Dillon Dube had to settle for the silver medal last week with Canada at the world junior hockey championship. But he had such a golden trigger finger Friday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre that Shirley Bassey should have sung the national anthem.
The second-round Calgary Flames draft-pick scored a hat-trick on a four-point night to lead the Kelowna Rockets to a 9-2 Western Hockey League victory over the Victoria Royals to deflate the annouced sell-out crowd of 7,006.
At the end of the second period, Kelowna had almost as many goals with eight as Victoria had shots with 10.
“We got embarrassed in our own building . . . and we better take it personally,” said Royals coach Dave Lowry.
“We have to write if off as a one-off thing and be ready to play [tonight against the Moose Jaw Warriors].”
Jack Walker scored his 21st goal of the season while Ethan Price got the other Victoria goal on the power play.
“We’ve got to take ownership of this and have a short memory,” said Walker.
Victoria starter Griffen Outhouse was chased from the net after the fourth Rockets goal. With regular backup Dylan Myskiw injured, Royals goaltending prospect Dean McNabb was inserted into the game, but it turned into a nightmare WHL debut for the Midget call-up from Regina who was the Royals third-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. The 16-year-old brother of Los Angeles Kings defenceman Brayden McNabb let in two goals on four shots, including on the first career WHL shot he faced. Outhouse was quickly put back into the game.
“I probably shouldn’t have put [McNabb] into that game,” said Lowry.
“But he has to get some experience somewhere. Now the nerves are over with.”
The shots on goal after two periods were 30-10 and Kelowna’s final advantage was 43-21.
The Royals (22-18-4) lost for the third consecutive game after opening the post-Christmas portion of the schedule with five straight wins.
The Rockets (26-15-3) also beat Victoria 4-3 on Wednesday and lead the eight-game season series 4-2.
Rockets workhorse goaltender Michael Herringer recorded his 19th victory in his 33rd appearance of the season. The Comox Valley product will never get an easier one.
The Royals conclude their three-game homestand tonight at the Memorial Centre against the Warriors (26-10-7).
