The Kings put together an overall solid 60 minutes, however came out on the losing end of a brief extra session, falling 5-4 in overtime to the Cowichan Valley Capitals in exhibition play on Saturday night.
It was the Capitals to come out flying early in the game, both on the scoreboard and in the hit totals. The Caps took an early lead and then went about trying to hit the Kings out of the game. Several big hits, including two on Jarod Yao in a single shift, saw the Kings on the back foot early. However the physical play saw the Caps cut a rut to the penalty box where the Kings made them pay.
Neal Samanski tied the game at 1 following a shot from Ben Berard that created a loose puck in front that Samanski buried for a 1-1 game. Cowichan retook the lead before another powerplay and another tally for the Kings. This time Jack Long on the receiving end of a Ben Berard and Ben Thomas play, with Long tucking under the cross bar on a shot from the blue line and a 2-2 game through 20.
Into the 2nd and the Kings took their first lead of the weekend as Ben Berard sent a pass three lines up the ice to hit Ben Thomas who cut in and made a nice move on the goaltender for his first of exhibition and a 3-2 lead. Cowichan would come back not long after and tie the game back up and leave it square at 3 through 40.
The third period saw the Kings seize more control of the game, however it was the Capitals to take the lead 4-3 on a partial break to veteran forward Brendan Cherwalk. The Kings would again tie the game up as Ben Berard capped a 3-point night with a tight angle snipe from just above the goal line, his 1st of the pre-season and a 4-4 score.
Despite chances, the Kings and Capitals couldn’t find an equalizer and the game headed to 3-on-3 overtime tied at 4. Early into the extra session, the Capitals iced it through new Capital Adam Conquest for a 5-4 Capitals win. The Kings outshot the Caps 41-29 in the game, but come away with just the point.
Charles-Olivier LePage and Michael Harroch split duties in net, playing half a game each.
The exhibition road trip wraps Sunday afternoon in Nanaimo against the Clippers, a 1:00pm start at the Nanaimo Ice Centre.
