It means nothing mathematically. But it’s another story subjectively.
They might have to amp up the wattage on the Prospera Place marquee for the Western Hockey League game tonight between the host Kelowna Rockets and visiting Victoria Royals.
The Rockets, the top-ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League top-10 poll, have lost in regulation only 10 times this season. Three of those defeats have been to the Royals, the eighth-ranked team in the CHL top-10. The Rockets were also beaten on another occasion by Victoria in a shoot-out.
If the Western Conference third-seed Royals (47-17-4) and top-seed Rockets (54-10-4) meet again this season after today, it can only be in the conference final. With a 4-2-1 edge and the season series clinched heading into tonight’s final regular-season date with the Rockets, that’s a matchup the Royals would savour if they get that far.
Despite all the things they have done right this season, the Rockets have not been able to solve the Royals.
“We’ve paid attention to details [in the games against Kelowna] and got good goaltending,” said Victoria head coach Dave Lowry, of his team’s success against the top-ranked major-junior team in North America.
“And we have to do that again [tonight]. When you are playing the top team in the country, you have to be prepared and ready to go. There are no secrets [to beating Kelowna] beyond that. They are a strong team. That’s why they have been No. 1 for almost the entire season. We have to come out with intensity and emotion, and be a disciplined team.”
The latter point has been key to the Royals’ success this season. Victoria, the most penalized team in the WHL and entire CHL in 2012-13, has cut down its penalty minutes drastically this season thanks to a more disciplined approach taken by Lowry, the sophomore bench boss who has now fully put his stylistic stamp on this team.
So has Ryan Huska in Kelowna, now in his 12th season with the Rockets, the last seven as head coach after five as assistant coach.
Kelowna can strike from anywhere at any time. That’s attested by the fact defenceman Damon Severson, a 2012 second-round draft pick of the New Jersey Devils, is second in team scoring with 60 points. When you add in defencemen Madison Bowey with 55 points and Nick Merkley with 54, three of Kelowna’s top-six scorers are blue-liners.
“The Rockets have balance and depth and they get a lot of offence from their defence,” noted Lowry.
Meanwhile, Flames-signed defenceman Keegan Kanzig, who missed Saturday’s 3-2 home victory against Kamloops with the flu, is expected back tonight for Victoria. The status of Royals forward and Panthers prospect Steven Hodges, who missed both games of the weekend home sweep against Kamloops, was not given.
“Keegan looks to be ready. Everything else is a secret this time of year,” said Lowry.
The Royals close out the regular season with games Wednesday in Vancouver against the Giants, Friday at home to the Everett Silvertips and Saturday in Everett.
The Royals will open the first round of the Western Conference playoffs March 22-23 at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. Victoria’s opponent, the sixth seed, is guaranteed to be from the U.S. Division and will be either Everett, the Spokane Chiefs or Seattle Thunderbirds. Five points separate the fourth-to-sixth positions in the Western Conference heading into the final week of the regular season.
ICE CHIPS: It was a valiant attempt. But even if the Rockets win out over their last four games, they will fall two games shy of the all-time WHL and CHL record for most wins in a regular season, set at 60 by the 1980-81 Victoria Cougars.
