-2 OT, 2-5, 4-1).

PUCK DROP: Pre-game show is at 6:45pm and puck drop is 7:00pm.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Gentzler and the Eagles stun Kings in OT

  • Dan Gentzler stunned the crowd with his overtime winner forty seconds into the first overtime period. Gentzler received a nice pass from Tyler Morley on a two on one from the blue line and jammed it home on the blocker side of Garteig. The goal was a result of a failed out by the Kings.
  • When you out shoot your opponent 41-17 you usually come out with a sizable win but that's why it's called playoff hockey.
  • Anyone else get flash backs to game two against Victoria? Very similar how the first two games played out in this series as it did versus the Grizzlies.
  • Kudos to Karel St. Laurent, he was masterful in goal for the Eagles. He battled all night and was the reason why we saw forty seconds of overtime.
  • 0-10, that's the number the Kings power-play is after the first two games of this series. Powell River had a pow er-play late in the third with the game tied at one but failed to convert. That has to change for games three and four.
  • This game wasn't the sexiest we've seen at the Hap Parker Arena. Both teams were cautious and didn't want to make a mistake and that created a tight, dry hockey game. If the nets were in the corner we would of had more goals.
  • How huge is this win for Surrey? They used five defenseman most of the night and only 10, yes 10 forwards. The Eagles dressed 11 but Trevor Cox only saw the ice in warm up.
  • The Kings need to find that killer instinct they had all season. It seemed this team didn't have that extra jump or finish they are known to have.
  • Is fatigue creeping in to both teams? Surrey is using a pretty short bench and the Kings have played a tonne of hockey in the last week. Tomorrow will be a much need rest day for both teams.
  • Looking forward to going to Surrey. The Eagles have the infamous "BIG" ice but for me it's a very enjoyable trip. The Eagles staff are great and their army of volunteers are very nice to us visitors. It's very refreshing going into a rink and not being eye ball because your the opposition.

GAME 2 PREVIEW: Eagles vs. Kings


SERIES- The Kings drew first blood in the Conference Finals with a 4-2 win in game one. The score wasn't indicative of how the game went. Powell River was guilty of letting off the gas pedal in the final fourty minutes.

Surrey will be looking to bounce back from a sub par performance in game one. Just like Powell River, the Eagles fought consistency last night. However it was their start not finish that was the issue. The Eagles surrendered three first period goals to the Kings. Goes to show how important every goal can be, as Niddery's short handed marker proved to be too much to come back from.

TEAM SCOPE

Kings- The Kings have an opportunity to take a commanding lead in the series with a win tonight. Powell River missed out in round two against the Grizzlies, as Victoria earned a split in the first two games. I believe that went along way to the 3-1 series deficit against the Grizz'. At this juncture of the season every game is like a game seven and the Kings can't let Surrey grab any confidence.

Depth up front played a prominant role last night as it did in game seven with Victoria. The fourth line of the Hawryluk twins and Mike Sones opened the scoring and gave the Kings an early lead in game one. The Kings will need more of the same tonight. Having all four lines rolling is crucial in the longer run to a championship. The more you can lengthen you bench the more fresh your team is going deeper into this series.

Special teams was a 50-50 split last night in game one. The power-play struggled and showed signs of where it was at early in the Victoria series. Heading into last night, the Kings scored four goals on their last seven man advantages. On the flip side, the penalty-kill was better last night keeping the Eagles off the board on six short handed situations. As a bonus both Chad Niddery and Mat Garbowsky scored short-handed, Niddery's was the game winner in the first period. The Grizzlies victimized the PK in round two and game one's performance showed signs it's rounding back into form.

Eagles- The start will need to be betterin game two for the Surrey. In the first period they looked a step behind the play and had numerous turn overs inside their blue line. However, as the game progressed into the second and third the Eagles were better and were just one shot away of tying the game at three's.

Their power-play like Powell River's was their achilles heel last night. Surrey had a six on four late in the third period with the goalie pulled by failed to put one by Mike Garteig. The Eagles had their fair share of chances on the man advantage but for what ever reason it just seemed they couldn't get it going.

I thought their depth forwards picked up the slack in the game when they were down by three. The Eagles got solid contributions from Hayden Trupp, Colton Mackie and Robert Lindores. The Morley brothers as per usual were hitting anything that moved in a white sweater and were great on the PK. Tyler and Brandon combined for six short handed goals in the regular season.

WHO'S HOT- With a goal last night Andrew Pettitt has three points in his last two games. That line of Pettit-Forbes-Schuler of combined for seven points in two games.

The Surrey penalty-kill has been almost unbeatable this post season. Coming into tonight's game, the Eagles have only allowed five goals against and the PK is humming along at 97 percent. Surrey has proven the can turn it up short handed, as they have three goals on the PK thus far.

STAT PACK- This is the fourth meeting between these two teams in the playoffs since 1997. The Kings have won the last two series in '09(4-1) &'08 (3-1).

PUCK DROP:  The Wolf Brewing Company will be having a beverage garden in the Arbutus room prior and during the intermissions of tonight's game. They will also be showing the Salmon Arm-Vernon game and the Hockey Night in Canada match ups.

