Kings end 2018 on winning note
By Brady Grove, Times Reporter
Doug Taylor Photo
The Kings finish 2018 with a record of 13-12-2 and sit fourth in the southern division.
“I think tonight we really jelled as a team. Everyone was putting points up, it wasn’t just one line,” said Kings assistant captain Brenden Moore. “All the boys were going and having fun.”
Throughout the game the Kings made a habit of scoring early. Kings centre and second leading scorer Lucas Muenchrath got things going when he received a pass from teammate Zach Suntjens at the Kings blue line. Muenchrath bolted up ice and made a slight deke past one Laker before splitting the two remaining defencemen and sneaking the backhand past Lakers goalie Theo Paskuski. Kings veteran forward Kody Hammond would snipe one top corner a minute later from the middle of the circle to give the Kings the lead. The Lakers trailed 2-1 after the first period and were doubled up in shots.
The home team scored two minutes and 20 seconds into the second period when Rylee Hebert deflected a big point shot from the hard-hitting Moore. The Kings strong breakout was helping them to control the flow of the game and they continued to suppress any Lakers scoring opportunities. The Kings would add two more goals and take a 5-1 lead into the final period.
Sometimes in hockey when a team is getting beat bad, the scoreboard starts to matter less and laying a good hit or winning a fight begins to matter more. This is exactly what happened in the third period. Kings defence A.J. Kusu was the first to drop his gloves in front of the Kings goalie and both combatants got a couple of good punches in but the fight didn’t last long. A few minutes later in almost the same spot, Hebert entered the bare-knuckle boxing ring against big Laker Kyle Fry and the two exchanged multiple lightning-fast jabs before Hebert was sent to the ice. Eric Sandum was the last King to fight, again in the same spot, and he won his decisively as he overpowered his opponent quickly and kept him on the defence.
Despite all the fighting, the Kings still scored four goals in the period and outshot the Lakers 42-17 in the game.
“We’re a big team and we got some slower guys, and the big ice takes some adjusting but that’s something we need to work on,” said Lakers assistant coach Josh Bishop. “End of the day it comes down to hard work and we just didn’t have what it took.”
Depth was key for the Kings against the Lakers as 16 different Kings had at least one point. The Kings wanted to give a younger goalie a chance to play and they went with local Ethan Rycroft, who plays for the AA North Stars in Calgary. Rycroft wasn’t afraid to get in and pass the puck.
“Sixty per cent of that roster has played in front of Ethan before and they know what to expect from him,” said Kings head coach Joel Robinson. “It’s not easy to step into a junior B game and instantly make an impact.”
The Kings lost an important matchup 6-3 at home against the third-place Cochrane Generals on Dec. 11. The Kings struggled to get their offense going and didn’t manage to find the net until the third period. The Generals outshot the Kings 40-29 and are now firmly six points ahead of the Kings in the standings with two games in hand.
The Kings are off until the new year when they will start things on the road against the Generals on Jan. 4.
“Being a young team, we’ve got to be competitive every night,” said Robinson. “Over the last couple months, we’ve made some big strides, becoming more consistent and playing a full 60.”
All-stars chosen
The Heritage Junior Hockey League announced its all-star teams on Dec. 11 on its website. The coaches of each team pick their all-stars and this year Joel Robinson decided to send leading scorer Isaac Benoit, captain Cole Busslinger and the veteran defenceman Brenden Moore.
Rookie Benoit has had a strong year so far with 24 goals and 18 assists in 26 games which places him eighth in league scoring.
“Benny is that electric player that we’ve been looking for in the organization. If he keeps it up he will put up 60 points this year,” said Robinson. “He’s been that guy. When we need a goal he’ll go out and score.”
Busslinger plays with more grit than Benoit and gets into the tough areas but finds a way to score consistently. The captain leads by example and is fourth on the team in scoring with nine goals and 15 assists in 26 games.
“He’s a hardworking player, I think he had a couple of points tonight; at 21 years old, I think it’s a good way for him to finish off the year,” said Robinson.
Moore is one of the most physical players on the Kings and regularly hammers opposition players into the boards. He uses his size and strength to protect his teammates but is also smart with the puck which has given him one goal and 10 assists in 24 games.
“It’s pretty exciting; it’s an honour to be chosen by a good group of people and I hope I can represent my team and the Town of Strathmore well,” said Moore. “We have a very tight group and I think this is the year we will push for the championship.”
The all-star game will take place in Airdrie on Jan. 6 at 1:30 p.m.