If you believe the Terrace River Kings, Connor Beauchemin’s shorthanded goal in the first period was the kill shot as the River Kings defeated the Prince Rupert Rampage 7-3 in Game 1 of the CIHL semi-finals at the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre on Friday.
“We scored shorthanded — that was the killer. Rupert got down on themselves and never forgot … that was the turning point for sure,” Louis Teixera, River King assistant GM told The Norther View.
The Prince Rupert Rampage got off to an early 1-0 lead on Judd Reopole’s goal from Tyler Matalone at 6:57 of the first period.
The River Kings’ Sam Reinbolt tied the game up on a feed from Connor Onstein but Beauchemin’s early second period goal, the second of three unanswered goals in, proved to be the back-breaker for the Rampage.
Despite Teixera’s assessment, the Rampage did battle back later in the second with Repole scoring his second of the game on the powerplay and Jordan Weir scored to knot the game at 3-3 early in the third.
But that’s when the wheels fell off for the Rampage as the River Kings exploded for four straight unanswered goals in the third for a 7-3 win.
The River Kings outshot the Rampage 30-14 in the game.
Prince Rupert Rampage coach Roger Atchison refused comment following the game.
The Rampage face the River Kings in Game 2 of the best-of-three CIHL semi-final series tonight in Terrace.