Game 1 Recap

  • If you don't play a full sixty minutes usually you come out on the losing end. However that wasn't the case last night as the Kings rode a three goal first period en route to the 4-2 win.
  • Dont kid yourself, this wasn't a good game by the Kings. The team was guilty of being too cute with the puck in the finally 40 minutes. Too many times Powell River tried the extra pass or deke on their rushes.
  •  After going 4-7 on the power-play in games 6 &7 combine, the Kings were 0-6 on Friday. That included a lengthy five on three late in the third when leading 3-2. The PP needs to create more shots going forward.
  • The penalty-kill was a different story as they kept Surrey off the board on six chances. That also included two short handed goals by Niddery and Garbowsky. Granted Garbowsky scored into an empty net. Saying that I wouldn't want to get into a special teams battle against the Eagles. Too many weapons to give more ammunition to.
  • I was surprised at what seemed to be a Flat Surrey squad to start the game. The Eagles looked out of sorts early. Their D were troubled by turn overs in their zone. However as the second period wore on the Eagles found their legs. Give them credit for battling back and getting within one after fourth minutes and carrrying the flow of play into the third.
  • Best player on the ice? Has to be Andrew Pettitt and Richard Vanderhoek. Pettitt scored what proved to the game wining goal. He finished with three points and his line was terrific. Vanderhoek was dangerous all night when he had the puck. I would think he had the most shots out of any player last night. Vanderhoek knows where to be On the ice to get the puck. That's an invaluable skill
  • Last night was the debut of the two referree system in the BCHL. The league will go to two referree's in the conference and league finals. I thought it worked well as the trailing ref does pick up the infractions behind the play. I would want to see how it works out through an entire season

Friday, March 18, 2011

Coastal Conference Final Preview: Kings vs. Eagles

Surrey Eagles (2) (35-22-1-2) 73 pts vs. Powell River Kings (1) (46-9-3-2) 97 pts


Road to the final four:

Kings- Finished first in the Coastal Conference in the regular season, awaited the winner of the Victoria Nanaimo first round series. Victoria beat Nanaimo in five games 9-1, 5-3, 2-6, 3-0 and 3-2.

The Kings got all they could handle and more from the Grizz, erasing a 3-1 series deficit and winning three straight (3-2OT, 4-1, 4-1) to win the series in seven. That was the third time the Kings have met the Grizzlies in the playoffs and in all three series the Kings have won in seven games.

Powell River finished the regular season on a six game win streak and amassed a record of 8-1 in February. Their only loss? To Surrey 6-4 on the 11th.

Eagles-  Finished second behind Powell River in the regular season and played Coquitlam in the first round. The Eagles swept the Express 4-2, 4-1, 7-1, 3-1. Surrey met Langley in the second round, downing the Chiefs in six games 3-4, 6-1, 4-3, 3-2OT, 5-7, 4-2.

The matchup with Langley turned ugly, even by playoff standards. The league handed out five suspensions, two to the Eagles, totalling nine games. Brandon Morley received a one game suspension and Colton Mackie was given two games in the series. You could say the Eagles are battle tested.

After going 3-3-1-1 in the month of November the Eagles went 22-14-1-2 to end the season. However the Eagles slumped into the playoffs by dropping three of their final five games to close the regular season.

Season Series:

September 19th, Hap Parker Arena, 6-5 Surrey
The Kings and Eagles were playing their third games in two and a half days. This game was the BCHL debut for Powell River native Sean Maguire.  The Eagles got the early jump as they raced out to an early 3 goal lead. Six goals were scored in the second period between the two teams but Robert Lindores put his team on top with his game winning goal in the third.
Scoring:
Eagles- Richard Vanderhoek 2g-2a, Jeff Vanderlugt 2g, Mitch Jones 1g, Robert Lindores 1g, Michael Stenerson 2a, Bradley McGowan 2a, Tyler Morley 1a, Brandon Morley 1a.

Kings- Dan Schuler 2g-1a, Brenden Forbes 1g, Chad Niddery 1g, Cohen Adair 1g, Justin DaSilva 2 a, Teagan Waugh 2a, Matt Garbowsky 2a.

November 19th, South Surrey Arena, 1-1
It was two months to the day since the last time these team met and the Kings would still be searching for their first win against the Eagles. Both teams combined for 76 shots but Michael Garteig and Karel St. Laurent, in his debut, were terrific. Chad Niddery failed to convert on a breakaway in the second overtime period.
Scoring:

Kings- Justin DaSilva 1g, Chad Niddery 1a

Eagles- Riley Sweeney 1g, Josh Monk 1a, Bradley McGowan 1a

December 10th, South Surrey Arena, 3-1 Powell River
Third time was lucky for the Kings as they finally picked up a win against the Eagles. Klay Kachur scored his first goal of the season, but it was Justin DaSilva and Teagan Waugh scoring 59 seconds apart on the power-play that was the difference.
Scoring:

Kings- Teagan Waugh 1g, Justin DaSilva 1g-1a, Klay Kachur 1g, Carter Shinkaruk 1a, Mike Sones 1a, Dan Schuler 1a, Chad Niddery 1a

Eagles- Brandon Morley 1g, Robert Lindores 1a

January 14th, Hap Parker Arena, 5-1 Powell River
The Kings came out like gang busters, scoring four first period goals en route to the 5-1 win over the Eagles. Karel St. Laurent was pulled and relieved by Andrew Hunt before the first period ended. Jeff Vanderlugt spoiled Mike Garteig's shutout with his third period goal.
Scoring:

