VANCOUVER 6 VICTORIA 2
Griffen Outhouse and Todd Scott took turns playing Scrooge on Saturday night.
The goaltenders were a stingy pair, for the most part, as the Vancouver Giants eventually pulled out a 6-2 victory over the Victoria Royals at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, extending their win streak to five games, while the hosts have now lost three in a row.
Not exactly the way the Royals wanted to enter the Christmas break.
Bah, humbug.
“It’s not ideal. These games were really big, being divisional matchups,” said captain Matthew Phillips who had a goal and an assist. “We can’t change the fact now that we lost those games. Now it’s time to rest and recover.”
Outhouse was outstanding in the first period, blocking all 19 shots he faced, and it looked like he might single handedly steal this one. But the Giants struck twice late in the second period — on goals from Brayden Watts and Ty Ronning, who each finished with two goals apiece — to drastically change the complexion of the game.
Badly outplayed by the Giants in the opening period, Phillips struck first for the Royals when he picked himself up off the ice, found the puck and spun around to beat Scott at 11:45.
Outhouse’s best save came off former teammate Jared Dmytriw, spreading out and gloving what looked to be a sure goal with just under three minutes to go. Outhouse also denied Dmytriw on a breakaway to start the second period.
The Royals looked to take a 2-0 lead on what would have been Tarun Fizer’s first goal of the season, but a video review showed his wrap-around attempt was kept out by Scott, who was solid in the second.
Scott’s best save came off Eric Florchuk on a power play just over the midway mark. The Giants goalie stopped all 14 shots he faced over the 20-minute stretch. He also benefited from a goalpost as Royals’ call-up Tyus Gent’s deflection hit the iron.
Florchuk tied it briefly at 1:09 of the third for Victoria, but Dylan Plouffe scored his first of two straight just 13 seconds later. Ronning and Watts added goals in the last two minutes as defensive play became too lax for the short-staffed Royals.
Outhouse stopped 38 of 43 shots while Scott stopped 25 of 27. Victoria has been outshot in 10 of its last 12, which needs to be addressed over the break. The Royals now hit the halfway mark of its season at 20-13-3-0 while the Giants are 17-13-2-2.
Victoria returns to action at home on Dec. 27 in the first of back-to-back home games against Prince George.
