The Kings wrapped up the 2021 calendar this past weekend with a 3 game mainland road trip. After dropping Friday’s contest 4-1 in Langley and Saturday’s in Coquitlam 6-0, the boys would look to rally and finish of the trip on a high note in Surrey against the Eagles.
It didn’t take long for the Kings to get on the scoreboard as just 15 seconds into the game Mark D’Agostino would fire one in from the right circle after forcing a turnover in the neutral zone to give the Kings the early lead. The lead would extend to two 7 minutes in with Brandon Toye causing a turnover in the offensive zone, he got the puck and took it to the high slot and placed in top corner for his second goal of the season. The Eagles would get one back on the power play as former Kings Jacob Slipec would score to cut the lead to one. The Kings would respond as Casey Aman stole the puck at center and drove down the left wing and cut to the net and put the puck around Eagles starter Eli Pulver to restore the 2 goal lead as the D-man matched his jersey number with his 3rd of the season. The Eagles would answer right back just over a minute later as another former Kings in Michael Abgrall would score to make it 3-2. This was a much different Kings team on the ice at the South Surrey Arena as they would answer back a minute later as a Casey Aman point shot hit a body in front and was loose in the slot where Anthony Lucarelli found it and roofed it over Pulver to make it 4-2. With the 2 goal lead back in place the Kings weren’t done yet as with 56 seconds to go in the period Sam Belanger would pass to the left wing for Nolan Krogfoss who would take it into the offensive zone and stop at the top of the left circle and threw towards the goal where Hunter Andrew tipped it in to make it 5-2 Kings.
After a tough opening period for the Eagles they would look to turn things around in the 2nd and they got off to a great start as Cole Galata beat Zak Brice in the slot to get the Kings lead back down to 2. Not giving in the Kings would get the 3 goal lead back 8 minutes into the period when Parker LaLonde poked the puck away from a Surrey defenceman behind the Eagles net where Karter McNarland picked it up and passed to Branden Toye who was alone in the slot and he one timed it in by Max Prazma who came in relief for Pulver at the start of the period. The Eagles would add a late one in the second as Primo Self scored, and the Kings would head into the 3rd period with a 6-4 lead.
The Kings would try and get the lead back to three early on in the final frame when Parker LaLonde was alone in the slot, but couldn’t flip it over the pad of Prazma. This would be the best chance of the period for the Kings as the Eagles took over looking to tie the game. The 3rd period turned into the Zak Brice show as he stopped all 16 shots he faced in the period to lead the Kings to victory 6-4.
Zak Brice made 43 saves in the game and he picked up his 6th win of the season and first since returning from injury, while Branden Toye earned 1st star honours with his 2 goals. The win also ended a 4 game skid for the Kings who now sit with a record of 9-14-2 and are 7th in the Coastal Conference heading into the Christmas break.
The Kings will return to action in the new year on January 1st with a 7pm game in Victoria against the Grizzlies then the Kings will be in Cowichan on the 2nd in a 2pm start. The first home game of the new year will be Wednesday January 5th as we host the Grizzlies.
