Powell River, BC – The inability to finish off some early scoring chances cost the visiting Surrey Eagles big time on Friday night as the Powell River Kings exploded for four second period goals en route to a 5-1 B.C. Hockey League victory at the Hap Parker Arena.
Surrey had the better of the play in the opening 20 minutes, which ended scoreless. But once Powell River opened the scoring four minutes into the middle frame off a goal-mouth scramble, the proverbial writing was on the wall as the Kings improved their record when scoring first to a perfect 14-0 on the season.
After Powell River’s Jack Brackett made it 1-0 with the first of his two goals on the night—which resulted in a deluge of teddy bears hitting the ice surface—Surrey’s Gabe Schovanek brought the Eagles even a scant 65 seconds later. However, seconds after an Eagles shot rang off the pipe, Powell River regained the lead, then cemented it with two goals in the final five minutes of the period, including Brackett’s second which came with the Eagles on their first powerplay of the game. Powell River fired 19 shots on net in the second period, and outshot Surrey 37-30 overall.
“We played very well in the first period and did the things we needed to do but it didn’t result in any goals,” said Eagles head coach Cam Keith. “Then when we came out in the second period, I thought we were a little more loose on the defensive side, and when Powell River capitalized on their chances then we were chasing the game. We couldn’t get any bounces, and they did, and it got away from us.”
“We didn’t score when we could have, which is going to be one of our issues going forward. We don’t have “that guy”, we don’t have a [Holden] Katzalay anymore,” said Keith, speaking of losing the team’s leading scorer two weeks ago to the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. “It’s going to have to be a group effort. That’s our challenge.”
Good special teams and goaltending were behind the Eagles 4-2-2-2 run over their past 10 games, including a pair of road wins last weekend in Vernon and Trail. However, “Our powerplay wasn’t very good tonight, it was out of sync,” noted Keith in addition to the shorthanded goal surrendered. As for backup goalie Cal Schell, who got his first start after five straight starts for Tommy Scarfone. Keith said, “I don’t know if he struggled but he didn’t play his best game—but it didn’t matter anyway because we only scored one goal.”
The game was the Eagles fifth of eight straight road games, and Keith said he will go back to Scarfone for Saturday night’s tilt in Nanaimo against the Island Division-leading Clippers, who on Friday earned a 2-1 come-from-behind victory on home ice over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, as well on Sunday afternoon in Victoria against the Island Division-cellar-dwelling Grizzlies, who on Friday dropped a 4-3 home-ice decision to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
“If we can get out of this stretch of road games with some points we will be in a good spot because the schedule plays into our favor after Christmas,” said Keith. “So these are big games. We have to find a way to get points.”
