The Kings would kick off the new year with a visit to the Q centre to face the Grizzlies for the second time this season in thier first game back since the Christmas break.
It would be a back and forth start as both teams had goals disallowed early in the game however Victoria would get the opening marker in the first on the power play. Grizzlies would take the 1-0 lead after the first and extend it by adding two more in the second then one more in the 3rd period. The lone goal for the Kings was scored by the newest member Lucas Bourdon who was traded from Chilliwack the day before. The Grizzlies power play would be the difference maker in this game as 3 of thier 4 goals came with the man advantage as the Kings would drop the game 4-1.
There wasn’t much turnaround time for the boys as the next game was the following afternoon in Duncan against the Capitals.
The Caps would get on the board first 5 minutes in after they forced a turnover at the Kings blueline and Massimo Lombardi made a cross ice pass to Luke Haymes the get the early lead. The Kings would answer later in the period on the power play as a quick passing play from Riesterer to LaLonde down low who fed Potvin in the slot and he one timed it over the glove of Matthew Hutchison for his 9th goal of the season and to tie the game at 1 which stood until the end of the period.
The Kings would get off to a great start in the second as on the offensive rush Max Potvin would blow a tire at the top of the zone and the puck came to Kaleb Nelson who threw it on goal and in found its way through the legs of Hutchison to give the Kings the lead. 10 minutes later the Kings were on another power play and Karter McNarland pass cross ice to Hunter Andrew at the top of the right circle and hammered the one timer in to extend the lead to 2. The goal would be Andrews 9th. The Kings weren’t done there as just over a minute later Dylan Finlay made a long stretch pass to Kaleb Nelson who snuck behind the Caps D and had a breakaway. He made the move to the backhand and scored his second of the game and his 4th of the season, all of them coming against Cowichan.
The Kings would enter the 3rd with a 3 goal lead and the last time the Kings had a 3 goal lead in the 3rd to the Capitals, the Caps comeback to win in overtime but this game was a different story. Parker LaLonde would extend the lead to 4 on the power play, going between his legs in front of the net to get it in. The goal would be Parker’s team leading 10th on the season. The Capitals would go on to add one more in the 3rd but Matthias Smith was in the zone stopping 27 pucks to get his 2nd win with the Kings.
With the special teams being the downfall for the Kings on Saturday in Victoria, it would be the opposite story against Cowichan as the power play went 3 for 6 and the penalty kill would go a perfect 4 for 4 as the Kings would win 5-2 for their 10th win of the season.
The Kings now sit at 10-15-2 and 7th in the Coastal Conference as we have officially reached the halfway point in the season. The Kings will kick off the second of the season Wednesday at home against the Victoria Grizzlies at 7pm.
