Weekend recap is presented by Iris Optometry
The Kings continued their 4 game homestand this past weekend when they hosted the Chilliwack Chiefs for two games at the Hap.
On Saturday it was Tla’amin Nation night at the Hap as 1000 filled people filled the stands. After a wonderful pregame ceremony the Kings we’re ready to rock in their new orange Tla’amin Jerseys. After a tight first period the game was scoreless and in the second the Chiefs would get off to a hot start. They would score 47 seconds into the period when Mateo Mrsic found Tim Delay backdoor then on a similar play 22 seconds later Ben Feenan would turn the lead into two goals. In the middle portion of the period the Kings would push to tie but were unable to solve Austin McNicholas. In the final two minutes of the seconds the Chiefs would once again strike for two quick goals 1:11 apart from Mason Kesselring and Brady Milburn to take a 4-0 lead into the second.
In the third the Kings would begin to find their footing and start to apply the pressure but it was too little too late. Cam Symons would score his 8th of the season on the power play with two minutes left, before AJ Lacroix would add an empty netter to seal a 5-1 victory for the Chiefs.
The rematch would go down Sunday afternoon with another packed house of over 1100 fans for the free admission game. The Kings would feed off the energy in the first period and would dominate the play out shooting the visitors 14-5 in the period. One of those shots would find the back of the net when the birthday boy Casey Aman would carry the puck into the offensive zone and wire a wrist shot from the high slot which beat Lucas Szyszka by the blocker for his 5th as the Kings held the one goal lead going into the second.
In the middle period the Chiefs would make up for a rough first period and start to battle back. They would tie the game 9:12 in on a 4 on 4 scenario after Michael La Starza turned on the jets to go on a breakaway and would fire one past Liam Vanderkooi to make it 1-1. The Kings would get the lead back at 16:25 after Noah Eyre won a offensive zone faceoff that went to Casey Aman who sailed it over the net, then puck bounced off the glass right to Adam Mendelson at the side of the goal who put it in for his first as a King and 2nd of the season as the Kings led 2-1 after two.
This would be the third time in four games the Kings had a lead going into the third period as the looked to send the fans home happy. It would be another tightly played period as the Chiefs would aim to tie it up again. They would even the score half way through the period off a o-zone face off. Brady Millburn fired a quick shot off the faceoff that hit the leg of Noah Eyre and redirected in the net as we were tied at two. Both teams would come close to taking the lead the rest of the period but this game needed OT.
It would be the second time the Kings and Chiefs headed to extra time this season, with the Chiefs taking the first one in a shootout. The Kings would find themselves shorthanded less than a minute into OT, as the Chiefs who have yet to score a power play goal over the two games had a chance to redeem themselves. The Kings would do a great job on the PK and got in the passing and shooting lanes and would manage to clear the zone and make a line change, however the Chiefs quickly went back up ice and before the Kings could get set Mason Kesselring would unleash a wrister from the left slot and it beat Vanderkooi to give the Chiefs the 3-2 win.
On this four game homestand the Kings took points in 3 of 4 games but finish with a record of 1-1-2-0. Overall the Kings have a record of 11-18-3-2 heading into the All-Star break. This weekend Karter McNarland will head to Penticton to represent the Kings at the BCHL All-Star Weekend. He will play in the top prospects game of Friday and the 3 on 3 All-Star game on Saturday.
The when the Kings return to action they will play 4 consecutive games on the road that starts Friday January 27th when the Kings kick off a doubleheader in Nanaimo against the Clippers. The next home game will be on February 10th at 7pm vs the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
