Game: Cowichan Valley Capitals 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: 4-1-0-0
Last Meeting: Kings won 5-4 (OT) (January 24th, 2014)
Kings 2013/2014 Record: 30-11-2-3 (1st Island)
Kings at home: 17-4-1-0
Kings Last 10: 6-3-0-1
Kings vs Island: 17-6-1-1
Opposition 2013/2014 Record: 17-26-2-2 (4th Island)
Opposition on the road: 5-17-1-0
Opposition Last 10: 3-4-2-1
The boys are back. That’s the theme for tonight’s game…in more ways than one. First, the Kings are back at the Hap Parker Arena for 3 (2 this weekend) in a row after a 6-game Island swing where the team went 3-2-0-1. You could tell that the grind of back to back 3-in-3’s may have started to take its toll, but the prevailing comments from Sunday in Alberni is that there was more in the tank, but just couldn’t make the right plays at the death, especially with a 5-4 goal and a couple of minutes remaining in the 3rd.
The other boys that are back? After 28 games out of the lineup, 26 thanks to injury, defenceman Luke Ripley makes his return to the Powell River roster. Luke hasn’t donned a Kings jersey since November 2nd against Nanaimo, before he headed out to Nova Scotia for the prospects series, where he was injured. He’s a welcomed return to a blue line that is getting health at the right time. Jordan Burns is also back after missing last weekend, also with injury. Also back, Ryan Scarfo. Scarfo has played just twice in 2014 and has missed the last 8, also due to injury.
So with all the returns, who is still out? Not back is Matt Scarth or Stephen Hiff, both battling injuries of their own. Tonight the Kings will also be without Lucas Grayson who is serving a 1-game suspension for removing his helmet before a fight in Alberni on Sunday. To cover the losses, Hunter Findlater will dress for the Kings tonight. It’ll be Findlater’s 5th game of the year for his hometown Kings and so far this season, Findlater has put up a team-leading 18 goals and 32 points for the BCMML’s North Island Silvertips in Nanaimo.
Jonah Imoo gets the start against the Caps, a team that he beat on Friday night in a 5-4 overtime decision.
The Caps had quite the dilemma this weekend…come the night before, hotel it for Thursday evening, or get up at 4 and make the 5am Nanaimo departure to Powell River on Friday. The team chose the former and has been in Powell River all day, and at the rink earlier this morning. It’ll make for a more ‘home-like’ atmosphere for a team that are in a real dog-fight for the final playoff spot.
Once up 10-15 points on Alberni, the gap is now at zero, with the Caps having a single game in hand. Tonight is that game in hand, and it’s against a team that did Cowichan no favours with Sunday’s result. The Caps will have to do things the hard way if they’re to secure a playoff spot. They have no games against Alberni, and still a few against Powell River, Nanaimo and Victoria. Ironically, the Kings will have a large say on who gets the 4th spot, and assuming they can hold off Victoria for 1st…they’ll play a big role on setting up round 1 of the playoffs.
Cowichan will be dressing a near-identical lineup from Friday’s loss to the Kings in Duncan. Despite the fact that the Kings lead the season series 4-1, the last two games have both been 1-goal affairs. This is a team, perhaps most than others, that relies on their goaltending to be good…Robin Gusse goes again tonight for Cowichan.
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 with returning Kings defenceman Luke Ripley. Also, Cole Arcuri on his 1st goal last weekend. Finally the returning Ryan Scarfo chats about being out of the lineup and his expectations for game 1 back.
In the 2nd intermission, we’ll talk with Kings defenceman Brian Rideout and Kings coach Kent Lewis on his commitment to the University of Nebraska-Omaha. We’ll also talk a little bit more about the Kings alumni weekend, coming up at the end of February.
In the post-game show, Derek Bachynski will join us after 60 to talk about the 2nd leg of this weekend’s double header against Cowichan.
