The Powell River Kings will advance to the Island Division final for the second straight year following a 6-4 win over the Nanaimo Clippers in game 6 of their Island Division Semi Final series at the Hap Parker Arena on Saturday night.
Note: Due to a glitch in the HockeyTV recording, Mitch Williams’ first goal (4-3) is not included in the above highlight pack. It will be edited ASAP and added to this article below.
A great start for the Kings who generated chances and dominated the opening 6-7 minutes of the game. However it was the Clippers to get a go-ahead marker against the run of play as a puck battle in the corner saw a puck kicked out to Jordan Wharrie at the right point, with space to fire home past Paler-Chow, his 1st and a 1-0 Nanaimo lead that stood up through 20. The Kings outshooting Nanaimo 12-9.
The second period saw a lift in pace, intensity and scoring. First, Neal Samanski scored on an early powerplay for the Kings, tipping a Ben Berard shot to tie the game at 1. However 1:03 later, the Clippers would respond by scoring twice just 28 seconds apart for a 3-1 advantage. Four minutes later, Carter Turnbull on a delayed penalty would find a hole on Taz Burman after shooting from just above the goal line, Turnbull’s 3rd of the playoffs and a 3-2 score.
Nanaimo would restore the two goal lead midway through the period with Josh Bourne getting on the scoresheet for the first time and it was 4-2. Then a stellar 200 foot goal for the Kings as Matteo Paler-Chow made a point blank pad save on a Clipper player, with the rebound out to Callum Volpe who put it ahead for Mitch Williams. He skated down the ice and scored from the high slot, his 1st playoff goal and a 4-3 score through 40 with the Kings outshooting Nanaimo 22-21.
The third period saw the Kings reassert their dominance. An early goal tied it up as a puck darted around the crease with Burman unable to freeze it, Gavin Rauser poked it home, his 1st of the playoffs and it was 4-4. Then the eventual series winner came from the stick of Carter Turnbull, as he again used a chance of pace to dance past Max Crozier and fired it from the goal line upstairs and over the shoulder of Burman, his 4th of the playoffs and third game winner this series, a 5-4 advantage. The Kings scored into an empty net through Williams’ second to clinch the series 4-2, with a 6-4 game 6 win.
Matteo Paler-Chow stopped 30 Nanaimo shots in the win, his third. It was also the 5th game of the series where the team who scored first, lost the game. Only Powell River’s game 1 victory bucked that statistical trend.
Here’s what Mitch Williams and Brock Sawyer had to say in our Facebook Live post game show:
Three Stars of the Game
1. Carter Turnbull (Kings) – 2 goals, GWG
2. Cal Babych (Clippers) – 1 goal, 1 assist
3. Andy Stevens (Kings)
The Kings will await a game 7 between the Victoria Grizzlies and Alberni Valley Bulldogs in Victoria on Sunday night. Should the Grizzlies win, the Kings would start the Division Final in Victoria on Friday. If Alberni prevail, the Kings would host the Bulldogs on Friday night. Game information and schedule will be made available as soon as possible.
