VICTORIA 4
CALGARY 1
With only an honourable mention in this week’s Canadian Hockey League top-10 poll, despite knocking off the top-two teams in the WHL last week, the Victoria Royals can be excused for feeling a bit like the Rodney Dangerfield of junior hockey.
But true national respect must surely be coming after the Royals (32-15-5) rolled to their sixth consecutive victory, and third in a row against an elite team, with a 4-1 decision against the Calgary Hitmen before 3,773 fans Wednesday night at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Victoria has outscored the opposition 32-6 in its last five games and has picked up points in nine consecutive games.
The Hitmen (30-19-2) had a three-game winning streak snapped.
“It’s still cool being an honourable mention,” said Matthew Phillips, who scored twice for Victoria, to push his team and WHL rookie-leading goals total to 30.
“It’s not a huge deal. But if we keep playing well, hopefully [cracking the top-10] will come.”
As for reaching the 30-goal plateau in his freshman WHL campaign, the five-foot-six native of Calgary said: “I didn’t expect it. But I have such great linemates [Alex Forsberg and Dante Hannoun].”
Phillips had three points on the night. “I found my linemates, and my linemates made great passes to me tonight,” he said.
One could argue, and persuasively, that the Hitmen blueline is the best in the WHL. It features six-foot-six Calgary Flames prospect and former Royals player Keegan Kanzig, Philadelphia Flyers first-round draft pick Travis Sanheim and Jake Bean, the 13th-ranked North American skater for the 2016 NHL draft. But the Royals attacked it with verve and clarity, particularly on the counter-attack.
“We turn over a lot of [opposition] pucks, and it starts from that,” said Forsberg, who had two assists.
Royals head coach Dave Lowry concurred.
“Transition is our strength,” said the bench boss.
First-period goals by Jack Walker and Hannoun, off sharp respective assists from Tyler Soy and Forsberg, staked Victoria to a 2-1 first-period lead. Former Vancouver Giants winger Jackson Houck, a 20-year-old over-ager, replied for Calgary.
But the puck version of Steve Nash-like assists kept coming, with Forsberg feeding Phillips for a tap-in power-play goal at 10:33 of the second period. Phillips struck again 55 seconds later, on the same four-minute advantage, with another power-play goal. And yes, there was another nifty assist, this one from Hannoun, who stickhandled the puck through a Calgary defender’s legs to get the puck up to Phillips, who surgically lifted the puck to the top corner.
“[Phillips] is a very special player and very intelligent,” said Forsberg. “And he battles hard, not hesitating in going up against guys who are six-foot-five and have a 100 pounds on him.”
Coleman Vollrath, the WHL nominee for CHL goaltender of the week, made 28 saves for Victoria in allowing just one goal for the third consecutive game, while Nik Amundrud blocked 22 shots for Calgary.
The Royals dip below the border for games Friday night in Tri-City against the Americans and Saturday evening in Portland against the Winterhawks.
