Missing two useful forwards to suspensions announced earlier Friday, the Victoria Royals regrouped with an edgy performance against the seventh-ranked major-junior hockey team in North America.
The Royals (13-11-2) defeated the Canadian Hockey League top-10 Everett Silvertips (14-4-3) by a 3-1 count in a WHL game before 4,415 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
“We did what we had to do to win,” said Royals head coach Dave Lowry.
“It was one of our best team games of the season.”
The day started on a sour note for the Royals with the WHL ruling that co-captain Brandon Magee, a repeat offender, would be suspended for five games for a spearing major late in the 5-3 loss to the Kelowna Rockets on Wednesday night. Magee, who began the season with a 12-game suspension carried over from last season’s playoffs, has now accumulated 17 games of suspension time this season.
Also missing Friday due to suspension was forward Taylor Crunk, who sat out his one-game sentence for incurring a game misconduct along with Kelowna’s Rodney Southam on Wednesday.
Despite missing two of their most important forwards, the Royals jumped into a 2-0 lead on Austin Carroll’s 16th goal of the season at 4:17 of the first period and rookie Jared Dmytriw’s second of the season at 11:06 of the second period.
Montreal Canadiens first-round draft pick Nikita Scherbak hit Brayden Low for a breakaway goal at 15:57 of the second period to pull the Silvertips to within one. The momentum could have swung to Everett at that moment, but the Royals wouldn’t give an inch of ice. Victoria defenceman Joe Hicketts put the game away with a goal at 13:49 of the third period as Everett lost for the second consecutive game in an otherwise stellar start to the season.
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Lowry played newly-acquired Victoria forward Greg Chase on a line with Jack Palmer and Axel Blomqvist.
“It takes time to find the chemistry, but I settled in as the game went on,” said Chase, making his Royals debut with five shots on net, after being dealt from the Calgary Hitmen in exchange for defenceman Keegan Kanzig.
“It was fun. It’s a great arena with great fans,” added Chase, who is under NHL entry-level contract to the Edmonton Oilers and a candidate for Canada’s team for the 2015 world junior championships
“[Lowry] coaches a pro-style game. Everett was structured but we fought back with our own structured game tonight.”
The Royals started call-up Jayden Sittler in goal. He acquitted himself well in a 24-save effort which earned him game’s second star. Third-star Carter Hart made 26 saves in goal for Everett.
“These teams were pretty evenly matched,” said Everett GM Garry Davidson, former BCHL Victoria Salsa (now Grizzlies) and Nanaimo Clippers head coach and GM.
“Victoria is off to a so-so start to the season. But nobody will be surprised if Victoria is much better in the second half of the season.”
The Royals gave every indication of that Friday.
The Regina Pats (13-9-1) make their once-every-two years visit to Blanshard Street tonight. The Pats extended their winning streak to five games with a 6-2 victory over the Giants in Vancouver on Friday night.
