Recap is presented by Iris Optometry
After two losses at the Hap in games 3 & 4 the Kings headed to Surrey for game 5 with their season on the line.
It would be a tremendous start to the game for the Kings who heavily out played the Eagles from the opening faceoff, but Michael Sochan was not phased as kept it scoreless. With some early troubles to find the back of the net the Kings kept pressing and would get rewarded with the opening goal at 14:48. A Casey Aman point shot would be stopped by Sochan but the rebound was left for Ryder Ringor who knocked it into the open cage for his second of the postseason. The lead wouldn’t last too long as the Eagles would even it up at 18:08 when Jake Bongo flung the puck towards the net and it was tipped in by Ryden Evers mid air as we headed into the second tied 1-1.
After a slow start for the Eagles in the first, they would start to find their groove in the second and would take the lead at 8:56 on a power play that ended with Jake Bongo finishing off a backdoor play in which he broke his stick taking the shot, but the puck still found a way in. Now trailing the Kings were hungry to make it all square once again. Like the Kings lead in the first the Eagles lead in the second as the Kings would tie it 90 seconds later when Sam Schoenfeld’s wrist shot from the blueline found its way through traffic to notch the score up at 2. As the period went on it seemed like it would be a deadlock heading into the third, but the Eagles made sure that it didn’t happen. After a dump in Kyle Metson went out the play the puck from the top of the crease, he would shoot it towards the corner but it took a funny hop and redirected behind the net where the Eagles would take possession. Ante Zlomislic would feed it in front for Ryden Evers who put it past Metson before he could get set as the Eagles took the lead with 40 seconds left in the period.
Entering the third trailing, it would be the biggest period of the season as they needed to make a comeback to keep the season alive. The Kings wouldn’t do themselves any favours as they took two penalties early. They would kill the first one but on the second chance they would score. Kyle Metson would make a miraculous diving blocker save, but the Eagles still had the puck afterwards and after a few second the puck would come to Trent Wilson in front and he would put it passed Metson to make it 4-2. From there on out the wheels fell of the bus for the Kings as the Eagles would go onto to score 4 more times in 6 and a half minutes to put this game out of reach. The final score would be 8-2 as the Eagles won the series four games to one.
The final shots were 43 to 32 for the Eagles while the Kings went zero for two on the power play and two for four on the penalty kill.
It would be a difficult finish to what was a very tight series, and a successful season for the Kings. Ryder Ringor and Anthony Lucarelli would finish the postseason tied for the team lead in points at 4 while Ringor, Adam Mendelson, and Jack Blanchett each led the team with two goals a piece.
Thank you to all of our fans for the incredible support all season long, and we can’t wait to be back playing in front of our fans at the Hap once again next season.
Postgame interview with Harry Mahesh | www.powellriverkings.com/postgame-interviews
