Ben Berard scored the 2017 Teddy Bear Toss goal late in the first period as the Kings weathered a storm, rode a 3/6 powerplay and fought their way to a 5-2 over the Victoria Grizzlies on Friday night at the Hap Parker Arena
The Kings started the better team despite being shorthanded 10 seconds into the game thanks to a follow throw from Mitch Adamyk clipping a Grizzlies skater up high. The Kings killed that penalty before going to a powerplay of their own and generated a 4-0 lead in shots but nothing to show for it. The kill was again called into action thanks to a 4-minute spearing call and it wasn’t until both teams the Kings 2nd advantage of the hockey game that the bears went flying.
After working below the net, Ben Berard stepped off the goal line with a power move to net, sweeping the puck around the Victoria goaltender for his 8th of the year and a 1-0 Kings lead. After a delay to clean the ice, the Grizzlies came out the better team post-goal, carrying much of the play but the Kings were the ones with a lead through 20. Shots 15-8 Victoria.
Into the 2nd period and again a tight checking, even hockey game. Despite chances both ways, the Grizzlies didn’t cash in until midway through the 2nd through Cameron Thompson who scored twice in 3:22 to give the visitors the lead. That did not last long as the Kings reeled the Grizzlies in on a late 2nd period powerplay. Just as a 2nd penalty was being assessed to the Grizzlies, Jonny Evans fired to net with a Gavin Rauser redirect looping the puck over the head of Shawn Parkinson in net and trickling over the goal line for Rauser’s 8th and a 2-2 game. Shots 13-11 Kings in the period, 26-21 Victoria through 40.
A dream start in the third period as the Kings used 1:27 of their 1:28 powerplay time to open the period as Kyle Kawamura beat the goaltender on a rebound from a Callum Volpe shot and the Kings had the lead back 3-2. The goal from Kawamura wound stand as the game winner, with Andy Stevens (3rd) and Jonny Evans (4th) both scoring into an empty net with less than 1:30 remaining in the game to close out a 5-2 win.
Mitch Adamyk gets the win in net, moving his record to 9-4-1, stopping 34 Victoria shots. The Kings record goes to 13-5-2-2 and the team pulls 3 clear of the Grizzlies and Clippers (who won Friday) for top spot in the Island Division standings.
Here’s what Jonny Evans and Brock Sawyer had to say in our Facebook Live postgame show:
Three Stars of the Game
1. Ben Berard (Kings) – 1 goal
2. Cameron Thompson (Grizzlies) – 2 goals
3. Jonny Evans (Kings) – 1 goal, 2 assists
The Kings host the Grizzlies for the final time this season on Saturday night, a 5:00pm puck drop at the Hap Parker Arena.