Eagles- Jeff Vanderlugt 1g, Steve Koshey 1a, Linden Saip 1a

Kings- Chad Niddery 2g-2a, Cohen Adair 2g, Matt Garbowsky 1g-2a, Craig Dalrymple 1a,
Klay Kachur 1a, Jason Yee 1a

February 3rd, South Surrey Arena, 3-0 Powell River
Mike Garteig tied the single season BCHL shut out record of seven by making 34 saves in the blanking of Surrey. Matt Garbowsky scored in the first and Jon Jutzi and Cohen Adair scored power-play goals in the second and third periods.
Scoring:

Kings- Matt Garbowsky 1g, Jon Jutzi 1g-1a, Cohen Adair 1g, Andrew Pettitt 1a, Chris Williams 1a, Chad Niddery 1a

February 11th, Hap Parker Arena, 6-4 Surrey
For the second time this season the Eagles scored six goals on the Kings on the road. The Eagles stunned the Kings for four first period goals en route to the 6-4 win. Powell River did score three consecutive goals in the second period to close the deficit to one but the Eagles ended the period by scoring two goals 30 seconds apart.
Scoring:

Eagles- Tyler Morley 2g, Brandon Morley 1g-2a, Josh Monk 1g, Colton Mackie 1g,
Bradley McGowan 1g-1a, Doug Wedel 1a, Scott Holm 1a, Richard Vanderhoek 2a, Riley Sweeney 1a, Liden Saip 1a, Mitch Jones 1a

Kings- Chad Niddery 2g, Andrew Pettitt 1g, Steven Schmidt 1g, Brendan Hawryluk 1a, Bond Hawryluk 1a, Jason Yee 1a, Mike Sones 1a, Jon Jutzi 1a, Craig Dalrymple 1a

Regular Season Leaders

Kings
Goals: Matt Garbowsky(44)
Assists: Chad Niddery (58)
Points: Chad Niddery (86)
PPG: Matt Garbowsky (12)
SHG: Matt Garbowsky (4)
GWG: Matt Garbowsky (11)

Playoffs
Goals: Chad Niddery-Dan Schuler (5)
Assists: Chad Niddery-Andrew Pettitt (5)
Points: Chad Niddery (10)
PPG: Jon Jutzi (3)
SHG: Chad Niddery(2)
GWG: Jon Jutzi (2)

Regular Season Leaders
Eagles
Goals: Bradley McGowan (36)
Assists: Bradley McGowan (53)
Points: Bradley McGowan (89)
PPG: Bradley McGowan (15)
SHG: Tyler-Brandon Morley (3)
GWG: Bradley McGowan (9)

Playoffs
Goals: Richard Vanderhoek (10)
Assists: Bradley McGowan (12)
Points: Bradley McGowan (18)
PPG: Richard Vanderhoek (5)
SHG: 3 tied at 1
GWG: Tyler Morley (3)

Goaltenders
Playoffs

Kings: Mike Garteig- 4-3 2.27 GAA 89.70 SV%
            Sean Maguire 0-0 SA 4 SV 4

Eagles: Karel St. Laurent 8-2 2.27 GAA 92.51 SV%
             Andrew Hunt 0-0 SA 2 SV 2

Special Teams

Kings: Power-Play 7-28 25.00% (6)
            Penalty-Kill 27-34 79.41% (3)

Eagles: Power-Play 13-54 24.07% (8)
             Penalty-Kill: 49-53 92.45% (1)

Head-to-Head Leaders:

Kings: Chad Niddery- 5-5-10
            Matt Garbowsky- 1-5-6
            Cohen Adair- 4-0-4

Eagles: Bradley McGowan 1-4-5
             Richard Vanderhoek 2-3-5
             Jeff Vanderlugt 3-0-3
Schedule:
GAME 1: Friday March 18th @ Powell River 7:30pm
GAME 2: Saturday March 19th @ Powell River 7:30pm
GAME 3: Monday March 21st @ Surrey 7pm
GAME 4:  Tuesday March 22nd @ Surrey 7pm
*GAME 5: Thursday March 24th @ Powell River 7pm
* GAME 6: Friday March 25th @ Surrey 7pm
* GAME 7: Saturday March 26h @ Powell River 7:30pm

