The Kelowna Rockets, 43-9-4 and No. 2 in the BMO CHL top-10 poll, have been hitting all the high notes during the 2014-15 Western Hockey League season since the outset in September.
With apologies to Donnie Wahlberg and the Knight brothers, the Victoria Royals by comparison have sort of been the New Kids on the Block since the Christmas break, going 13-3-1 over the last 17 games.
Something had to give Friday night in Kelowna, and it was the Royals as the Rockets recorded a decisive 7-3 victory before 5,318 fans at Prospera Place.
Victoria (30-21-4) had allowed the fewest goals in the WHL since the Christmas break but that accomplishment took a big hit as Kelowna lit up Royals starter Justin Paulic for four goals on 15 shots. The Rockets, on their second power-play goal of the night, then touched replacement Victoria netminder Coleman Vollrath to make it 5-0 midway through the second period.
Goals by Tyler Soy, his team-tied second-best 21st, and Austin Carroll, with his team-leading 30th, gave Victoria a glimmer at 5-2. But then reality bit as Cole Martin struck twice to restore Kelowna’s five-goal lead. Dante Hannoun pulled one back for Victoria in garbage time.
“One team was ready to play tonight and the other team took a while to get warmed up,” said Royals head coach Dave Lowry.
“We can’t give them a lead like that in this building. They play very well here and they capitalized on their chances.”
Cole Linaker also had two goals for Kelowna. Leon Draisaitl, the German taken third overall in the 2014 NHL draft and who began this season with the Edmonton Oilers, had three assists. So did defenceman Madison Bowey, a member of Canada’s gold-medallist 2015 world junior championship team.
These two teams have a history of ill will against each other and Friday was no different as Carroll and Rodney Southam fought late in the third period with Southam also drawing the instigator penalty and a game misconduct while Brandon Magee of Victoria also picked up a game misconduct and Carroll a minor.
Victoria is in the midst of a hectic weekend road schedule of three games in three days, continuing tonight in Kamloops against the Blazers and Sunday in Seattle against the Thunderbirds. It’s part of an overall four games in five days, including Tuesday’s rare noon work-day matinee at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre against the Moose Jaw Warriors.
