In a season of major franchise milestones — most regular-season wins with 48 and points with 100 — the Victoria Royals achieved their most significant breakthrough Thursday night at Spokane Memorial Veterans Arena.
The third-seed Royals defeated the sixth-seed Chiefs 4-2 in Game 4 to sweep their best-of-seven opening-round Western Conference series to advance to the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs for the first time in the eight-year history of the Chilliwack Bruins/Royals franchise.
“We got better as the series went on,” said Royals head coach Dave Lowry.
“Our top guys came through and got stronger; and I liked our goaltending [Patrik Polivka].”
Austin Carroll, who led the Royals with 34 goals in the regular season, scored the winner at 10:06 of the third period. It was the power forward’s third goal in the last two games. The desperate Chiefs pressed hard and outshot Victoria 16-5 in the third period. Connor Chartier got the 2-2 equalizer for Spokane at 3:32 of the third, before Carroll delivered the dagger and 20-year-old Logan Nelson stuck in another at 15:41 to clinch the deal. Victoria likely advances to meet the second-seed Portland Winterhawks in the Western Conference semifinals. There is an outside chance Victoria could play Seattle or Everett in the next round, if eighth-seed Tri-City upsets top-seed Kelowna. The Rockets, however, lead that series 3-1 over the Americans. Game 5 is tonigh in Kelowna.
Blue-liner and 20-year-old captain Jordan Fransoo was another from that veteran core which Lowry said came through when needed. Fransoo, who scored the first playoff goal of his WHL career the night before in a 6-1 Victoria win, struck again to give the Royals the lead Thursday at 14:48 of the first period. That was followed by a hectic final minute of the opening period when defenceman Tyson Helgesen pulled Spokane level at 19:02 only to see 20-year-old forward Ben Walker’s third goal of the series, 20 seconds later, give Victoria a 2-1 lead.
Carroll, Fransoo and Nelson each finished with a goal and assist on the night while Steven Hodges added two assists for Victoria. All are 19 or 20, which is who you look to this time of year.
Polivka finished with 32 saves while 20-year-old Eric Williams, playing his final WHL game, made just 17 stops for Spokane.
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Graduating Spokane 20-year-old forwards — 2013-14 WHL goals and points scoring champion Mitch Holmberg and high-scoring Mitch Aviani — were held to just three assists between them in the series by Victoria’s stifling defence and played their final games of junior.
Portland, loaded with NHL draft picks, swept the seventh-seed Vancouver Giants 4-0 in the first round to win its 10th consecutive conference playoff series. The vaunted Winterhawks — who including regular season, have won 11 straight games and 32 of their last 33 — have now made it to the second round in the post season for the fifth consecutive year. The ’Hawks would have home-ice advantage in a series against the Royals, with the Game 1 next Friday, April 4, and Game 2 on Saturday, April 5, in Portland.