* if necessary

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

GAME 7 PREVIEW: Grizzlies vs. Kings

SERIES: The Kings forced game seven with last night’s 4-1 win in game six at Bear Mountain Arena. Following up his heroics in game five, Jon Jutzi scored two power-play goals one in each of the first two periods.  Chad Niddery also scored a pair, on the power-play and short-handed less than three minutes apart in the third.
That game sets up a winner takes all match up at Hap Parker Arena. The Kings and Grizzlies will be playing their third game in three days. This has been a terrific series with three of the six games decided by one goal.
TEAM PULSE
Kings: Powell River has an opportunity to move on in the BCHL playoffs. However it won’t be easy and the team is only focused on tonight’s contest.
The Kings have gotten themselves to this point by playing the way that made them successful this season. In the last two games we’ve seen a more focused and structured team that has gotten back to playing within themselves.
Last night saw the special teams department turn around. The Kings were three for six on the power-play and didn’t allow a power-play goal against on three penalties. Chad Niddery in fact scored his second short-handed goal in the series. The first came back in game one.
It’s simple tonight the Kings need to stick to what has worked in the past two games.
Grizzlies:  Victoria missed an opportunity on home ice to clinch the series last night and will have to quickly regroup for tonight’s game seven.
The Grizzlies were frustrated offensively last night by the Kings road game. Victoria wasn’t allowed much time or space through the neutral zone which proved difficult to generate good chances off the rush.
Tonight their top players will have to find ways to better generate some offensive inside the Kings zone. They like Powell River have veteran players that know what is at stake with tonight’s game.
One thing I will be watching is the battle of fatigue with both teams.  As talked about this will be third game in as many days and it will be a test of both teams fitness.
The Grizzlies have played their top lines quite a bit and up until this point hasn’t been a noticeable negative. It seems like their top lines thrives on the more ice time they receive.
WHO’S HOT: The top line finally broke out last night for the Kings.  Niddery alongside Matt Garbowsky and Cohen Adair combined for eight points. Niddery and Garbowsky each collected three points and Adair had two assists.  Jon Jutzi is wielding a hot stick. The blue liner has three goals in his last four periods for four goals in the series. He scored six goals all season.
David Morley continues to pile on the points for the Grizzlies. Morley has eight points in the last three games.  Joel Lowry’s goal last night gives him five and leads the team in scoring with 17 points.
STAT PACK: This is the third playoff meeting between Powell River and Victoria. The previous two went to game 7 in ’91 & ’09.

PUCK DROP:  Pre-game show is at 6:45pm with puck drop at 7pm on 95-7 SUN FM.



Tuesday, March 15, 2011

GAME 6 PREVIEW: Kings vs. Grizzlies

SERIES: Jon Jutzi’s goal 11:11 into overtime gave the Kings a dramatic 3-2 win in game five at a loud Hap Parker Arena. It could have been much different as Dustin Johnson scored with 1:01 left in third to tie the game and force the next goal wins scenario.
The Kings will to get their first win on the road this post season tonight in game six to force game a return trip home tomorrow night.
TEAM PULSE
Kings: It was the Kings best effort thus far in the series in game five. Powell River looked like the 46 win team in the regular season the way the controlled the puck and gave little, if at all anything to the Grizzlies.  Powell River held Victoria to just 19 shots; that’s including the eleven minutes of overtime.
The Kings were much more effective when in the Victoria zone as the worked the puck down low very well and generated chances off the cycle.  Even more impressive was the fact all four lines got involved early giving some much needed jump to their game.
What was also encouraging was their depth was a factor as the game wore on. This was evident in they got a goal from three different lines.  Andrew Pettitt scored his second of the playoffs and Carter Shinkaruk scored his second goal in as many games. It was Garbowky’s line on the ice for Jutzi’s goal as Chad Niddery made a nice drop pass at the blue line.
The Kings were much better in the face-off circle when it counted.  Steven Schmidt was clutch winning draws late in the third and in overtime.  Garbowsky was good on the power-play and in the offensive zone and Brendan Forbes and Brendan Hawryluk were sound.
Lastly, the penalty-kill did surrender one goal but nutted up late in the third and in overtime when Chris Williams was in the box. Just three minutes after the kill the game was over. The PK can provide a momentum swing and that was evident last night.
Grizzlies: As the cliché goes the fourth game is always the hardest to win. The Grizzlies knew that coming in as Vic Gervais touched on that in our pre-game show.  Saying that, the Grizz’ were still just one shot away from ending the series and moving on to the Coastal Conference Finals.
When Dustin Johnson scored with 61 seconds some might have thought it wasn’t meant to be for the Kings.  Victoria was back on their heels for the majority of the game but did a good job at hanging around and keeping the game close enough for a Johnson’s tally.
Matt Ginn was the story last night for the Grizzlies. The work horse in the Victoria net face shot after shot but kept his team within one goal right down to the wire. Ginn stopped 48 of 51 King shots, including eight in overtime before Jutzi’s marker. He will be called upon again tonight to provide another performance like last night.
WHOS’S HOT: Chad Niddery’s two assists last night gives him seven points in five games. Niddery has gotten on the score sheet in all but one game this series.  Jutzi’s goal gives him two in the series and both almost in identical spots. Carter Shinkaruk now has two goals in the playoffs, both coming in the last two games. Andrew Pettitt is doing more than blocking shots. The veteran winger scored his second of the playoffs and sits second in team scoring with five points.
Dustin Johnson is the thorn in the Powell River Kings side. The twenty year-old from Penticton scored his third goal against the Kings in the series and has nine in the playoffs. David Morley followed his five point game four performance with assists on both Grizzlies goals. Morley has seven points in two games.
STAT PACK: Niddery is averaging about 1.4 points per game. That is just slightly less than his pace in the regular season. Niddery’s 86 points in 60 games was an average of 1.43 points per game.
PUCK DROP: Face-off is 7:10pm with the pre-game show starting at 6:55pm on SUN FM. Don’t forget the Kings are showing the game on the big screen in the Evergreen Theatre at the Rec Plex. Contact Elise at the Kings office for the details.

Monday, March 14, 2011

KINGS CLAW BACK; FORCE GAME 6

Jon Jutzi keeps the Kings season alive at 11:11 of the first overtime.

Here's the call...

JON JUTZI

Game 5 Preview: Grizzlies vs. Kings

SERIES: The Grizzlies have an opportunity tonight to clinch the series with a win in game five. The Kings dropped both games three and four in Victoria over the weekend. Those were the first losses in Victoria this season for the Kings.

