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Victoria Royals take their act back out on the road

The Victoria Royals’ weekend road trip is only within the Western Conference, but it’s about as brutal as it gets within the conference, save for the trip to Prince George.

The Victoria Royals’ weekend road trip is only within the Western Conference, but it’s about as brutal as it gets within the conference, save for the trip to Prince George.

The Royals caught an early-morning ferry Thursday to be in southeastern Washington state, with a day’s rest there, ahead of tonight’s Western Hockey League game against the Tri-City Americans.

If Islanders think they know Washington state because of Seattle, guess again. Everything changes — from the terrain to the politics — when you rumble the more than five hours by bus from Blaine to Kennewick.

Then it’s back the other way overnight Friday for a game Saturday in Vancouver against the Giants.

“The guys are lying down right now … I think there’s going to be a lot of that this this weekend,” chuckled Victoria head coach Dave Lowry, by phone Thursday, as the Royals’ team bus chugged its way to Kennewick.

“It’s a long trip back and forth but a lot of teams are doing these kind [of trips]. We’re not the only team.”

Victoria (10-9-2) and Tri-City (12-9) are both middle of the pack at the moment, but managing to keep their heads above .500.

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The Royals know the Americans well, having taken three of four points against Tri-City in their two-game set earlier this month at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

But Victoria’s third-period collapse after gaining a two-goal lead, then allowing Tri-City to steal a 5-4 overtime victory in the second game, still sticks in the Royals’ craw.

“We found out in that second game that [the Americans] do have the ability to rebound and come back,” noted Lowry.

“And the Tri-City goaltender [Winnipeg Jets-signed Eric Comrie] gives them a chance to win every night.”

Lowry got an even closer look at Comrie as coach of the WHL team in the Subway Super Series games earlier this week against the Russian junior all-stars. Although neither Comrie nor Tristan Jarry of the Edmonton Oil Kings truly distinguished themselves in back-to-back 3-2 WHL losses to the Russians, Comrie did extend the Russians to the 11th round of the shootout in the game in which he played.

“[Comrie] is a competitive kid who wants to play every night, and who is going to be a consummate professional,” said Lowry.

While the rest of the Royals haven’t played since a 6-2 victory last Saturday night in Prince George, blue-liner Joe Hicketts of Victoria had outstanding performances for the WHL team against the Russians on Monday and Tuesday. Lowry isn’t concerned about fatigue being an issue this weekend.

“We will gauge that, but he should be fine. You often play Monday-Tuesday and then Friday-Saturday,” said Lowry.

The Americans feature a pair of promising rookies — 16-year-old Dylan Coghlan of Nanaimo, a six-foot-two defenceman who assisted on that overtime winner against Victoria earlier this month, and 17-year-old forward Jordan Topping of Saltspring Island, who played last season in the BCHL for the Cowichan Valley Capitals.

On Saturday, the Royals cap a stretch of five away games by facing a young Giants team (8-11) in Vancouver that is trying not to lose touch with the pack.

The Royals, who haven’t played at home since that set against the Americans on Nov. 1-2, return to the Memorial Centre for a four-game stand starting Tuesday and Wednesday in a marquee set against the potent Kelowna Rockets (18-1-1), the No. 2 ranked major-junior team in North America.