Kings pick up character win over Stamps

Tyler Lowey
Times Reporter

 

The second period hasn’t been the friendliest of frames for the Strathmore Wheatland Kings this season, but they used a four-goal surge to power past the Ponoka Stampeders.
The Kings bounced back from a rough 8-3 loss Jan. 20 against the Medicine Hat Cubs to tune the Stamps 7-2 during Heritage Junior Hockey League action Jan. 21 at the Strathmore Family Centre.
Entering the game with the lowly Stamps (8-22-3), the Kings owned a minus-18 goal differential in the second stanza, by far their worst of the three periods.
But they flipped the script, scoring four times en route to the blowout.
“It seems like if we have been up by a few, we take our foot off the gas, and if we are down by a couple, then we get down on ourselves,” said Kings head coach Shadoe Stoodley about their second-period troubles. “But tonight was different and it was good to get away from that.”
Kody Hammond, Jaks Faris, Cole Busslinger and Brooker Pretty Youngman all factored in goals in the second period. Faris’ snipe at the 4:06 mark held up to be the winner.
Kings captain Keenan Ogle entered the zone and shoveled the puck to George Montour. Montour worked his way to the net, dangling in tight, before dishing it to Faris standing at the side of the net at the last second.
“I thought he was going to shoot it,” claimed Faris. “I saw him come in on the backhand, I wasn’t expecting a pass.”
Montour, Matt Thomson and Brenden Moore finished with two assists each.
“Everyone played great tonight. I could have sent anybody out there at any point and felt great about it,” said Stoodley. “That was a big character win after last night’s game.”
One night earlier, the Cubs (7-21-6) used a four-goal second period and saw a stretch of six consecutive goals to sink the undisciplined Kings. The Kings (13-16-4) racked up 83 penalty minutes and one ejection as the Cubs went five-for-14 on the man advantage.
“We weren’t ready from the drop of the puck,” said Stoodley. “It was a step backwards and, all in all, a bad game.”
Thankfully, the Kings reverted to their old ways from earlier this season, when they would bounce back with a win after a difficult loss.
“We don’t like being walked over like that,” said Faris. “This win gives us a boost moving forward as we get ready for playoffs.”
Local product and rookie Hammond turned in his best outing of the season, notching his first hat trick with 25 seconds remaining in the third — and it wasn’t via an empty net gimmie, either.
“I’ve been with him for the past three years now and he has a top-notch work ethic,” said Stoodley. “If he keeps working out there, he is going to continue to get open and those pucks are going to keep going in.”
Kings number one netminder Brady Hoover has been out with a lower-body injury for a few weeks now. He is set to resume skating soon, but Stoodley and his staff are urging him not to rush back.
In the meantime, Indiana Kelly bounced back from a rough Cubs game to make 34 stops as he picked up his fourth win.
With only five games remaining in the regular season, the Kings cannot climb any higher in the standings. At best, they will finish fourth in the southern division and host a first-round, best-out-of-three series. The Banff Academy Bears sit 10 points back of the Kings with two games in hand.
The Kings will host the High River Flyers (8-24-2) Jan. 28 (7:30 p.m.) at the Deerfoot Sportsplex in Siksika Nation. The Kings decided to treat the fans from Siksika and honour two of their graduating players, Pretty Youngman and Ayoungman, with a game in their hometown before their junior career ends.
The Kings are 2-1 against the Flyers this season, and grounded them 6-4 on Jan. 13 at the Bob Snodgrass Recreation Complex.
The Kings will play their final Tuesday night game of the year, when they host the Bears Jan. 31 at the Strathmore Family Centre. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.