Round 2 Playoff Road Trip Kings at Langley
Ahh the best time of year, playoffs!! Everyone feels the heightened sense. Fans, family, friends, coaches but of course mostly the players. This is why they work so hard in the summers, camps, practices and games. As Kent likes to say the regular season is 60 practices for this time of year. After the Kings first Conference Championship in 14 seasons the bar is set to make the next step. Nine players have returned from that team of 2008-09
Day 1- Thursday March 12, 2010
1:00pm- Kings hit the ice for a light skate and run a few drills prior to leaving for the ferry. On the ice includes a couple affiliate players in forward Jason Wark and goaltender Sean McGuire, but they will not be making the trip.
2:25pm- Bus departs for Saltrey Bay to get the 3:25 ferry to Earles Cove. On board the bus are 23 players including the injured Andrew Pettitt and Robbie Bailey who are close to making their return to the lineup, but not on this trip. Carter Shinkaruk is in all places Calgary getting an MRI on his injured knee. Stephen Schmidt is here to give the Kings 11 healthy forwards. I ride in the van with Shane and I made sure to check the tires first! Kent has his van with his family as his wife and kids are going to visit relatives in Vancouver and make their way to watch our games. Kent will not deviate from his routine that he has followed in all his years coaching and we arrange to pick him up once he drives the family to relatives.
7:00ish- We drive off the ferry at Horseshoe Bay only to be stopped in traffic because of a minor accident on the upper levels highway and are delayed for about 10 minutes. Shane and I have the radio on listening to Dan Marshall call the Clippers/ Bulldogs game three from Nanaimo. I constantly message Assistant Coach Chad van Diemen updates to the bus as the radio doesn?t work on the team ride. Gotta love technology! We then pick up Kent close to the rink on Renfrew and head to meet the team for dinner at a Greek restaurant Shane found in Langley.
9:15pm- The bus heads to the Langley Events Centre to drop of the gear and head to the Sandman. The hotel is less than five minutes from the Chiefs new arena. We have spent many nights at this hotel over the last few years and is a home away from home for many of us.
9:45 to 10:00pm- Kent makes his rounds to every room to talk to the guys individually and explain what is needed from them in Friday?s game three to be successful.
Day 2- Friday March 12
9:30am- It?s raining heavily here in Langley so Bruce Lyster fired up the bus and we made our way to the White Spot for breakfast. We immediately then make our way to the arena to set up the other room and the guys unpack their gear. Then back to the hotel where the guys go for a team walk. Nothing to exciting about game days as everyone sticks to their routine.
Noon- I find roommates Josh Watson and Daniel Carr and do an interview for my broadcast tonight. I?ve been wanting to talk with Matt Garbowsky but as a superstious hockey player he doesn?t want to. He told me the two times I?ve interviewed him this season he didn?t have good games following. So Matt as long as you keep putting up those crooked numbers I?ll keep my microphone away.
4:50pm- Bus departs to the arena for the 7:04 faceoff.
Game time- The Chiefs got the start they needed as their captain Mac Roy scored the first goal before the game was two minutes old. This was the first time the Kings allowed the first goal in eight playoff games. Daniel Carr pulled the Kings even four and a half minutes later when he banged in a rebound from a Reid Campbell point shot. Then at 9:01 while his line mates were changing, Ben?s brother Steve Schmidt fired a wrist shot from the blue line that beat Wyatt Galley?s glove and the Kings had their first lead and never looked back. A Matt Garbowsky power play marker with five and a half to go sent the Kings to the first intermission with a 3-1 lead.
The second period was a strange one and a little boring as shots were 4-3 Langley and no scoring chances that I can recall even though the Kings had the only power play.
The third saw the Kings get back to what they do best as they got puck behind the Chiefs defence and started their cycle. Four minutes in Reid Campbell sent Chad Niddery in on a partial break with a stretch pass as he beat the tender with a deke to get the puck just over the line. That was all the scoring as the Kings held Langley to just 4 shots and finished with a 4-1 victory and a chance to wrap up the series Saturday in four straight. Final shots were 26-18.
Game Stars
1. Daniel Carr (1g-1a)
2. Reid Campbell (2a)
3. Mac Roy (1g)
One more win and another trip to the Coastal Conference Final.
