A familiar face made an appearance at Hap Parker Arena on Friday, November 15, in a BC Hockey League game between Powell River Kings and Trail Smoke Eaters.
Matteo Paler-Chow returned for the first time since a trade sent the former Kings goaltender to Trail last month. He made the most of his first start against the team he spent two-plus seasons with, stopping 32 of 34 shots and earning first-star honours in a 6-2 win.
Powell River outshot Trail 15-8 in the first period but trailed 2-1 after 20 minutes. After the Smoke Eaters jumped out to a 2-0 lead five minutes into the game, Hunter McCoy and Reilly Moran set up Jacob Badal’s fifth goal of the season for the Kings to cut the lead in half before intermission.
The visitors dominated the second period, outshooting the home team 12-5 and scoring three times, including one powerplay marker, to take a 5-1 lead.
Despite regaining the advantage on the shot clock in the third period by a 14-4 margin, Kings were only able to solve Paler-Chow once more. Jack Brackett and Michael Abgrall combined to assist on Dawson McKay’s eighth of the season at 13:25 to answer Trail’s sixth goal of the game, which came just over two minutes into the final period.
Attendance was 912.
Powell River’s five-game homestand continues next Friday, November 22, and Saturday, November 23, when Victoria Grizzlies visit for a pair of games. Game times are 7 pm Friday and 5 pm Saturday.
Victoria is last in BCHL Island Division standings, eight points behind the fourth-place Kings. Nanaimo leads the division with 36 points, followed by Cowichan Valley (32) and Alberni Valley (24).
