It’s that time of year when Victoria Royals fans saw the whole WHL season flash in front of their eyes when Griffen Outhouse, the all-time franchise leader in victories by a goaltender, was slow in getting up after a collision in the crease Wednesday night at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Outhouse was none the worse for wear. But the few apprehensive moments showed the playoffs are drawing close and you can almost feel it.
The Spokane Chiefs defeated the Royals 5-2 to remain six points behind the Portland Winterhawks with a game in hand in their bid for home-ice advantage in the looming first-round playoff series between the Chiefs (39-22-5) and Winterhawks in the U.S. Division second-versus-third bracket.
There were also considerable seeding implications for the Royals. Victoria (37-25-6) had a two-game winning streak snapped, and combined with the Vancouver Giants 4-3 overtime victory in Kelowna over the Rockets on Wednesday, are now three points ahead of the Giants in their race for home-ice advantage in their potential first-round playoff series in the two-versus-three B.C. Division bracket. The Giants, resurgent after missing the playoffs the past three seasons, hold two games in hand on Victoria. The Royals fell three points behind the B.C. Division-leading Rockets, who hold a game in hand with five games remaining to Victoria’s four.
“Would you expect anything less in this conference?” asked Victoria coach Dan Price.
“I love it. The race is going to come down to the last few games.”
Royals rearguard Chaz Reddekopp concurred: “It’s a tight race . . . we just have to focus on our game.”
The Royals on Tuesday scored four third-period goals to beat Spokane 7-3 and the Chiefs returned the favour Wednesday to break open a 1-1 game in the final period, starting when Edmonton Oilers’ prospect Kailer Yamamoto put home a loose puck on the power play at 7:58 to make it 2-1. Eli Zummack scored twice, including what turned out to be the winner to make it 3-1.
Tyler Soy brought the Royals to within one with his 35th goal of the season, short-handed, at 16:02 before empty-net goals by Zummack and Carolina Hurricanes third-rounder Hudson Elynuik put it away for the the Chiefs.
Luke Toporowski’s drag move goal at 7:58 of the first period stood up for Spokane until Soy took a lead pass from Noah Gregor for a Victoria power-play breakaway goal to tie it 101 at 14:47 of the second period.
Outhouse made 26 saves for the Royals and Dawson Weatherill 27 in goal for Spokane.
The Victoria stretch of four games in six days on Blanshard Street continues with a set against the Prince George Cougars on Friday and Sunday.
