The Powell River Kings opened their 2017 Bauer BCHL Showcase schedule with a gritty 2-1 win over the Vernon Vipers on Friday afternoon at Prospera Centre in Chilliwack.
A tight opening 20 where the Kings got a couple of looks on the powerplay but didn’t generate a lot of offence to the Vernon goal. Only 5 shots on goal to show for their efforts, the Kings while skating and defending well, didn’t get much traffic on net, nor get too many pucks for Viper goalie Anthony Yamnitsky to deal with.
Second period bought much of the same as both teams looked to execute their respective games but lacked success. Mitch Adamyk makes a pair of stellar saves on odd-man rushes to keep the game scoreless, while the Kings continue to get looks on the powerplay but finish the period 0/6 on the man advantage.
The Kings came out the better team in the third with Ben Berard stepping up on a rush down the ice. Berard centres a puck from just above the goal line in the corner and after Yamnitsky can’t get a piece of it, Josh Coblenz is able to bury a puck in tight for his 2nd of the season. As said in the highlight above, the Kings had tried that puck moving game and the back door plays that have worked so far, but it’s a greasy goal that breaks the deadlock.
Vernon continued to push, now down a goal, but Adamyk continued to stand tall. The Kings were excellent in terms of team defence with a lot of pucks cleared out in front and not allowing Vernon 2nd and 3rd tries. The powerplay continued to falter and almost had the opposite than desired effect with the Kings finishing up 0/9 on the powerplay in the game (including one that was running when the game ended).
No real description needed, but take a look at this hit from Jack Long on Viper forward Alex Swetlikoff. Textbook and vintage Long. This hit alone may have gotten Long the Fortis BC Energy Player of the Game.
Again Berard makes a nice play to set up a goal as he sticks away a puck from a Viper defenceman at the Kings blue line then skates it down toward an empty net. He makes a nice saucer pass to Kawamura who skated into the empty net for his 2nd of the season. Unselfish and team play from Berard.
Unfortunate finish saw the Kings on a powerplay, but give up the first shortie of the season against with a two-on-one goal with 9 seconds remaining giving the game a bit of life when it needed none. Tough for Adamyk not to get his first shutout of the season and he was understandably disappointed on the ice.
Click here to watch the post-game show, done on Facebook Live from the Kings hotel room.
Three Stars of the Game
1. Mitch Adamyk (Kings) – 34 saves
2. Ben Berard (Kings) – 2 assists
3. Tanner Wishnowski (Vipers)
The Kings are back in action at the Showcase against the Trail Smoke Eaters on Saturday morning, a 10:00am start from Prospera Centre in Chilliwack. The game is live on 95.7 Coast FM and HockeyTV beginning at 9:40am.
