After 2 games to forget against the Grizzlies, the Kings returned home for a Wednesday night affair with the visiting Cowichan Valley Capitals who were the last team the Kings beat on Jan 2.
The Kings would control the early parts of the first period putting 12 shots towards Caps netminder McCoy Bidewell. At one point the Kings were out shooting the Capitals 12-3. However the visitors would open the scoring 13:37 in as Casey Aman and Shane Lavelle would chase after a loose puck going towards the crease of Brice who came out and made the poke check but he poked the puck right to Massimo Lombardi who put the puck into the open net. That would be the only goal in the period as the Caps would take the 1-0 lead into the 2nd.
Coming into this game the Kings only had 1 win on the season when they trailed after the first period so the odds were against them from puck drop. It would be a back and forth period till 13:14 in when Ethan Riesterer pick off a pass at the Capitals blue line, he took it to the slot and fired it home five hole on Bidewell to tie the game. The goal would be Riesterer’s 5 of the season and his 4th in 5 games. Cowichan would take the lead 2 minutes later as Brett Fudger took the shot from the left boards, Brice would make the save and the rebound came right to David Jacobs to who scored to put the Caps back in front. Despite trailing the Kings were a resilient bunch like they were on Friday and would answer right back as Parker LoLonde tipped in a Jason Marsella point shot for his team leading 12th of the season to even the score once more. Just over a minute after tying it up the Kings would go in front when Sam Belanger made a great pass off the glass to Mark D’Agostino who went into the o-zone with Max Potvin and from one knee D’Agostino made the pass to Potvin who put it passed Bidewell for his 11th and to give the Kings a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes.
Just like the second the third would be back and forth but the Caps would continue to apply more pressure to Brice and the Kings D as the period went on. The Kings would hunker down defensively by blocking shots and break up passes while Brice came up big when he needed to making 12 saves in the period leading the way for the Kings 3-2 victory.
The win would end the Kings 8 game losing skid and 7 game home losing streak to pick up win number 11 of the season. Zak Brice would make 37 saves and earn the 1st star of the game as he picked up his first W in 2022. The Kings are now 11-20-5 on the season and still remain 7th in the coastal conference.
