Michael King reigned supreme on Friday evening for the Kootenay Ice home opener, scoring twice to lead the team to a 3-2 win over the Calgary Hitmen.
Swiss import Gilian Kohler posted the game-winner, while Ice netminder Bailey Brkin picked up his first win in an
Ice uniform with 36 saves.
All that in front of a crowd of 3,392 — smashing all attendance records at Western Financial Place for the last few years.
“It was amazing,” said Kohler. “To play in front of a lot of fans, the best fans in the league, it was an amazing feeling.”
Jake Kryski and Vladislav Yeryomenko answered for the Hitmen, while Nick Schneider made 29 saves in defeat.
Kootenay Ice alum Jarret Stoll, who won two WHL championships and a Memorial Cup with the Ice before embarking on his NHL career, was on hand for the game and dropped the puck in a ceremonial faceoff.
King opened the scoring six minutes into the affair with a bit of a flukey bounce. He put a shot on net that rebounded out, hit a Hitmen skate and redirected back into a gaping cage.
“I just tried to put the puck on net and then I saw the light go on and everybody was cheering, so I felt pretty pumped up and guess I scored,” King said.
A few minutes later, he doubled the lead for Ice, finishing a nice behind-the-net feed from Keenan Taphorn to make it 2-0.
King centred Keenan Taphorn and Tanner Sidaway on the fourth line for the night.
“That whole line, they compete, they got in the shot lanes, they’re learning, they killed some penalties for us as well,” said Ice head coach James Patrick. “They played in some key moments, but you can never question their effort, all three of those guys, so it’s nice when guys like that get rewarded.”
Just before period ended, Kryski streaked down the left wing and wired a slap shot that went post and in to make it a one-goal game.
The second period was pretty even in shots at nine apiece, however, both teams held each other off the scoresheet.
Early in the third, both teams drew blood.
Yeryomenko tallied first for the Hitmen, slipping a low shot at a bad angle that somehow got through Brkin to tie the game, but Kohler notched his first goal in North America, finishing a great cross-ice feed in front of the crease from rookie Peyton Krebs.
Kohler and Krebs showed obvious chemistry together with Barrett Sheen on the left wing using his size to create space.
“I like to play with them,” Kohler said. “We have speed in the game, that’s the way I like to play and I had a lot of chances to score, but it was difficult.”
Krebs tallied an assist on Kohler’s goal and was buzzing for much of the game alongside Barrett Sheen, as Kootenay’s third line caused fits for the Calgary defensive corps.
“I thought Peyton and Gilian, they were good all night,” said Patrick. “They could’ve had probably three [goals] between the two of them, a number of chances…”
Getting a win on opening night was a nice way to start the season, Krebs said.
“I think for our confidence and for the fans’ confidence, it’s pretty cool,” he said. “In the room, it’s pretty special to have all of us playing together as one and it’s a new Ice age and I’m excited for it.”
The special teams battle was uneventful; the Ice powerplay went scoreless with six opportunities on the man-advantage, while the Hitmen were unable to convert in five chances.
Brkin picked up his first regular season WHL win and was named first star for the evening. After facing 15 shots in the opening period, his confidence only continued to grow over the next 40 minutes.
“If I stop the first shot, I know it’s going to be a good game,” Brkin said. “I know that I can stop the pucks in this league and I know I can do well in this league.”
