The Victoria Royals were looking for something, anything, to get that elusive spark to ignite the season after three losses to start the Western Hockey League campaign.
They got it, in the most breathtaking of fashions Saturday night, from Joe Hicketts and Austin Carroll.
Blueliner Hicketts broke to the net for the winning goal at 1:44 of overtime in a 4-3 Victoria victory over the Kamloops Blazers before 4,647 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
“I want to lead by example,” said Hicketts, signed this past week to an NHL contract by the Detroit Red Wings.
“I want to be the guy that goes out there and does his job.”
And that’s exactly what Hicketts did Saturday at the most crucial of moments.
Carroll unleashed a withering shot from outside the face-off circle to tie the game 3-3 with just 40 seconds remaining in the third period.
“As a team, we needed this game,” said Carroll, recently returned from the Calgary Flames NHL camp.
“This is just one game but it’s something to build on.”
Mike Winther appeared to have the winner for Kamloops when he tipped home a Michael Flora point shot at 17:33 of the third period to give the Blazers a 3-2 lead that hushed the building.
“We came back with resilience,” said Carroll.
“Regardless of being scored on so late, we kept pushing. It shows we are a good team that is capable of doing great things.”
Keys for Victoria included Coleman Vollrath’s timely goalkeeping and the puck possession allowed by Logan Fisher’s face-off wins.
Veteran Brandon Fushimi knocked in a Jack Walker rebound on a first-period power play to give Victoria the much-needed 1-0 lead at 9:40. But fifth-round Dallas Stars draft-pick Cole Ully ripped in a power-play laser, maybe the best shot of the young season, to tie it 1-1 at 17:18 of the first.
Rookie Dante Hannoun’s first career WHL goal for Victoria came on the power play at 4:31 of the second period with Fushimi drawing an assist. But these Blazers (2-1-1) are tough to shake as Nick Chyzowski tied matters 2-2 at 6:01 of the second.
Meanwhile, the Royals just can’t seem to get ahead with their roster. The return Saturday of NHL-signed rearguard Keegan Kanzig from the Calgary Flames was offset by losing two others. Winnipeg Jets-signed Royals forward Axel Blomqvist, who was levelled by a hit to the head in Friday’s game by Kamloops defenceman Patrik Maier and missed Saturday’s game because of it. Veteran Victoria defenceman Ryan Gagnon also sat out while the league considers if any action will be taken for his charging major penalty from Friday night. As well, last season’s leading scorer for the Royals Brandon Magee has eight games remaining on his 12-game suspension to start the season.
The Royals are in Vancouver today to play the Giants at the Pacific Coliseum.
