Kings took some of the sting out of their home open loss to the Grizzlies by beating them 4-2 on Saturday evening.
A somewhat smaller crowd was on hand to see a highly charged effort from the Kings that got results almost immediately.
Just 0:27 seconds into the game Jarid Lukosevicius turned some hard work from Kurt Keats and a rebound off a point shot from Kyle Chatham into a backhand shot that hit the top corner of the net.
Just a couple of minutes later J.J. Coleshaw fired the puck from behind the net and it hit the pad of Griz goalie Alec Dillon and ended up in the goal at 2:40.
Grizzlies got back in it at 7:25 when Kings' starter Jeff Smith made a save but was caught going the wrong way on the rebound and the Griz made it 2-1.
The second period was a good one for the Kings when Ryan Scarfo deposited a rebound off Brian Rideout's point shot to make it 3-1 at 6:02.
They padded the lead to 4-1 when Lukosevicius got his second of the night on a pretty three way passing play at 16:25.
Grizzlies closed to with a couple at 4-2 on Gerry Fitzgeralds powerplay goal but that was a close as they got to the Kings.
Jeff Smith picked up the win with 23 saves and made several very good stops. Special teams had the Kings at 1 for 5 on the powerplay while the penalty killers stopped the Grizzlies on 4 of 5 tries.
After the game Lucas Grayson was asked about his relationship with the men with the whistles.
"I seem to always be talking to the refs," he smiled, "and they say just take it easy sometimes."
"I kind of get like a little bond with them, or try to anyways and try to get them on my side a little bit," he said, "but I just try go with what's going on out there and just use my head."
Of his short time in Powell River he said, "I've got some family friends over here already and I've know them since I was a little bit younger and it's a nice community, everybody is on board with the team and it's a nice time over here."
"Beautiful ocean there," said the Port Hardy native, "and I just love it here, it's just like home you know."
Grayson's presence and experience on the ice is key and he's a player the Kings think can help them immensely when the opposition gets an urge to get physical.
Armitage Mens Wear Three Stars:
1. Jarid Lukosevicius
2. Kurt Keats
3. Gerry Fitzgerald
