The 2024-25 season began this past weekend with the Kings hosting the Victoria Grizzlies.
In the home opener on Friday it was the Visitors who opened the scoring to take the early lead. Just a few minutes later last years Kings rookie of the year Christian Maro scored the first goal of the season for the home side with a backhander to even the score. Later in the period the Grizzlies would score twice in 30 seconds to take a 3-1 into the intermission.
It was a good start for the Kings in the second when Christian Maro set up Michael Mardula who buried his first to cut the lead back down to one. However the rest of the period would be controlled by Victoria who went on to add two more tallies to make it 5-2 through 40 minutes.
The Grizzlies extended the lead to 4 with a goal 25 seconds into the third and it seemed like they were going to run away with a victory. After a Kings timeout a few minutes later the home team would start to rally. Rookie Tre Peck scored just over 5 minutes into the period and just before the midway mark Max Jelavic flipped in a rebound to cut the Grizzlies lead to just two. In a 4 on 4 situation with under two minutes to goal Marek Beaudoin would find the back of the next to pull his team within one in the final moments. With the extra attacker out the Kings pushed hard for the equalizer and got a few good looks, but Grizzlies goalie Oliver Auyeung-Ashton came up clutch in the end to thwart the Kings comeback as the Grizzlies held on for a 6-5 win.
On Saturday the Kings looked to salvage a weekend spit with their Island foes but it was the Grizzlies who would strike first again to take the lead in the first. Like the night before the Kings would tie it late in the period with a power play marker from Swedish defender Axel Löfgren.
Entering the second tied at 1 the Kings didn’t waste time to take their first lead of the year when Jaxon Fuder made it 2-1 41 seconds into the period. Just a few minutes later Marek Beaudoin knocked in a rebound for his second of the young season to make it a two goal Kings lead. Victoria would eventually claw their way back in the period scoring twice including a 5 on 3 goal to make it a tie game. Before the period was over the Kings would restore their lead when Tre Peck set up Italian forward Niccolò Mansueto to make it 4-3 for the good guys heading to the third.
It was a very tight third period between the two teams, the Kings were controlling most of the play but were unable to add to their lead. With 3 minutes left Drew Hockley took advantage of a fortunate bounce in front of the Kings net to tie the game for the Grizzlies. Now tied, the Kings found themselves with an opportunity to win the game on a power play opportunity with just over a minute left. They were unable to score in regulation and they couldn’t seal the deal when the man advantage carried over into overtime.
In OT Drew Hockey fired a puck on goal from the offensive blueline in transition. The puck would be stopped by Kings goalie Elliott Pratt and the rebound would hit a Grizzlies at the front of the net and then redirect of the skate of Wyatt Davis and in the back of the Kings goal to give Victoria a 5-4 OT win.
Kings Top Performers
Thomas Belzil – 4 assists
Christian Maro – 1 goal 2 assists
Jaxon Fuder – 1 goal 3 assists
Calvin Beard – 3 assists
Up next the Kings hit the road for the first time as they head over to the Island to take on the Capitals on Friday and Clippers on Saturday. Both games are at 7pm.
The next home games are October 4 & 5 against the Langley Rivermen. Both games are at 7pm.
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