Ineffective power play burns Kings
By Tyler Lowey, Times Reporter
Doug Taylor Photo
After the Kings knocked off the Vipers 6-4 last weekend at their barn, the Vipers returned serve with a stunning third-period comeback at the Strathmore Family Centre Oct. 6 with a 4-2 victory.
Calgary native Kyle Bracko got the Kings (2-3-1) going in the first with his second of the year from A.J. Kusu and the latest signing Robert Butterwick at the 8:47 mark of the first.
Butterwick, a Langdon product, played two years with the Wheatland Athletic Association midget Chiefs and was a member of the provincial championship squad during the 2016-17 season.
“Butterwick brings a lot of speed to our lineup. Right now, it looks like he has a lot of rust to shake off, but it will only be a matter of time until he gets it going,” said Kings Assistant Coach Chris Williams. “He is one of the fastest kids on our team, which will help on our big home ice, and he should click with the rest of the guys he knows and buy into our program here.
Last year, Butterwick played for the Columbia Valley Rockies of the Kootenay International Junior B Hockey League. In 42 games, he scored eight goals and added 13 assists in 42 games.
Despite being badly outshot 14-4 in the second stanza, Brett Willan only let one sneak past him halfway through the period, when Keaton Sawicki sniped his second of the season from Nicholas Scott and Easton Roberts.
Willan weathered the storm in the second but was ambushed to start the third.
Elijah Johanson pumped one in on the power play and less than one minute later, Jacksyn Goodall scored the eventual winner from Brody Kalinowski.
Looking for a spark, the Kings coaching staff yanked their starter.
“It wasn’t that Brett was doing anything wrong, we just talked during the intermission and determined that he wasn’t getting any help, so we got him out of there,” said Williams. “We also thought it would spark our guys and it did – for about 10 minutes.”
With Riley Stovka thrust into the crease, the Vipers still didn’t mange much offensive production, as they ended the third period with eight shots but managed to score on three of them.
“The first time we played Red Deer, we controlled the pace all three periods. This weekend we came out running and gunning, but a few mental mistakes in the third cost us,” said Williams.
The Kings tried to claw back with captain Cole Busslinger’s first of the season, but it was not enough to bring them all the way back.
With the win, the Vipers improved to 3-2-0.
The small mistakes that cost the Kings in the third period against the Vipers were exposed even more Oct. 7, when they made their way to the Blackfalds Arena to take on the Blackfalds Wranglers.
The Wranglers (1-2-1) picked up their first victory of the season when they brushed the Kings back 7-3.
“We have a young squad going through a lot of growing pains right now,” said Williams. “When you turn pucks over and make mistakes in this league, teams jump all over you.”
For the second-straight night, the Kings scored first when Garret Vander Ploeg popped in his third of the year from Isaac Benoit and Lucas Muenchrath.
Even though they outshot the Wranglers 16-4 in the first 20 minutes, the Kings headed to the dressing room tied 1-1 after Braden Olsen slipped his third of the season past Stovka.
From that point on, it was all Wranglers, as they pumped in three goals in each of the second and third.
Stovka was relieved from his duties 51 seconds into the third period after allowing five goals on 30 shots for Willan, who didn’t fare much better and allowed a pair on 11 attempts.
Not helping the Kings out was a punchless power play that went 0-for-12 on the weekend and 0-for-8 against the Wranglers.
With the man advantage, the Kings are only 2-for-33 this season, which comes in at 6.06 per cent and is the third-worst in the league.
“We wanted to be good on the power play early this season and that hasn’t been the case. We are going to spend a lot of time this week working on it, putting new guys in and trying some new systems,” said Williams. “We need something to work for us.”
The Kings will put their new power play unit to the test this weekend when they welcome the Three Hills Thrashers (0-4-0) to the Family Centre Oct. 12 (8 p.m.). The following evening, the Kings will be at the Didsbury Recreation Complex to take on the Mountainview Colts (5-2-0) for the first time this season.