VICTORIA 6
VANCOUVER 1
All is right with the Western Hockey League universe. It seems to again be unfolding to form. After being domineered 4-1 by the Western Conference last-place Vancouver Giants the night before at the Pacific Coliseum, the league second-ranked Royals regrouped for a sharply-executed 6-1 victory Saturday over the Giants before 6,545 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
“This shows the character we have in that room,” said forward Jack Walker, who scored twice for Victoria.
The nationally ninth-ranked Royals moved to 20-9-2 while the Giants — who have burned through 46 players on the roster this season looking for answers, but finding few — fell to 9-19-4.
“We have always been good at bouncing back from adversity,” said Royals assistant coach Enio Sacilotto, taking over the bench-boss duties while Victoria head coach Dave Lowry is away guiding the Canadian junior team.
The fur flew on Teddy Bear Toss Night when forward Ethan Price scored the first Victoria goal at 12:04 of the first period, triggering an avalanche of stuffed toy animals thrown onto the ice that will go to charity.
It couldn’t have happened to a more deserving player. It was only Price’s third goal of the season, but the native of Lincoln, Nebraska, is one of the most diligent and hardest-working Royals. His name goes into the books alongside Zane Jones (2011), Austin Carroll (2012 and 2013) and Axel Blomqvist (2014) as the Bear goal scorers in the five years the Royals have played in Victoria.
Walker finished with a three-point night for Victoria, while Matthew Phillips added his team- and WHL rookie-leading 18th goal and two assists. Tyler Soy and Dante Hannoun had a goal and assist each and Alex Forsberg and defenceman Chaz Reddekopp two assists each. Nanaimo-product Chase Lang got the Giants on the board on a power-play goal assisted by projected 2016 NHL first-round draft pick Tyler Benson.
With three games in three days on tap against the Giants, and the short turnaround to today’s matinée at the Memorial Centre, the Royals gave regular starter Coleman Vollrath the night off Saturday. Rookie Griffen Outhouse acquitted himself very well in making 33 saves against a Giants team that outshot Victoria and seems to be improving. Ryan Kubic and Jake Morrissey, among the six goaltenders Vancouver has used this season, combined to make 26 saves.
Vollrath should get the start this afternoon against Vancouver to surpass Lucas Gore for the most career games (142) played by a goaltender in the 10 years of Victoria Royals/Chilliwack Bruins franchise history.
The Saturday game got testy with several skirmishes.
It may get even testier with Victoria and Vancouver only halfway through their four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, country trumps club, so the Royals played their second game of 13 without head coach Lowry and captain Joe Hicketts, who are away as part of the Canadian preparations for the 2016 world junior championships.
