Kings’ Landing
Tonight, the Surrey Eagles (4-9-0-1) will look to finally get themselves back into the win column for the first time in October against the visiting Powell River Kings (7-8-0-0). These teams come into the game both struggling of late. The Eagles are currently in a 6 game skid, while the Kings have lost their last 5 games. This is a chance for an Eagles team which has shown flashes of brilliance only to be stifled by their inability to score goals to break out, but if they take the Kings lightly they could find themselves further in the cellar. A lot is at stake tonight for both teams at the South Surrey Arena.
Cal Schell gets his 2nd start in a row tonight, after a fantastic performance saw him make 43 of 45 saves before being bested just once in the shootout by the B.C Hockey League’s leading scorer, Kent Johnson. Up front, this Eagles team will need to look to score more than their paltry 11 goals in the past 6 games. For the full lineup, check our social media channels later tonight.
Who To Watch Out For
It’s a showdown of 2 teams with a lot to prove. Both teams have talent, both teams have shown flashes of strong play, but both teams come into tonight’s game desperate for a win. The Eagles top scorers have floundered of late, but this Eagles team has depth in spades and will look to show it tonight. For the Kings however, they have 1 player who has shone brightly above the rest, and he’ll look to carry the load and carry the visitors to a victory. Here are tonight’s key players to watch, for both teams.
Surrey Eagles: Gabe Schovanek
Schovanek has been a stud since making his season debut at the BCHL Showcase on October 2nd versus the Nanaimo Clippers. The 18 year old forward from Comox, BC has 4 assists in his first 5 BCHL games, including a 2 point effort in the 3-2 SOL to the Trail Smoke Eaters last week. Schovanek’s playmaking ability is his strong suit, and his ability to play with everyone Cam Keith’s lines him up beside has been huge in keeping the Eagles in games. He’ll look to score his first BCHL goal in a winning cause tonight.
Powell River Kings: Levi Glasman
Any forward who leads his team in scoring is going to be an impactful player, but it’s a little more prevalent on this years Kings team. Glasman holds an 8 point lead over the 2nd highest scorer on Powell River, and has been one of the better players in the BCHL so far this year. His 18 points in 15 games paces his team, and the 20 year forward will be a handful for the Eagles to contain tonight.
3 Keys To The Game
In a game where both teams look to break out of their losing streak, it’s going to be imperative for the Eagles to stick to their gameplan and play as hard as they have the past 6 games. There’s been a lot of positives in the Eagles play, they just haven’t been able to breakthrough and finish on their chances. They’re going up against another struggling team, and will need to capitalize on their opportunities if they want to get back on track. Here are tonight’s 3 keys to the game.
– Capitalize on the powerplay: The Powell River Kings penalty kill has been brutal of late, and has given up 16 powerplay goals in the month of October alone. It’s been a noted weakness of this Kings’ team, and if the Eagles can find their groove with the man advantage, their special teams could have a huge night.
– Find their game first: A phrase Cam Keith preaches to the boys when he can, but tonight it’s a little more imperative. The Kings’ have given up a goal on the first shot of the game in their past 5 games, and if the Eagles can jump on top of the Kings early they might hurt the Kings’ confidence. Getting on top of a struggling team early will be the 2nd key of the game.
– Shoot the puck: A simple concept, but one the Eagles have gotten away from during their losing streak. This team needs to take more shots on goal and try to create some chaos in front of the Powell River net. A garbage goal counts all the same on the scoreboard, and when a team is struggling to score like the Eagles have, a goal like that can open the floodgates and help kickstart the offense.
Conclusion
A Friday night game at the South Surrey Arena has a lot at stake for 2 teams trying to get back on track early in this BCHL season. The Eagles know this is an opportunity to get on track, but they can’t take the Kings lightly. If the Eagles can capitalize on the man advantage, find their game first, and are willing to take more shots in order to put something home, they’ll look to get more than just a point tonight and start a lengthy winning streak of their own.
Tickets are still available for tonight’s game! You can walk up to the box office starting at 6:00pm to buy your tickets, or visit our single game tickets page and start the preorder process. Can’t make the game tonight? No worries. You can catch the broadcast on HockeyTV and Mixlr tonight, starting at 6:50pm. Puck drop for tonight’s game will be 7:00pm.
