Game: Alberni Valley Bulldogs vs Powell River Kings
Arena: Hap Parker Arena
Puck Drop: 7:30pm
Broadcast: Starts at 7:00pm
95.7 SunFM Free Audio
FastHockey PPV Video
Kings This Season vs Opposition: 1-0-0-0
Last Meeting: Kings won 4-0 (September 22nd, 2013)
Kings 2013/2014 Record: 15-4-0-1 (1st Island)
Kings at home: 11-4-0-0
Kings Last 10: 6-3-0-1
Kings vs Island: 8-2-0-0
Opposition 2013/2014 Record: 5-16-2-1 (5th Island)
Opposition on the road: 2-7-2-1
Opposition Last 10: 4-6-0-0
It’s Teddy Bear Toss night at the Hap, one of my favourite games of the year and one the fans really enjoy. Fans are encouraged to bring a teddy bear, stuffed animal, gloves, toques, scarves, anything warm and fuzzy to throw onto the ice when the Kings score their first goal of the game. In recent years, ‘the goal’ has gone to guys like Craig Dalrymple, Carter Shinkaruk and Andrew Pettitt. Last year it was Stephen Hiff who has a chance to repeat this season, but it’s definitely something that’s been joked about between the players on who can send the bears flying.
The Kings coming off a 1-1 weekend where they let a lead slip and would up on the wrong side of 7 goals. On Sunday afternoon, a much more solid effort against a Cowichan team on the tail end of a long weekend. There were certainly things to take and learn from both games, but the biggest lesson is perhaps one of the biggest cliches in hockey, play a full 60. That’ll come into play tonight, against a team on quite literally the opposite end of the standings. The Kings won’t be able to come into the game thinking “this will be easy, the Bulldogs are last and we’re first”…an attitude like that more often than not burns a team.
The Kings must break things down shift by shift, and play solid 30-45 second sessions back to back to back for 60 minutes. The team hasn’t been good at the starts of weekends, a flat 4-4 on Friday nights this year, and tonight is a perfect opportunity for the Kings to rectify that before they begin to hit the road and Friday nights turn into the first games of 3-in-3’s on the road, where a good start is crucial.
The Kings continue to get some bodies back in the lineup, with everyone up front healthy and ready to go. Jarryd Leung returns to the lineup after missing Sunday’s game against Cowichan. Kurt Keats is back and Matt Scarth stays in after an impressive re-debut against Cowichan after missing 15. He’s had a full week of practice and will look to replace adrenaline of “opening night” with hard work and conditioning to keep him at the same level he’s been at during 5 games this year. The injuries are beginning to pile up on the blue-line, with Luke Ripley out long term with a broken leg, Kyle Chatham still out (but close to returning) with his upper-body injury. Jeremy LeClerc will be a game-time decision. Nick Tupper comes in to face his former team and complete the top 6 for the Kings.
Jonah Imoo will start this evening, with Jeff Smith returning to the lineup after a trip to Nova Scotia.
You look at the Bulldogs and you see that they are in a share for last in the BCHL…a record of 5-16-2-1. It’s a far cry from the Island Division Champions from last season who captivated Port Alberni, and triggered fan buses to Victoria, which at times out-numbered the Grizzlies faithful. But look past the record and you see a team that’s “close” but just falling behind at the last moment. Out of the 5 wins to date though, 4 have come in the last 10 games.
Through November alone, the Dogs have had 1-goal losses to the Vees and Clippers, and 2-goal losses against the two highest scoring teams in the BCHL, Coquitlam and Surrey. It’s a team that is able to stick with its opponent, and the box scores of the games don’t necessarily reflect a 5-16 record. Against the Kings in September (4-0 Kings win), the Bulldogs took it to the Kings early, and if not for some solid Jeff Smith goaltending, that result could very well be different. Shots finished near even (35-33 Kings) but it was heavily lobsided early in favour of the visitors. It took until the 17 minute mark for the Kings to crack the Dogs, then the team got timely scoring whenever Alberni would mount some offence.
Leading the way in this pseudo-resurgence has been the captain, Tryg Strand who was named BCHL Player of the Week a couple of weeks ago for an 8-point weekend where the Bulldogs picked up 2 of 3 wins in the Interior. Also up front, is Justin Georgeson who is a veteran and has always been good against the Kings. He’s a 4th year BCHL vet (Coquitlam) with experience in all types of situations.
A big addition up front will be not through a trade or signing, but rather a player returning from a lengthy suspension. Craig Martin was traded from the Vipers to the Bulldogs in October, then during a game against Nanaimo was ejected and served an 8-game suspension for a check from behind. The 8th game of that suspension was last weekend against Penticton and he’s due in the lineup tonight against the Kings. Martin is in his 2nd full season in the BCHL, has a commit to Quinnipiac and has scored at just under a point per game in limited action this year.
In net, new acquisition (compared to when the Kings last saw the Dogs) Connor LaCouvee was named the BCHL Player of the Week in late-October for his stellar play. He just beat out Jeff Smith that week, and helped the Dogs to a pair of wins against Nanaimo and Trail. He came over from Merritt earlier this season and is 4-4 with the Dogs.
In our pre-game show, we’ll chat with the coaches from both benches, get to your keys to the game, the tale of the tape and stat pack. In the 1st intermission, we’ll talk Teddy Bear Toss with Stephen Hiff and Luke Nogard. We’ll also catch up with Matt Scarth on his impressive game against Cowichan last Sunday.
In the 2nd intermission, we’ll recap everything from the three World Junior A Challenge players. We’ll chat prospects with Jeff Smith, injury with Luke Ripley and bronze medals with Kurt Keats.
Stick around for the post-game show when Kings coaches and players will join us after 60 or so minutes to break down the game and chat about Saturday’s return leg of the double header.
