Penalty parade impedes Kings comeback chances

Tyler Lowey
Times Reporter

 

Tied 2-2 heading into the third period, the Strathmore Wheatland Kings handcuffed themselves and spent half the period sitting in the sin bin.
The Mountainview Colts poured on three third period goals, surpassing the Kings 5-2 Saturday night in Heritage Junior Hockey League action at the Strathmore Family Centre.
“That four-minute penalty kill at the start of the period kind of burnt us out. We couldn’t really get anything else going after that,” said Kings assistant coach Braden Desmet. “We had a few chances, couldn’t capitalize and they capitalized on their chances. That’s kind of the way she went tonight.”
“Being on the powerplay definitely helped us out tonight,” said Colts assistant captain Evan Ingram, who ended the night with a pair of assists. “Our coaches gave us some new systems and they worked.”
The Colts started last season 10-0 and are off to a similar pace as they sit 4-1 and in second place in the North Division.
Brady Hoover started the first three games for the Kings in net, so to provide him some rest, Indiana Kelly made his junior hockey debut and recorded 29 saves on 34 shots.
Kelly (17) was taken aback by the speed of the game, but then settled in nicely.
“This was much faster. Really, really faster,” said Kelly, who played for the Calgary Saints of Division 2 in Calgary last year. “It took me a little bit to get used to it, but once I got it dialed in, I was able to keep the team in the game.”
The defending HJHL champs jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead on goals from Reed Engman and Spencer Dowd, but the Kings stormed back on the man advantage.
Colts forward Alan Klinck caught Kings assistant captain Brenden Moore with an inadvertent high stick in the corner that drew blood. The resulting penalty gave the Kings a four-minute powerplay. Desmet mentioned after the game that Moore did not require stitches and that it was “just a healthy gash.”
“Our powerplay has been the centre point of our offence early this year. We gave these guys the foundation and the reins, and their creativity has taken off,” said Desmet.
Kings defenseman Hayden Vanderploeg faked a shot at the blue line, side-stepped the shot blocker and unloaded a bomb, beating Colts goalie Jake Carlson’s high blocker. The goal came 1:51 into the four-minute advantage, at 9:51 in the first. Assists came from Brooker Pretty Youngman and Joby Raine.
Jak Faris knotted the game at two on the same powerplay as he jammed in a loose puck in front of the net at 11:02, with assists coming from Laval Jerry and Bradley Tingey.
The Kings (2-3) have now converted 12 out of 25 man advantages (0.48 per cent).
Playing their second game of a back-to-back on the weekend, the Kings legs might have gotten a little heavy once the third period set in.
“We started veering away from our game plan,” said Kings captain Keenan Ogle. “We wanted to stay disciplined, get pucks in deep, be first to the puck. But we stopped moving our feet and started trying to do stuff with our sticks. When that happens, it makes it pretty easy for the refs to make calls.”
For the Kings, this was the first game this year where they didn’t hold the lead or tie the game in the third period.
The Stettler Lightning stormed the Kings 7-6 in a barnburner at the Stettler Recreation Centre Friday night (Sept. 30).
Matt Thompson and Kristian Ayoungman bagged a pair of snipes each, while Ryan Grasdahl and Ogle supplied one goal each. Assists came from George Montour, Nolan Lightning, Pretty Youngman, Raine, Jerry (2) and Vanderploeg.
The Kings are receiving scoring from nearly everyone on their roster; all but two players have registered points so far.
The Kings host the Red Deer Vipers at (2-4) 8 p.m. on Oct. 7 at the Strathmore Family Centre and hit the road Sunday (Oct. 9) to take on the Blackfalds Wranglers (0-3).
The Kings went 1-1 last season against the Vipers and Wranglers.