The Victoria Royals were shorthanded up front but not short of production. They got just enough of it offensively, backed by strong 34-save goaltending from Braden Holt, to record a 3-2 Western Hockey League victory Friday night over the Tri-City Americans before 3,728 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Unsung Royals forwards Alex Edwards, his first game in Victoria since returning this month from a club-record 25-game league suspension for a hit from behind, Logan Pickford and Escalus Burlock came to the fore. Edwards and Pickford scored while Burlock provided a blinding screen that accounted for a power-play goal by Dawson Pasternak to put the Royals (19-12-2) up 3-0 at the end of the second period. Victoria hung on for dear life in the third period, outshot 15-1 and relying heavily on Holt, to record a fifth victory in the last six games, including four on the road.
“It’s amazing,” said game first-star Edwards, in addressing the crowd on the PA following the game.
“It’s about working hard and about competing and doing our best.”
The Royals were down to 11 forwards, with Robin Sapousek and Casper Haugen Evensen off to the 2024 world junior championship in Sweden with Czechia and Norway, respectively, combined with an injury to key skater Teydon Trembecky.
Sapousek is second in Royals points with 32 behind Tanner Scott’s 34 and tied with Scott in goals with 13. Evensen has six goals; almost all have been timely at key junctures of games.
Making up for the lost production were Edwards and Pickford.
“We are without two good players. It’s a great opportunity for someone to step up,” said Royals head coach James Patrick, before the game.
“Everyone wants more ice time. Some of the guys who have been clamouring for ice time are going to get it.”
The likes of Burlock, Edwards and Pickford got it and made the most of the opportunity against a very good Amerks (15-13-2) team that is led by two B.C. standouts in forward Parker Bell from Campbell River and defenceman Lukas Dragicevic of Richmond.
Former Canada U-18 player Dragicevic, selected in the second round of the 2023 NHL draft by the Seattle Kraken, had a power-play assist Friday and has seven goals and 23 points in 28 games from the blue line this season. Dragicevic’s father, Milan, played for the Americans and in the old Memorial Arena on Blanshard for the Victoria Cougars in a well-travelled WHL career and is now a coach in the Delta Hockey Academy.
Over-age 20-year-old Bell, the powerfully striding six-foot-four winger under NHL contract to the Calgary Flames, played his penultimate regular-season game on his home Island in a Tri-City jersey. He has 12 goals and 25 points in 22 games this season heading into Saturday night’s back end of the two-game set at the Memorial Centre, which is Teddy Bear Toss night.
