VICTORIA 3
VANCOUVER 2
Jack Walker, among the most useful and versatile over-age 20-year-old skaters in the Western Hockey League, scored a hat trick Wednesday night to stake the Victoria Royals to a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Giants.
Victoria goaltender Griffen Outhouse preserved the result with a dazzling glove save late in the third period before an announced crowd of 3,127 at the Langley Events Centre.
“[Walker] has not been as good as he would like to be [since returning from the NHL training camp of the Toronto Maple Leafs] . . . but he was great tonight,” said Royals head coach Dave Lowry.
“That’s because he started shooting the puck.”
The native of Edina, Minnesota, took to heart Lowry’s exhortations to get more pucks on net. He shot early and shot often, scoring his first goal just 14 seconds into the game.
But a quick-release shot by New York Rangers draft-pick Ty Ronning seemed to surprise Outhouse as Vancouver tied the game 1-1 at 3:40 of the second period. The Giants (1-5) took the lead when Brendan Semchuk, the 10th overall pick in the 2014 WHL bantam draft, scored his third goal of the season off a face-off and through Outhouse’s legs at 5:45 of the second.
“Griffen made some big saves, although there are a couple he would like to have back,” added Lowry.
Indeed, after that soft second period, Outhouse responded massively with a shutdown, 16-save third period to finish with 28 saves on the night. Ryan Kubic made 25 saves for Vancouver.
The Royals’ power play connected for the first time this season, in its 28th overall opportunity, when Walker put home a Dante Hannoun rebound after some fine puck work by Ryan Peckford at 10:29 of the second period.
It was a home game of sorts for Royals forward Tyler Soy, who was playing just 10 minutes from the family house in Cloverdale, and who had more than 20 relatives and friends in the stands.
After going 1-3 at home to start the season, the defending WHL regular-season champion Royals (2-3) began a six-game road trip Wednesday. They continue in Seattle on Friday, Spokane on Sunday, Medicine Hat next Tuesday, Lethbridge next Wednesday and Edmonton on Oct. 14.
ICE CHIPS: The game Wednesday was the first back in their respective lineups for Victoria defenceman Chaz Reddekopp, after returning from the NHL training camp of the L.A. Kings, and Vancouver captain Tyler Benson, the second-round draft pick just returned by the Edmonton Oilers . . . Reddekopp picked up an assist on Walker’s winning goal, while Benson was held point-less.
