The Powell River Kings (30-16-1-0) had to play from behind in front of a large crowd at the Kal Tire Centre in Vernon, but they scored a power-play goal in each period and prevailed 3-1 against the Vipers (23-15-4-3).
Much like in Salmon Arm the night before, the home team opened the scoring. The opening goal Saturday was scored on a wraparound off the stick of Steven Jandric as he was able to slide the puck under Mitch Adamyk at 4:22.
It took the Kings until the final minute of the opening frame to tie the game, While on the power play, Jonny Evans let a shot go from the left circle that went off the cross bar and in to tie the game with just 26 seconds left in the period.
When the goal went in there was another penalty coming up to the Vipers, so the Kings remaining on the power play to finish the first and start the second, but weren’t able to take advantage.
Both teams had some grade A chances in the second period. Cooper Watson of the Vipers hit the cross bar on a slap shot, and hit the post so hard the puck ricochet’d all the way back to his own end.
Ben Berard came in as the trailer on a three-on-two rush for the Kings and had a great look at the net, but Darian Hanson made the pad save. Berard would have had a good chance at an open net on the rebound, but it was too in tight on his body to get a good shot away.
Just like in the first, the Kings struck in the final minute of the period on the power play, This time it was Matt Cairns letting a snap shot go from the right face-off circle that snuck under the arm of Hanson for Cairns’ first career BCHL goal with 28 seconds left.
The Kings didn’t wait until late in the third to extend their lead, instead they did it right at the halfway point. Again on the power play, Tristan Mullin fired a shot along the ice that beat Hanson glove side to make it 3-1.
The Kings took some late penalties, and Curtis McCarrick missed an empty net from centre, but the Vipers weren’t able to solve Adamyk again as the Kings won the ninth game in a row.
The Kings now wrap up their final three-game trip of the year Sunday afternoon in Langley. After the game, the Kings will play eight straight at the Hap Parker Arena, before finishing off the regular season on the Island.
