The Powell River Kings (36-18-1-0) played their first game in nine days Friday night, and shook off the first-period rust en route to a 5-1 win over the Nanaimo Clippers (22-27-5-1).
The opening 20 minutes weren’t the best for the Kings and they found themselves trailing 1-0. Ben Solin scored the opening goal on the power play when he cut to the slot from the right-wing boards and snapped a shot past Brian Wilson.
The next 20 were the complete opposite, as the Kings looked like the team they’ve been since the Christmas break. After getting a power play of their own, Tristan Mullin knocked home a rebound off a shot from Liam Lawson to tie the game less than three minutes into the period.
Three minutes later, Cam Donaldson scored a power play goal when Matt Cairns’ shot hit a leg and deflected right to Donaldson at the left circle.
The Kings capped off their third period scoring with a nice play off a face-off. With the draw to the left of Evan DeBrouwer, Jonny Evans poked the puck forward off the draw. It came to Donaldson in front who got DeBrouwer to go down, before Donaldson slid the puck back to Evans on the right side of the net who tapped it into an open goal.
Wilson made his finest save of the night with a few minutes left in the third after Ben Taylor came down the left wing shielding the puck. He threw it across the ice on his backhand to Josh Blanchard on the right wing, but Wilson slid across to his left to make a glove save to keep the game at 3-1.
A few minutes later, the Kings iced the game as Josh Coblenz scored his third of the year on a breakaway on the empty net.
Mullin added another goal in the final minute as he cut to the middle of the ice from the right wing before rifling a shot off the post and in for the 36th of the season.
Despite the loss, the Clippers clinched a playoff spot courtesy of Alberni’s loss in Salmon Arm. The Kings and Clippers could meet up in the first round if Nanaimo overtakes Cowichan for third place.
The division rivals meet again Saturday night at 5:00.