It's simple for the Kings tonight: win and you live to play another day. Powell River has struggled with consistency and that will be the key in tonight's contest.

TEAM PULSE

Kings- Powell River will have to empty the tank tonight, so to speak. The Kings will look to put in a full sixty minutes against a much improved Victoria Grizzlies squad.  The Kings have had their moments throughout the series, but have yet to string it together for three full periods.

The team has to know by now that this hasn't been the team we saw through the regular season and don't want their season to end this early in the BCHL post season. The older, experienced players will have to be better in their roles.

Matt Garbowsky has yet to register a point in this series in the three games he has played. Garbowsky showed signs of getting back to where he was in the regular season in games three and four. Chad Niddery has stepped up, but will have to elevate his game even more tonight. That dynamic duo will need a break out performance tonight, as their counterparts have been stealing the thunder.

Another area that will need to improve is the Kings penalty-kill. The Grizz' burned the Kings for four power-plays goals on seven opportunities Saturday. At one point Victoria scored four straight power-play goals. The Kings were the top PK team in the regular season and will need to get back to that standard from here on out.

Grizzlies- Victoria has confidence and momentum heading into game five in Powell River. The Grizzlies have won three straight, the only team that can say they have done that against the Kings. They have gotten big minutes and points from their top line and their power-play has been red hot.

David Morley, Dustin Johnson and Joel Lowry have recorded 16 points in four games against the Kings. Morely put up five points on Saturday in the 5-2 win. Johnson, as an AP, has recorded at least a point in three of the four games played this series. It isn't just their top line putting up numbers.

Taylor Pernerowski and Justin Fillion have been contributing from the blue line, especially on the power-play.  Fillion scored once and finished with  four points in game 4 against the Kings. He now has 11 points in nine playoff games. The Kings will need to take time and space away from those two.

Finally, Matt Ginn has settled into a nice rhythm for the Grizzlies. He stopped 61 of 64 shots in the two games down in the provincial capital. Ginn has dropped his goals against down to 2.53 and his save percentage has climbed to 92.56. The Kings believe they haven't generated enough shots, even though they have out shot Victoria 155-122. The key tonight will be getting plenty of traffic in front of the Victoria net.

WHO'S HOT- As mentioned, the top line for the Grizz are playing very well. In the post season Morley, Lowry and Johnson have combined for 35 points in a total of 22 games. Morley is coming off a five point night and Fillion had four points in game four. Niddery picked up an assist in game four and has five points in the series. Craig Dalrymple has quietly gone about notching three points (1-2-3) in four games.

STAT PACK: The Kings have had the lead for 111 of  the 270 minutes in the series. That works out to be 41 percent. The Kings are more comfortable playing with a lead, as they were 35-0-2-0 when leading after two periods in the regular season.

PUCK DROP: Game time is 7pm with the pre game show starting at 6:45. Tune in for a special guest in the first or second intermission.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Broadcast stream

For those living outside of the Powell River area, you can listen to the radio broadcast feed by clicking the link below.
 Listen Here

GAME 4 PREVIEW: Kings vs. Grizzlies


SERIES- The Kings will have to put last night's heart breaking loss in overtime behind them. The way the game ended was something you rarely see and I haven't seen in my broadcasting career. A win tonight would split the first four games and give home ice back to the Kings.


TEAM PULSE

VICTORIA- The Grizzlies are riding high after back to back overtime wins in games two and three. Victoria rallied in the third period to tie the game on redirect by Madison Dias with just over six minutes left. That period saw the Grizz throw everything at the Kings.

Late in the gameVictoria was buzzing in the Kings zone looking for the equalizer. Victoria had three or four minutes of continual pressure on Powell River. The sequences in the Kings zone involved a lot of blocked shots and great saves by Mike Garteig. Give credit though to Victoria has they kept pressing and finally tied the game. However it wasn't all rosey for the home side.

The first period was something we didn't see in game two as the Kings controlled the tempo and won the majority of the puck battles. It wasn't until the third period when the Grizzlies awoke and turned it on. They know they won't get away with that two nights in a row.

Lets be honest, the overtime session wasn't their best either as the Kings controlled the puck in their zone especially with the cycle. The Kings had their chances to win the game and were on the opposite end of a crazy bounce on the winning goal. Victoria looked tired as they went with a short bench for most of the third and overtime. One wonders if that will catch up to them tonight.

POWELL RIVER- The Kings will have to play the way that's given them so much success this season and that is playing hard and playing simple.

Powell River did just that in the opening twenty minutes and for long stretches in the second but for some reason it wasn't there in the third. That period saw Powell River back off on their usually tenacious fore check and were guilty of giving the Grizzlies too much time and space coming through the neutral zone. The Grizz were given plenty of room to stretch it out across the blue line and in turn created one too many odd man rushes.

Tonight the Kings will have to be better. I would expect a team that is quite frankly, pissed off. This team will have a chip on their shoulde tonight. With what has transpired in the past two games the teams looks like it's fostering an us against the world mentality and I wouldn't blame them one bit for feeling that way.

WHO'S HOT: With his goal last night, Andrew Pettitt now moves into a tie for first in team scoring with Chad Niddery, both have four points. Craig Dalrymple's assist last night gives him three points in as many games. Dustin Johnson now has two goals in as many games for the Grizzies.

