Weekend Recap is presented Iris Optometry.
After a split on the Island the Kings returned home for a double header with the Clippers on Parents Weekend. The Clippers defeated the Kings 5-3 a week prior and came into this set of games winning 8 straight at the Hap Parker Arena.
Like we’ve seen so many times before this season the Kings would get off to another great start and would once again score the opening goal this time it was Adam Mendelson with the honours when he sped through the neutral zone and deked our Clippers goalie Tyler Hodges for his first of the season. The lead didn’t last long though just two minutes later the Clippers would score twice in 33 seconds from Cole Semeniuk and Joel Plante. Noah Eyre would have two great chances shorted handed late in the period to try to even it up but was unsuccessful as it was a two one Clipper lead going into the break.
Early in the second the Kings would have another glorious opportunity to tie it up, this time it was a 2 on 0 but Hodges read the cross ice pass and denied new King Thomas Belzil with the blocker. The save would give a boost to Nanaimo who scored 3 times in 5 minutes to take a 5-1 lead. The Kings would then inch closer later in the period, when Joonas Linnavuori scored his first BCHL goal when he received a breakaway pass right after he stepped out of the penalty box.
Down by three going into the third the Kings would finally start to make a substantial push for a comeback. They would get there third of the game 6:36 in with a dandy of a goal from Owen Thomas 6 on 5 for his first BCHL goal to get the Kings within two. Not long after the Clippers would get themselves into some penalty trouble and the Kings found themselves on three consecutive power plays including a long 5 on 3. With the Kings starting to build momentum before hand it seemed like a golden opportunity to get back in it but the Hodges and the Clippers penalty kill killed it all off to stay up by two. Shortly after that Nanaimo would take advantage of thier 5 on 3 chance to make it 6-3 which would be the final score.
After a frustrating game on Friday the Kings once again looked to salvage a weekend split as they were 2-0 on the second half of back to backs to start the season.
Right from the opening faceoff the Kings looked like a different team from the night before and controlled the play forcing Nanaimo to chase which lead to a parade to the penalty box. 7 minutes into the period the Kings were already on their third power play and have not taking advantage of being a man on on Friday, they made up for it on Saturday. They would get their first power play marker at 7:31 from Anthony Lucarelli who scored his 4th of the season, then on their 4th power play at 15:28 Will Jones would score his second with a long point point shot to make it 2-0. Later on the Kings would find themselves with a 4 minute kill but the Clippers got one before time expired from Brett Merner to make it 2-1 going into the intermission.
The Kings would continue to press in the second and would find themselves on another power play midway through the period. After a bit of cycling, Alexi Van Houtte-Cachero would send a pass to the middle from the side of the net and the pass deflected off the stick of Clippers defenceman Grant Babcock and in the back of the net for the Kings third power play goal of the game. It would be Van Houtte-Cachero’s team leading 5th of the season and 4th on the man advantage this year. Now up by two the Kings got themselves back into penalty trouble but Owen Crudale turned into their best penalty killler coming up with numerous saves including robbing a Clipper with his paddle on the goal line. The Clippers would manage to score an even strength goal at 15:01 to make it a one goal game but the Kings wouldn’t take much time to restore the two goal cushion. It would be another power play goal this time from Christian Maro who scored his fist BCHL goal, knocking in a cross ice feed from Anthony Yu as the Kings led 4-2 going into the third.
It would be another penalty filled third period and the Kings went back on the power play and scored their fifth goal on the man advantage at 7:18 this time from Noah Eyre to make it 5-2. The Clippers would fire 18 shots onto Crudale in the third but he was dialed in on this one and stopped all of them on route to a 5-2 win and Crudale’s second win of the season.
Anthony Yu would finish the night with 4 assists, Will Jones and Alexi Van Houtte-Cachero had 3 points each while Noah Eyre and Anthony Lucarelli finished with two. The power play went 5 for 9 and the penalty kill was very solid all weekend going 7 for 8 on Saturday and 13 for 16 in both games.
Through 7 games this season the Kings have a 3-4 record as they get set to hit the road for 4 straight. They will be in Coquitlam and Langley next Friday and Saturday, then will head down to Seattle for the BCHL Showcase where they will take on the Penticton Vees on the 24th and Prince George Spruce Kings on the 25th. The next home game is October 28th when the Salmon Arm Silverbacks come to town.
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