Dante De Caria
Trail, BC – Matteo Paler-Chow made a season-high 38-saves, helping the Powell River Kings (5-0) to a 5-2 win over the Trail Smoke Eaters (0-4-1) on Wednesday night at the Cominco Arena.
The Kings become the first BCHL team to five wins, improving to 5-0. It’s the Kings best start since the franchise started the 2011-12 season 6-0.
Paler-Chow recorded his third straight victory, allowing two goals on 40-shots. That lowers his GAA to 2.73 and brings his SV% to .900. During his three straight wins, Paler-Chow has posted 2.00 GAA and a .928 SV%.
“He was amazing,” said Kings Assistant Coach Brock Sawyer. “He knows he has to be his best every night to give us a chance to win, and he did just that. Our guys rallied around him, and found ways to get goals.”
The Kings were outshot 40-32, and 15-9 in the first period, marking the first time that they have been outshot this season. Sawyer said things changed in the second half of the game, and especially in the third, as Powell River outshot Trail 13-12.
“I thought we did well to weather the storm, find our game and move forward. We just had to preach our details and stick to our structure.”
Just over a minute into the third period, the Kings got off to a 3-0 lead. Hunter McCoy scored a goal along the ice from the line six seconds into the frame, and Dawson McKay found a loose puck in the mid-slot, scoring his third of the season, 57-seconds later.
“We found our groove,” said Sawyer. “We were great other than a few mistakes where they scored. Once our forwards got going, and pushed pucks behind their defense, we took advantage.”
The Kings and Smokies exchanged a pair of goals later in the period. Michael Abgrall scored for the second straight game, while Rowan Miller found the top corner with minutes left in the frame for his second goal this season, and his first since the opening game.
Reilly Moran opened the scoring 6:37 into the second period, receiving the puck in the slot, and potting home his third goal this season.
Jack Brackett tallied two assists, giving him four assists over his last two games after having no points in his first three games in the BCHL. Levi Glasman playing against his former team for the first time, extended his point-streak to a team best five games, recording an assist on Miller’s goal.
The Powell River Kings are back in action on Friday, September 20th against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. You can follow the game on 95.7 Coast FM and Hockey TV.
