We all knew it would be sooner than later that the Comox Valley Glacier Kings were close to picking up points and they have now done just that in 2 of their last 3 games. It was a 5-1 win in their last game on Saturday that gave them their first victory of the season. It seemed like a more total effort from all lines and they showed they could hold a lead. They have been in every game this season and could easily be sporting a 3-2 record. Kerry Park is not the cream of the crop this season after having a brilliant year last year so it’s a bit early to jump on the bandwagon. Head coach/GM Curtis Toneff explained his feeling on the game, “We made good plays with the puck. You could see some chemistry developing between our lines and our ‘D’ pairs. It was a nice game to not have a lot of stress over the course of the game. Once we got a lead, it never really looked like we were going to give it up. Once in awhile it’s nice to just sit back and let the game just pass to the bench. I would describe it as a pretty stress-free game. It’s not a shot against them, it’s just the way the game went.” Comox jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period and never looked back in that one.
The Glacier Kings seem to be improving in different areas every game which is very promising. The new guys are starting to fit in and play key roles. Toneff says he has seen some growth with his squad, “I think so, it’s early. Still see some stuff that needs tweaking and fixing. Ya I’d say 2-5% better every game but we’ve been complacent a couple shifts here and there. I can’t remember a time in September where teams haven’t been. It’s just finding that consistency where you evolve from a Midget hockey player to a Junior hockey player and some guys are still learning that. We’re not going to let them off the hook for that, we’re going to be hard on them early and hopefully it pays off in the end.”
A closer look at some of the things the GKings are doing better leads us to look at their power play. Their PP was just 1 for 17 in the first 3 games while they have gone 4 for 12 in their last 2 contests. It has been a big turn-around. The Yeti’s bench boss talked about why is has been clicking lately, “Better puck movement, more practice time, we have personnel who I think for the most part are in the right spots where they belong, kinda just make sure they have their touches in practice, give them some looks. From there, just let them be hockey players. It worked last weekend, sometimes you get the bounces, sometimes it hits the netting and last weekend it did. Hopefully that trend goes in the right direction.” There is still a long way to go as Comox sits 8th out of 11 teams on the PP. In case you’re wondering, they are tied for 6th in penalty killing.
On the next post we’ll dive into the Glacier Kings injury situation, the coaches thoughts on the goaltending and the status with naming a captain and some assistants. Until then, have a great Wednesday!
Darryl Skender