PUCK DROP: Pre-game goes at 6:55 puck drop is a 7:10pm. I shall see if I can get Victoria Cougars Head Coach, Mark Van Helvoirt on the broadcast.

Friday, March 11, 2011

GAME 3 PREVIEW: Kings vs. Grizzlies


SERIES- The Grizzlies earned the split they wanted in Powell River with Wednesday's 4-3 double overtime win. Rookie Evan Richardson's first career BCHL playoff goal was the difference at 4:47 of the second overtime period.

Tonight is the first of two games at Bear Mountain Arena in Colwood. The Kings were 3-0 in the very same building during the regular season, winning 4-2, 4-1 and 4-2. However, the Grizzlies are 3-0 at home in the playoffs, outscoring Nanaimo 17-6.

TEAM PULSE

VICTORIA- The Grizzlies are riding high after Wednesday's win and are a confident bunch heading into game three. Game two could be looked upon as not only a win in the series but a mental one as well. Prior to game two, Victoria, including game one, had lost seven straight games to the Kings this season.

Game two saw a Victoria team that was playing as if their season was on the line, as they knew fully well going down 2-0 against the Kings could have been all she wrote. The top line came to life on Wednesday, as David Morley, Dustin Johnson and Joel Lowry each scored once and combined for five points. However it wasn't their big guns getting the most important goal.

Evan Richardson, who was making his series debut since an injury early in round one, converted a rebound in front of Mike Garteig just under five minutes into the second overtime period. It was their third line, or two thirds of it that was on the ice for the game winner. The key for Victoria going forward is their depth up front, and if they get efforts like Wednesday's, they will be very dangerous.

Another key factor in the game was the Grizzlies' success in the faceoff circle, especially in the offensive zone. David Morley, Mitch Labreche and Wesley Myron did a terrific job of winning key draws. That is something they will look to continue with the last change at home.

POWELL RIVER- The Kings will be looking to get back on track.   To do that, they will have toget back to playing like they have all year. Powell River was guilty of failing to protect the front of the goal in their zone in game two and didn't do a good enough job away from the puck; that was and is a big key to their success this season.

The team will have to be much better in the circle as they allowed Victoria to dictate the faceoffs, especially late in the game and in their own zone. What the coaching staff will preach is battling on every face off from the puck drop to the final buzzer. Don't allow the Grizzlies to win clean draws; make every draw count.

Finally, the power-play will need to get a jump start going forward in this series. Coming into tonight the Kings are just 2/13 on the man advantage with one goal coming on a 5 on 3 advantage. The Kings have failed to generate good scoring opportunities on the power-play and will need to do a more effective job of generating shots from the points and establishing a net presence.

WHO'S HOT- As mentioned earlier, the Grizzlies top line of Morley, Lowry andJohnson broke out in game two with their combined five point effort. Lowry has three points (1-2-3) in two games this series. Chad Niddery has four points (1-3-4) to lead the Kings up front. Niddery likes playing the Grizzlies as he lead his team in scoring in the six games this season with 13 points.

PUCK DROP: Pre-game show goes at 6:55pm puck drop 7:10pm on 95-7 SUN FM. My intermission guests will include Brendan Hawryluk and the Victoria Cougars Head Coach, Mark Van Helvoirt.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Grizzlies claw back in the series with dramatic OT win

244:37 that's how long it took for the game to be decided. 16 year old rookie Evan Richardson scored 4:37 into the second overtime to give the Grizzlies a 4-3 over the Kings in game two.

The series is tied 1-1 with games 3&4 in Victoria on Friday & Ssaturday.

The Kings fought back from three, one goal deficits to force the two overtime periods. Jon Jutzi (PP) Chad Niddery (PS) and Justin Badarson scored for the Kings.

The top line of Victoria stepped up after last nights down performance. Dustin Johnson (PP) David Morely and Joel Lowry scored for the Grizz.

Both Goaltenders were outstanding as Mike Garteig and Matt Ginn put on a show. Ginn wAs named second star, Garteig third.

GAME 2 PREVIEW: GRIZZLIES vs. KINGS


GAME ONE: Whatever was suppose to hinder the Kings in the opener didn't do it's job. The Kings shook out the cob webs in the first period en route to a 6-2 win. Dan Schuler and Chad Niddery each scored twice and Craig Dalrymple and Cohen Adair added singles. The Kings out shot the Grizzlies 46-24.


TEAM PULSE

VICTORIA-  The Grizz will be looking for a bounce back effort tonight, in particular a better start. Victoria did have moments early in the hockey game but were on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoring mid way through the first period. Give Victoria credit, they did battle back to level the game at two's in the second period. However, after that, the Kings took over and scored four straight to close the scoring.

It looked like the Grizz ran out of steam as the game wore on. In the third down by three Victoria looked flat and frustrated, which caused them to run into penalty trouble. Tonight the Girzzlies will have to be more disciplined and better focused throughout the sixty minutes.

Special teams is also an area that will be key as Victoria was scoreless on six chances and surrendered a short handed marker, all be it into an empty net.

POWELL RIVER-  The Kings will be looking to do more of the same tonight against the Grizzlies. Yes there are areas of their game that need to be cleaned up. Powell River will have to be better in their own zone, most notably along the boards and without the puck.

The Kings were guilty of allowing the Grizzlies too much space and time in the neutral zone, which wasn't something we saw often this season. Tonight Powell River will have to be better with their gap control and positioning in both zones.

