Injury riddled Kings fall in opening round

Times Editor 

 

Despite boasting a line-up with the most skilled team in franchise history to start the season, things definitely did not end that way for the Wheatland Kings.

The local Junior-B team, decimated by injuries and internal team issues throughout the season, ended the campaign with essentially two forward lines and four defencemen.

“We saw early on (in the season) that we had the talent to take it right to the end,” said Kings head coach Doug Murphy. “When you start losing very talented hockey players along the way … (it’s tough). If you put all those (injured) guys back in the line-up, it’s a whole different team out there.

“With three games in four nights, some of the smaller injuries started to flare up.”

Unfortunately the Kings couldn’t turn back the clock when the Heritage Junior Hockey League Survivor Series playoffs started.

Despite lighting up the Generals in Game 1 on home ice with an 8-2 win, the Kings suffered more injuries in Game 2 and couldn’t recover the rest of the series. The team lost 4-2 in Cochrane, before losing 5-3 on home ice in the winner-take-all Game 3 at home.

The Kings couldn’t have asked for a better start to the series when they hosted Game 1 on Feb. 20 at the Strathmore Family Centre.

Wheatland exploded for three goals in the first period and four goals in the third en route to an 8-2 win.

Andrew Bergmann record two goals and an assist, while Austin Fisher and Aaron Elaschuk each added a goal and two assists. Ross Fox and Chris Williams each chipped in with a goal and an assist, while affiliate player Tyson Kapty and Justin Kostiuk also scored for the Kings.

“We played really, really well,” said Murphy. “Everything very much went our way. It was very physical that game. We had some guys with minor injuries (but) they played through it.”

In Game 2 in Cochrane on Feb. 22, the Kings fell early, as the Generals scored 54 seconds into the first period. Sam Lonnberg scored a power play goal late in the period, when he converted a feed from Fox and Bergmann. The Generals would score midway through the second and third periods, taking a 3-1 lead before icing it with an empty net goal. With the game already out of reach and Game 3 looming, Brandon Neufeld scored with 12 seconds left.

“They just came at us full body (in Game 2) and they pounded the heck out of us,” assessed Murphy. “The game stayed close … we started with a short bench anyway, but within the game, we ended up losing three guys. Some of the little hurts started to come through (as big hurts).”

The next day, with the winner-take-all on home ice at the Strathmore Family Centre, the Kings got off to a hot start. Lonnberg and Fox assisted on Bergmann’s opening goal before Cochrane tied the affair with 49 seconds left in the first.

Evan Elaschuk scored a power play goal, converting a pass from Fox and Bergmann midway through the second, only to be negated by a Generals goal late in the frame.

Bergman restored the one-goal lead in the third period with another power play goal, converting a feed from Kostiuk and Lonnberg. The Generals scored about four minutes later to tie the game, before scoring the series-clinching goal with 3:29 left and an empty netter late in the game.

Despite so much optimism earlier in the season, obstacles throughout the campaign made life difficult for the Kings.

“It was probably a troubling season the whole way through,” said Murphy. “It was a season of adversity. We got off to a good start and everything looked real positive.

“Then it has been one thing after another, after another, after another all season long.”

However, there were plenty of fond memories for Murphy – the early season success, Bergmann winning the scoring title and the two international games during the Christmas Holiday.

“There were definitely some bright spots this season,” said Murphy.