EVERETT 8
VICTORIA 1
The Victoria Royals perhaps tempted fate by playing a team clad in green on St. Patrick’s Day, and one with something to play for. Many of the Royals’ supporters were decked in emerald T-shirts, hats and flashing costume jewelry on Saturday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre to look like Everett Silvertips fans.
The game itself, an 8-1 Silvertips victory, was drained of drama beforehand for the Royals. Because of results from Friday, Victoria knew it would finish second in the B.C. Division and was locked into a first-round playoff series with home-ice advantage against the third-seed Vancouver Giants beginning next Friday and Saturday on Blanshard.
The only incentive for the Royals was in trying to entertain a crowd of 7,006, which they had no success in doing.
The Silvertips, however, needed a victory or Portland Winterhawks loss to assure themselves both the U.S. Division and Western Conference titles. They got both results to clinch both titles with a record of 47-20-5.
The Royals’ 2017-18 season will go into the books at 39-27-6 as they were swept in their closing-weekend two-game set by the Silvertips to be denied the third 40-win season in the 12 years of franchise history. Both those 40-win seasons came in the seven seasons the team has played on the Island.
“It's over. Now it’s onto the playoffs and Vancouver,” said Royals coach Dan Price.
“The effort was there. It’s not a matter of us mailing it in. Everett got up early and that often affects the [tone] of a game.”
Silvertips forward Patrick Bajkov, from Nanaimo, a 20-year-old under NHL contract to the Florida Panthers, recorded a hat trick in a dream career final WHL regular-season game before family and friends.
Captain Matthew Phillips scored his 48th goal for Victoria to follow up his 50 from last season.
“It [the result] is not ideal but we move on and learn from that,” said Phillips. “It happens. Momentum is a funny thing. We’re not overly concerned.”
The Royals gave starting goaltender Griffen Outhouse the night off in favour of harried rookie Dean McNabb, who blocked 26 shots. Not so the Silvertips with their starter, and Canadian 2018 world championship gold-medallist goaltender Carter Hart, who made 13 saves over two periods before being replaced to start the third period with the game well in hand.
Of concern for Victoria heading into the post-season was the absence of veteran blueliners Scott Walford and Ralph Jarratt. Jarratt was previously injured but Walford, a third-round draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens, went out with an upper body issue in Friday’s 3-2 loss in Everett. “Hopefully, it’s short term,” said Price.
Also out was Royals forward and Red Wings prospect Lane Zablocki, suspended after being assessed a boarding major and game misconduct Friday. The league has yet to announce the length of the suspension.
