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Kings crush Cents to improve to 2-0 |
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Written by TED CLARKE
Citizen staff
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Saturday, 06 September 2008 |
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JOE MORGANKINGSPRINCE GEORGE SPRUCE KINGSSEAN AMBROSIEKEVIN GENOEMICHAEL NARDIRJAY BERRAWES MCLEODZACH DAVIESADAM BALDASSARREBAYNE KOENHOCKEY LEAGUEMERRITT CENTENNIALS
Those hands are made of stone.
Recruited out of the Williams Lake Rec Hockey League to play in the B.C. Hockey League for the Prince George Spruce Kings as a 20-year-old enforcer, Simpson showed that when he keeps his gloves on, there's a softer touch to the hands he has attached to a six-foot-three, 240-pound body.
Simpson made that point perfectly clear to a home audience of 806 at the Coliseum on a night when goals came in bunches and the Merritt Centennials were picking up the tab. Simpson, the converted BCHL goaltender, was one of seven Kings goalscorers in a 9-1 victory, their second straight convincing win over the Cents to start the season.
"I didn't know what to do after I scored, it was the first one ever, but it was a great feeling for sure," said Simpson, who roofed a Laine Keyes pass from the side of the net for the Kings' second goal. "I can't remember the last time I scored. I couldn't not score that one. Keyes gave me a beautiful pass and I just shoveled it upstairs. I promise my goal celebration will be better next time. "
The Kings needed more than a full period to get on the scoresheet in a 4-0 win Friday. On Saturday, the avalanche started less than five minutes into the rematch, and from that point on it seemed there was no stopping the speedy Kings, whose quick puck movement and smothering defensive zone coverage kept them in full control.
On a night of first career BCHL goals, Vancouver midget triple-A graduate Michael Nardi was first in line at the trough. Nardi took the carom of Brandon Busse's purposely-wide point shot off the end boards and had plenty of time to cradle the puck across the goalmouth until he found an open net.
Cents goalie Graeme Gordon had to sense he was in for a long night when Simpson, the former BCHL goalie, showed he's not just a tough guy. Laine Keyes spotted Simpson alone standing at the side of the net after knocking Merritt defender Devon Hobbs off balance with a shoulder check while tracking down a loose puck behind the net.
Graeme mishandled a Kings dump-in and cleared the puck right onto the stick of RJay Berra, who had nobody around to hassle him as he deked out Gordon. Before the period ended, Sean Ambrosie made it 4-0.
There was letting up on the gas pedal in the second period as Zach Davies, Nicolas DeSousa and Sammy Muchalla worsened the rout. Merritt forward Paul Forster finally ended Kevin Genoe's shutout streak at 97 minutes 46 seconds, scoring the Cents' first goal of the season while shorthanded after Tyler Barr bodied Davies off the puck along the end boards. That was one of the only times the Kings got caught outmanned in their own end. Full marks go to the defencemen, especially Busse, Davies Justin Fillion, Wes McLeod, who made very few mistakes in any aspect of the game.
Muchalla, on a power play in the third period, showed speed and patience waiting for Gordon to make the first move after Nardi's pass from centre sprung him into the clear to score his third of the season.
"When you have a game like that and are playing with guys you haven't played with before you want to try new things and try to do stuff right and the end result showed up," said Muchalla, who tipped Nardi's shot in Friday night. "We have a lots of secondary scoring this year and these two games it showed."
Playing on a line with Muchalla and Alex Allan, Nardi equalled Muchalla's game output with two goals and two assists. He capped the scoring late while the Kings had another man advantage, giving an indication he's made the adjustment from triple-A midget in Vancouver last season to the BCHL.
"Confidence is running high in the room right now and it was awesome to feed off it ," said Nardi, 18. "(On Saturday) I had everything going my way and I was getting to loose pucks in front of the net and got two goals as a result of that. It helps to play with good teammates."
As a result of Friday's second-period brawl, three Cents players - Brad Davis, Todd Fletcher and Codie Kightley and head coach Al Glendinning - and three Kings players - Adam Baldassarre, Geoff Morgan and Joe Morgan, as well as head coach Ed Dempsey - served one-game suspensions Saturday. The rule is in place to discourage multiple-fight situations. The BCHL automatically suspends players who get involved in altercations on the same stoppage of play as the original fight, along with their coaches.
Kings assistant GM and director of player personnel Mike Hawes took over for Dempsey behind the bench, and he and assistant coach Bayne Koen didn't have to do much coaching to motivate the Kings to a 2-0 record atop the BCHL standings.
"Guys were prepared and obviously the physical stuff (in Friday's game) brings the team together," said Koen. "We knew Merritt was going to come hard again (Saturday) and we got some momentum early in the game and kept it going to get the four points.
"We made smart decisions in the offensive zone and boxed them out defensively to take away the neutral zone. It proves when we head-man that puck and give to to the guy with speed going up ice, we're a successful hockey team."
It got so sloppy for the Cents at one point during the second period that Merritt play-by-play broadcaster Alex Grebenyuk said they looked worse than they ever did last season, when ended up last overall with just 13 wins.
"We're totally disgusted with everything, from the goaltending out, it's embarrassing," said Cents assistant coach Bill Birks. "We had no intensity to get pucks out, to get pucks deep, to make good passes. I guarantee the next time you see us there will be a lot of new faces."
The Cents and Kings meet again next Sunday in Merritt, after Prince George visits Vernon on Saturday.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 06 September 2008 )
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