As mentioned for Victoria, the power-play for the Kings will have to be much better tonight. The coaching staff didn't hide their displeasure for the man advantage and with their personnel they will have to be better. Too many times last night the Kings were kept to the outside on the power-play and that resulted in limited scoring chances.

Who's Hot: Dan Schuler made quite the impression in his first playoff game. The 18 year old from Webster, New York scored twice and added an assist for a three point night. Chad Niddery scored twice, including a short handed empty net goal in the third. Cohen Adair had two points and Andrew Pettitt notched three assists.

Joel Lowry quietly picked up his 11th point of the playoffs in just his sixth game. Mitch Labreche scored his second goal in his third playoff game.

PUCK DROP: Playoff t-shirts are available to the public for a cost of 15 dollars. Dan Schuler will be my intermission guest tonight on SUN fm.

The Morning After

  • Last night's outcome didn't surprise me but the score line sure did. Granted the Kings have won every game this season against the Grizzlies but I thought we would have seen a much closer game. We did for the first 30 minutes or so; after that it was all Powell River.
  • It looks like the time away due to injury did Dan Schuler well. The 18 year old winger looked terrific scoring twice and finishing with three points. Schuler had lots of jump in his game and was all over the ice last night. Try to find a nicer, more modest kid in the BCHL.
  • Special teams are, and will be, one of the biggest factors in the playoffs and it was last night. Both teams did struggle (PR 1/7) )(VIC 0/6), but the Kings capitalized with one on the PP and a short handed marker in the third. I expect the Kings to be much sharper on the man advantage tonight.
  • Lost in the goals and drama of last night was the solid play of Mike Garteig. He didn't see as many shots as his counterpart, but he made some big saves at key times. Garteig doesn't have to be spectacular every night, just sound like he was on Tuesday.
  • Did you know Andrew Pettitt collected three assists? It surprised me too. The veteran forward was great on the PK and was just as good in the offensive zone. He created a rebound for Schuler's first goal and also set up the plays that led to the Kings third and fourth goals.
  • The Kings did a good job of keeping Joel Lowry in check last night. The Victoria forward was red hot coming into last night's game. He did get an assist on the Grizzlies first goal, but was held in check for the most part. It will be tough to do that two nights in a row but this team has exceeded defensive expectations before.
  • Believe it or not, but one of the better Grizzlies last night was AP Mitch Smith. The Richmond Sockeye callup was very effective in his limited role on the fourth line. He skated well, took the body and was smart with the puck. That's what is asked for from an AP and he delivered.
  • Cohen Adair was another who made a good impression returning from injury. Adair, when he puts it together, can be a premier power forward in the BCHL.  An example of that was on the Kings fifth goal when he made a great play with the puck to set up Chad Niddery.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

KInge take game one 6-2

Powell River didn't look like a team that had 16 days off between games. Chad Niddery and Dan Schuler each scored twice in a 6-2 win to take the opening game of their Coastal Conference Semi-Final.

Craig Dalrymple and Cohen Adair also scored for the Kings. Schuler finished with three points and Adair also had a helper.  Andrew Pettitt also chipped in with three assists.  Mitch Labrache and Pearce Eviston replied for the Grizzlies.

The Kings squandered a 2-0 first period lead.  Victoria scored with 17 seconds remaining in the first and tied it halfway through the second. However the Kings responded with four straight to close out the game.

Lots of penalties in this one with the Kings going 1/7 on the power-play and Victoria going 0/6 with a short handed goal against.

More tomorrow.

GAME 1 PREVIEW: GRIZZLIES vs. KINGS


SEASON SERIES: As mentioned yesterday, the Kings took all six games in the regular season against the Grizzlies. The last encounter was a 7-1 win on January 30th at the Hap Parker Arena.  However this Victoria isn't the same team we saw in late January.

Since majority owner Len Barrie has joined the coaching staff, the Grizzlies are 8-2, including their five game series win over Nanaimo. Victoria finished the regular season on a three game winning streak and a 4-1 run in five games.

PLAYOFF HISTORY: These two teams last met in the 2009 Coastal Conference Finals, with the Kings winning in seven games. Chad Niddery, Jason Yee and Andrew Pettitt are holdovers from that season.  The Grizzlies have two; Madison Dias and Sean Robertson.

TEAM PULSE

VICTORIA- Some could argue the Grizzlies have the upper hand in the fact they have five games under their belt this post-season.  However, it could also be argued that the Kings have an advantage in that they're rested and healthy for game one, something the Grizzlies can't quite say.

The Grizzlies had to play a hard fought five game series versus Nanaimo.  At one point in the series, Victoria had six regulars out of the lineup.  I would expect them to be almost fully healthy to start the series tonight.

One player who is playing, and playing well, is Joel Lowry. The Calgary native led his team in scoring, collecting 10 points in five games against the Clippers, good enough for sixth in BCHL playoff scoring. Lowry was a force in the offensive zone and, paired up with Madison Dias (3+4=7), made for a lethal duo.


POWELL RIVER-  Between the end of the regular season and tonight, it will be 16 full days since the Kings have played a game. However, the coaches and players won't use that as an excuse. In fact, the consensus was the break went by quicker than originally anticipated.

The team took four days off before they resumed daily practices which included a day trip down to sechelt for a practice. The Kings held an intersquad game at the Hap Parker Arena that was open to the public on February 26th.

