Bob Beatty is getting tired of one-goal losses.
"They are adding up," the Cowichan Valley Capitals head coach said after his team played its sixth one-goal game in a row - five of them losses. "It's a little wearing, for sure."
The Caps were edged 2-1 by the Powell River Kings at home on Tuesday evening, dropping their overall record so far in the B.C. Hockey League season to two wins and nine losses. In some instances, Beatty has felt ripped off in those one-goal losses, but Tuesday's game didn't fit that description.
"There are one-goal games where you feel you deserved better, and one-goal games where that's probably fitting," he admitted.
The Caps escaped the first period in a scoreless tie despite being out-shot 20-7. Goalie Lane Michasiw stood on his head to preserve the draw that far.
"We just have our goaltender to thank for keeping us in the game," Beatty said. "There was a lack of intensity in the first period. We weren't competing for pucks or finishing our checks."
The Kings finally solved Michasiw midway through the second period. They went ahead with a powerplay goal at 6:41 of the second. Luke Novak scored his second powerplay goal in as many games with just over three minutes left in the game.
"We had a tremendous opportunity to score with about 10 minutes left, but we didn't capitalize," Beatty noted. "I would not say justice would have been served if we won that game, to be frank."
The Caps play a home-and-home series with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs this weekend, playing in Port Alberni on Friday and at the Island Savings Centre Saturday beginning at 7 p.m. "It's getting stale, but these divisional games are huge," Beatty said. "They're paramount right now."