VICTORIA 5
KELOWNA 1
Maybe it was the TV cameras that made the Victoria Royals’ power play freeze the night before. Away from the glare of a national broadcast, the Royals’ capricious odd-man awoke to unleash four goals in a 5-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets before 4,781 fans Saturday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
The Rockets had defeated Victoria 3-1 Friday in a WHL game televised nationally on Rogers Sportsnet. The Rockets scored two power play goals in the Friday game while Victoria went 0-5.
Special teams were again a crucial element of the narrative Saturday, but in a different manner as Victoria went 4-8 on the power play while holding Kelowna 0-3. Included in the latter statistic was a two-man Kelowna power-play advantage for 1:41 in the third period.
The Royals’ power-play breakout allowed certain players to lay siege to the scoresheet, with rookie Matthew Phillips accumulating a goal and three assists, Alex Forsberg and Joe Hickets a goal and assist each, and Jack Walker three assists.
“We had an attacking mindset and executed it,” said Royals coach Dave Lowry.
The two-game set was a marquee matchup featuring the defending WHL champion and current league-leading Rockets (19-6-1) and the youthful but emerging Royals (17-8-2), off to the best start in the 10 seasons of Chilliwack Bruins/Royals franchise history. The Rockets are ranked No. 4 in the CHL top-10 poll with the Royals an honourable mention.
It was also a reprise of last season’s second-round playoff series, won 4-1 by Kelowna en route to the WHL title and CHL Memorial Cup championship-game loss to the Oshawa Generals. A miscommunication between Rockets goaltender and Comox-product Michael Herringer and defenceman Devante Stephens allowed lurking Victoria forward Regan Nagy to score an uncontested goal just 1:14 into the game.
Then Victoria’s power play started hitting, with three consecutive goals. Phillips made it 2-0 as the first-year forward picked the top corner for his 14th goal of the season at 1:37 of the second period. Veteran Tyler Soy’s 12th goal of the season, from Phillips and also on the odd-man, pushed that to a three-goal lead at 15:46 of the second. The Victoria power play didn’t let up as Phillips fed Forsberg just 22 seconds into the third period.
“It’s a few months into the season, and I’m feeling a lot more comfortable,” said Phillips.
Kelowna centre Cole Linaker ended Coleman Vollrath’s shutout bid at 1:05 of the third. Hicketts capped scoring on, what else, but the power play. And on, what else, but a pass from that sneaky freshman Phillips.
“Our special teams were the difference in the game,” said Phillips. “The power play was moving the puck well. And I can’t say enough about our penalty kill.”
The Royals are back on Blanshard on Tuesday to host Medicine Hat.
ICE CHIPS: No, it’s not Robert Downey Jr., it’s Logan Fisher. The veteran Ironman forward, a 20-year-old overager, played his 200th and 201st consecutive games for the Royals, including playoffs, in the weekend set against Kelowna . . . Watch those steely guys. It worked for the WHL Oil Kings when Derek Laxdal, who spent five seasons coaching the Idaho Steelheads in the pro ECHL, guided Edmonton to the 2014 Memorial Cup. Now, 34-year-old rookie Kelowna head coach Brad Ralph has the Rockets first in the WHL after three successful pro seasons as the bench boss of the ECHL’s Steelheads.