Teagan Waugh is the only player on the Kings that will be out due to injury.  His return is not known at this time.

WHO'S HOT: Chad Niddery ended the regular season on fire. The fourth year King ended the regular season on a 13 game point streak, which saw him collect 10 goals and 24 points. Matt Garbowsky finished the regular season on a five game point streak and three game goal streak.

As mentioned, Joel Lowry led the Grizzlies in scoring against Nanaimo. Lowry scored three goals and collected 10 points in five games. Madison Dias wasn't too far behind with seven points in five games. Dustin Johnson, as an AP, scored five goals and collected six points in only three games. Johnson was playing for the Nelson Leafs in the KIJHL. He started the year with Merritt before being traded to Victoria. Johnson didn't last very long in Victoria before ending up in the Kootenay's

STAT PACK: Victoria scored the opening goal in four of the six regular season games against the Kings this season.

PUCK DROP: There will be a tailgate party outside of the rink starting at 6pm. The team will be putting on a BBQ by donation. Also playoff t-shirts will be available for purchase at a cost of $15 dollars.

My 1st and 2nd intermission guest will be Dan Marshall, the play-by-play voice of the Nanaimo Clippers.

Monday, March 7, 2011

VICTORIA & POWELL RIVER BY THE NUMBERS



Season Series: The Kings took all six games against the Grizzlies this season, with the Kings beating the Grizzlies out right in five of the six contests.

Scores: 4-3 OT (Sep 17th), 4-2 (Sep 18th), 4-1 (Oct 2nd), 4-1 (Dec 18th), 4-2 (Jan 15th)
and 7-1 (Jan 30th).

Special Teams

Power-Play

VIC                             PR
3/39 = 7.69                 13/29= 44.82
Home: 2/20= 10.00    Home: 8/13=61.53
Road: 1/19= 5.26       Road: 5/16=31.25


Penalty-Kill
 VIC                            PR
16/29= 55.17               36/39= 92.3
Home: 11/16= 68.75    Home: 18/19=94.73
Road: 5/13= 38.46       Road: 18/20=90.00

SEASON SERIES TEAM SCORING


2 Nick Buchanan ---
4 Wesley Myron 0-1-1
5 Josh Bryan 0-1-1
6 Braxton Bilous ---
7 Graeme Strukoff ---
8 Sean Robertson 0-2-2
9 Kyle St. Denis ---
12 Michael Colantone 2-0-2
13 David Morley 1-0-1
14 Chase Paylor 1-0-1
15 Greg Simpson ---
16 Madison Dias 1-3-4
17 Joel Lowry 1-4-5
18 Mitch Labreche ---
19 Evan Richardson 2-1-3
20 Wade Murphy ---
21 Bryce Twa 0-1-1
22 Pearce Eviston 0-1-1
24 Justin Fillion 0-2-2
26 Taylor Pernerowski ---
27 Kyle Aschim 0-1-1

1 Matt Ginn 0-4-1 .887 sv % 4.00 GAA
35 Cam Gorchynski 0-1-0 .821sv % 7.00 GAA


3 Braden Pears 1-0-1
4 Brendan Hawyrluk ---
6 Klay Kachur 1-0-1
7 Brenden Forbes 0-2-2
8 Teagan Waugh 1-1-2
9 Matt Garbowsky 8-4-12
10 Andrew Pettitt 1-0-1
11 Justin Bardarson 1-2-3
12 Bond Hawryluk ---
14 Carter Shinkaruk 1-1-2
15 Jason Yee 0-2-2
16 Mike Sones 3-1-4
17 Dan Schuler 1-6-7
18 Steven Schmidt 1-0-1
20 Chris Williams ---
21 Chad Niddery 4-9-13
22 Cohen Adair 1-1-2
24 Jon Jutzi- 0-2-2
25 Justin DaSilva 0-6-6
27 Craig Dalrymple 2-4-6
44 Scott Renner 0-2-2

1 Mike Garteig 6-0-0 .929 sv % 1.67 GAA

  • Kings have 18 players who have recorded a point in the six games; Victoria has 13.
  • 14 Kings have atleast two points against the Grizzlies; Victoria six.
  • Powell River outscored the Grizzlies 27-10 in six games.


Friday, March 4, 2011

Kings vs Grizzlies in Round 2

The Kings have known for two weeks that they will begin their 2011 BCHL Playoffs on Tuesday, March 8 in Powell River.  It is now official that they will be facing off against the Victoria Grizzlies after the Grizz defeated the Nanaimo Clippers 4-1 in their best of seven Coastal Conference quarterfinal series.  The Grizzlies won the deciding 5th game last night 3-2 on home ice to close out the series.

I will have more on the upcoming series in the next couple of days.

The Grizzlies were without some of their top players throughout the series versus the Clippers and I'm sure they are happy to have a few days off to heal some injuries. 

These two teams last met in the playoffs in 2009 when the Kings took the decisive game seven at Bear Mountain Arena to claim the Coastal Conference Championship.  The Kings lost to the eventual RBC Cup Champion Vernon Vipers in 6 games in the Fred Page Cup.  The Grizzlies hosted the RBC Cup and lost in the semi final to the Humboldt Broncos of the SJHL.

The Kings have three players who played in the 2009 series; Chad Niddery, Jason Yee and Andrew Pettitt.  The Grizzlies have two; Madison Dias and Sean Robertson.

This should be a great series.