It is not known if the Victoria Royals’ are fans of Florence + the Machine. But they should be because their theme song for the second portion of the Western Hockey League season needs to be Dog Days Are Over as they chase a playoff berth. That quest was greatly aided by a 4-0 victory over the Kelowna Rockets before 4,106 suddenly energized fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Every player of note is now in the fold so the time for excuses is done. Czech world junior championship silver medallist Robin Sapousek made his Royals debut Friday night. San Jose Sharks-signed captain Gannon Laroque played his first home game of the season after a lengthy injury. Earlier in the day it was announced fellow Victoria blue-liner Kalem Parker is the 113th-ranked North American skater for the 2023 NHL draft.
In the Victoria net is the recently-acquired reliable WHL veteran Braden Holt, who recorded the 29-save shutout and is 4-0-1 with a 1.66 goals-against average in his five starts for Victoria since being traded by Everett, including two shutouts.
“I was super-shocked to get traded but I am very excited to be a Royal and make the playoffs for the fans,” said Holt.
“I like it when guys sacrifice their bodies like that,” he said of his defence, which blocked numerous Kelowna shots Friday.
First-period goals by Reggie Newman and Teague Patton staked Victoria to a 2-0 lead on assists from Matthew Hodson. Riley Gannon, into an empty net, and Ryan Spizawka’s first of the season sealed it with goals late in the third period.
Victoria (11-25-4) has won three of four games to start the New Year and now trail the Rockets by three points in the battle for the eighth and final playoff position in the Western Conference, although Kelowna holds two games in hand.
The Rockets (13-22-3) lost for the ninth time in 10 games but they will not be an easy out, despite trading away captain and Chicago Blackhawks-prospect and Canadian junior team world gold-medallist Colton Dach to the championship-minded Seattle Thunderbirds for future draft picks. Kelowna has two top-30-ranked North American skaters for the 2023 NHL draft with forward Andrew Cristall at No. 16 and Caden Price 30th overall and the sixth-ranked blueliner. Cristall is injured and did not play Friday but only one player has more points than him in the WHL this season and that’s some guy named Connor Bedard. Also, NHL-draft ranked Rockets forward Gabriel Szturc was a teammate of Sapousek’s on the silver-medallist Czechia team this month at the world junior championship in Halifax.
The Royals and Rockets meet again Saturday night at the Memorial Centre.
cdheensaw@timescolonist.com
