KELOWNA 4
VICTORIA 2
(Rockets lead series 3-0)
The Victoria Royals have a mountain to climb. And it isn’t kid’s stuff like K2, Kilimanjaro, Blackcomb or Tolmie. They face nothing less than the Everest of Western Hockey League playoff tasks following Tuesday night’s 4-2 loss to the Kelowna Rockets before 5,517 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
The Rockets lead the best-of-seven second-round series 3-0.
The Royals now need four consecutive victories against the No. 2 team in the WHL and No. 4 in the Canadian Hockey League. Oh, and did we mention the Rockets are also 7-0 in the playoffs?
Daunting? No doubt. But the Royals have to keep the job to manageable bites.
“If you look at the whole mountain, you don’t get to the top,” said Royals coach Dave Lowry. “We only have to win one game and that’s [Game 4 tonight at the Memorial Centre].”
Victoria forward Brandon Magee echoed those sentiments.
“When you get that first one [victory], you get the ball rolling,” said the 20-year-old veteran.
Penalties again did in Victoria as Kelowna scored twice on the odd-man. The Rockets have six power-play goals in the series, following also a 5-0 victory in Game 1 and 4-3 overtime win in Game 2 in Kelowna.
“At this time of year, you can’t give a team with that kind of skill, six power plays,” said Lowry.
Victoria hit the post three times Tuesday and also missed a couple of gaping nets. But close doesn’t count in hockey.
“We didn’t bear down. Against good teams, you have to capitalize on your opportunities,” said Lowry.
>>> GET MORE VICTORIA ROYALS COVERAGE
The Royals got off to the start they needed as Alex Forsberg scored his third goal of the playoffs just 1:03 into the game to give Victoria its first lead of the series. But then Leon Draisaitl flashed his future NHL credentials as the Edmonton Oilers prospect from Germany kept the puck and scored on a two-on-one short-handed break at 8:18 of the first period.
Victoria followed up with two shots off posts. But it was Nick Merkley, going around Joe Hicketts, who made it 2-1 for Kelowna on the power play at 14:10. Greg Chase tied it 2-2 for Royals in first minute of the second period with his sixth goal of the playoffs. But Gage Quinney buried a shot to restore Kelowna’s lead at 9:02. That went to 4-2 at 15:16 of the second with a power-play goal by blue-liner Madison Bowey with Magee serving a four-minute double minor for high sticking.
Coleman Vollrath, who allowed four goals on 28 shots, was replaced in the Victoria net at the start of the third period by Justin Paulic, who stopped all eight shots he faced. Jackson Whistle made 28 saves for Kelowna.
“I know we’re up 3-0, but we still have one more win to go,” said Draisaitl. “A lot of times, the fourth win is the hardest one, so we’re going to be prepared for [tonight] and hope to close it out as soon as possible.”
ICE CHIPS: The Rockets were without blue-liner Josh Morrissey, the Canadian world junior gold medallist and Winnipeg Jets prospect. Out with an injury since Feb. 28, Morrissey had returned for the first two games of the series.
