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Victoria Royals lose to Kelowna Rockets in last seconds

KELOWNA 3 VICTORIA 2 The Kelowna Rockets brought their star-studded road show through the capital on Friday, with none shining brighter than Leon Draisaitl.
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Victoria Royals’ Tyler Soy tries to get between Kelowna Rockets defenders Joe Gatenby, left, and Lucas Johansen.

KELOWNA 3 VICTORIA 2

The Kelowna Rockets brought their star-studded road show through the capital on Friday, with none shining brighter than Leon Draisaitl. The marvellously lethal centre from Cologne, Germany, scored with 42 seconds remaining in the third period on a three-point night to give the Rockets a tension-laden 3-2 Western Hockey League victory over the Victoria Royals.

The big German has 15 points in the last six games and 33 points in 19 games with the Rockets since being sent back to the WHL from the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL.

The result, after Victoria led 2-1 in the third period, silenced the 6,254 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

Kelowna, ranked No. 2 in the Canadian Hockey League and leading the WHL at 46-9-4, had scored 24 goals in its previous three games, including a 7-3 victory over the Royals in the Okanagan last Friday. But the Royals responded with a clamp-down performance last night that looked for much of the game that it would be enough. But it wasn’t, thanks to the dagger delivered from Deutschland.

Victoria, 15-5-1 over the last 21 games, has now lost two straight.

The Rockets array of talent is led by Draisaitl, the third overall selection in the 2014 NHL draft who began the season with two goals and nine points in 37 games for the Edmonton Oilers. The Kelowna cast continues with Madison Bowey and Josh Morrissey, blueliners who won gold at the world junior championships with Canada in January, league goal-scoring co-leader Rourke Chartier, projected 2015 first-round NHL draft pick Nick Merkley and 34-goal scorer Tyson Baillie.

Victoria struck early Friday night with a power-play goal at 1:48 by Austin Carroll, which was his team-leading 34th goal of the season. Draisaitl, who was in the penalty box for Carroll’s goal, made amends with a splendid assist on a Kelowna power-play goal by Cole Linaker that tied it 1-1 later in the first period.

In a night for special teams, Greg Chase restored Victoria’s lead on the power play by picking the far corner from the left boards at 9:51 of the second period. Chase is also under contract to the Oilers and he and Draisaitl could be NHL teammates in future years.

Yet another power-play goal, this one by Kelowna’s Morrissey on an assist by Draisaitl at 12:36 of the third period, tied it 2-2.

Victoria faced a familiar Island figure in goal. Former Royals bantam draft pick Michael Herringer of Comox, along with Josh’s younger brother Jake Morrissey, have carried the crease load for Kelowna after starter Jackson Whistle underwent appendix surgery Feb. 6.

The six-foot-one Herringer, a graduate of the Comox Valley Chiefs youth system, sports a 7-1 record in nine appearances this season and made 25 saves in victory Friday.

Coleman Vollrath made the start for Victoria and finished with 29 saves.

It was the first of three consecutive games between the two teams, continuing tonight at the Memorial Centre and Wednesday in the Okanagan.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com