- The Kings closed out their 2017 Bauer BCHL Showcase with a 4-2 loss against the Trail Smoke Eaters on Saturday morning.
In many ways similar to the Vernon game less than 24 hours prior with the league-leading offence that had propelled the Kings to a 3-1 start, drying up. Not only in the volume of goals, but the volume of shots. The Kings are routinely a 35+ shot per game team, and would up with 20 and 24 this weekend…combined less than the 51 the Kings fired in Cowichan.
Powerplay finally struck in the 2nd period. A product of the lower shot totals, the powerplay didn’t look threatening until the Kings went back to basics. Jack Long walked down from the blue line and lasered a shot past the goaltender for the Kings first man advantage goal of the weekend. They had 8 chances Friday, another 9 Saturday and scored twice.
The 2nd powerplay goal was also a nice simple play with the Kings directing a puck to net before seeing Carter Turnbull pounce on one from the faceoff dot for his 5th of the season.
It’s the Kings first loss in regulation this season, dropping their record to 4-1-0-1 from the opening 6 games. All time at the Showcase the Kings are now 7-3-0-2 with a couple of losses to Trail (one in OT) part of that record.
Three Stars of the Game
1. Seth Barton (Smoke Eaters) – 2 assists
2. Kale Howarth (Smoke Eaters) – 1 goal
3. Carter Turnbull (Kings) – 1 goal
The Kings return to Powell River and have just the lone game on the schedule this weekend, hosting the Alberni Valley Bulldogs at the Hap Parker Arena on Saturday evening, a 5:00pm start.
