If two tough road games had left the Wheat Kings worried about their offense, they assuaged those worries in a big way against a tough Victoria Royals squad.
Colin Grubb scored twice, and Kris Muissu, Brett Wilson, Jaxon Jacobson, and Chase Surkan also scored as the Wheat Kings hammered the Royals 6-2. Filip Ruzicka stopped 27 shots in the win.
“That was textbook,” said Wheat Kings head coach and GM Marty Murray. “A real solid game throughout from start to finish by our guys. We had a really good start and got down 1-0 on a PK, but credit to the guys, they stuck with it. I thought it was a really hard effort by everybody.”
The two teams traded power play goals in the opening eight minutes of the first period with the Royals striking first. Just three seconds into their first man advantage, Cameron Schmidt sent a cross-seam pass to the left circle for Savin Virk, who one-timed it home.
It took the Wheat Kings a little more time on their power play, but they replied. A long range shot by Jacobson bounced around in front, and when Surkan found it, he sent it to his left for a waiting Muissu, who one-timed home his second of the season.
Special teams continued to serve the Wheat Kings well as the first went on. Grubb disrupted a pass on the penalty kill, and Brady Turko jumped up to take advantage. His shot from the right wing leaked through Vladimir Proskurin, and Grubb pounced on it for the first shorthanded goal of the season for the Wheat Kings.
The first even strength goal of the game went the Wheat Kings’ way as well. Grubb put a pass on the tape of Cole Slobodian, who walked into a shot from the right circle. That shot produced a rebound for Wilson, who crashed the net and cashed in for the 3-1 lead.
Early in the second, the Wheat Kings built on their lead. After good work down low, the line of Jacobson, Surkan, and Muissu got the puck to the net and fought for a rebound. Jacobson found it and snapped home his first of the season.
That line wasn’t finished for the period. Jacobson jumped up to turn a two-on-one into a three-on-one, and he fed the puck to Surkan for a rocket of a one-timer and a 5-1 Wheat Kings lead.
Rather than sit back, the Wheat Kings built on their lead in the third on another power play. Muissu’s one-timer produced a rebound in the crease for Grubb, who buried it from in close for the second time in the game.
The Royals would get a little life late on their seventh power play of the game. Catching the Wheat Kings on an awkward change, they broke in three-on-one with Drayden Uhrina finishing off the passing play.
From there, however, the Wheat Kings coasted to the win. Their first road victory of the season gives them momentum heading into their next contest, a game with the Vancouver Giants in Langley on Tuesday night.
