Carter Turnbull recorded his 3rd career Junior A hattrick, affiliate defenceman Alek Sukunda scored his first BCHL goal and Carmine Buono registered 4 assists, but it wasn’t enough as the Kings fell by a goal for the second straight night, this time in a 7-6 shootout against the Victoria Grizzlies on Saturday night.
The Grizzlies came out strong early in the first period but it was the Kings to generate the first scoring opportunities. On the game’s first powerplay, Neal Samanski fired a puck on net from a sharp angle to beat goaltender Zack Rose for a 1-0 lead on his 2nd on the year. Midway through the frame, the Grizzlies tied the game at 1 through TJ Friedmann’s 6th of the year before the Kings got the lead back via Carter Turnbull’s 12th and a 2-1 Kings advantage through 20. Shots 11-8 Powell River.
Into the 2nd period and a rollercoaster of events and momentum. The Grizzlies came out hungry and took the Kings for three goals in 1:47. First at 3:29, Friedmann’s 2nd. Then at 4:15, Jamie Rome scored. Finally at 5:17 it was Cameron Thompson to turn the game on its head and give the Grizzlies a 4-2 advantage. The Kings finally got themselves back into the game with Turnbull’s 2nd of the contest on a pick from the Kings blue line and a 4-3 scoreline.
The second period was also when the emotion and a playoff-type intensity began to creep into the game. After a first period blow to the head call on Grizzlies captain Lucas Clark, Clark crashed the net of Mitch Adamyk, being charged with goalie interference. However in the stoppage, Adamyk would slash Clark down on the ice, a move which resulted in a 5 minute major and Adamyk being ejected from the game. Matteo Paler-Chow came in to clean up the rest of the game. Victoria however would add two more goals to close the period and lead 6-3 through 40 minutes, outshooting the Kings 16-11 in the period.
The third period saw the Kings get off to an ideal start. A powerplay granted almost immediately from the opening faceoff led to Andy Stevens walking down for his 2nd goal of the season and a 6-4 score. Then minutes later, Kevin Obssuth worked behind the net and found Alek Sukunda on the circle for a one-timer and his first in the BCHL for a 6-5 score. However the Kings weren’t able to to tie the game up as teams traded goals in the final 10 minutes. First the eventual game winner for Nico Somerville, then Carter Turnbull completing the hattrick on the powerplay 2:30 from time was all the scoring as the Kings fall 7-6 in Victoria. Matteo Paler-Chow gets charged with the loss, stopping 17 shots. Mitch Adamyk went 12/16 in the no decision.
After going 3/37 in the last 6 games on the powerplay, the Kings score 4 goals on 8 opportunities, setting a new season high in goals scored on the man advantage in a single game. Carter Turnbull’s hattrick is the second for the Kings this season, joining Kevin Obssuth’s 3rd period trio in Nanaimo in September.
Three Stars of the Game
1. TJ Friedmann (Grizzlies) – 2 goals, 1 assist
2. Nico Somerville (Grizzlies) – 1 goal, 1 assists, game winner
3. Carter Turnbull (Kings) – 3 goals
The Kings wrap their 3 goal road trip and 5 game road swing on Sunday afternoon in Duncan against the Cowichan Capitals. Puck drop is 2:00pm.
