VICTORIA 3 KAMLOOPS 2
Victoria Royals goaltender Braden Holt stared down a Kamloops Blazers team boasting eight NHL draft picks and three Canadian world junior championship gold medallists to backstop a 3-2 WHL victory with 35 saves.
Royals coach Dan Price gave Holt the option of a rest night after he played in Friday night’s 7-4 loss to the Blazers, but the goaltender was having none of that.
“Braden told me I’m tired, but I want it,” said Price.
Holt not only got it, but delivered, before 4,440 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
“I wanted this one so badly,” said Holt.
An added incentive was playing against his former Everett Silvertips teammates defenceman Olen Zellweger, a two-time world junior gold medallist for Canada, and the dangerous veteran forward Ryan Hofer.
“Zell said to me during the game: ‘A goal is coming, a goal is coming.’ Then we scored, and I said: ‘Darn right it’s coming,’ ” Holt said.
The victory was highlighted by perhaps the save of the season in the WHL as Holt took away what looked to be a sure goal for Kamloops in the second period.
“It’s a moment where all the foundational stuff goes out the window and you give it your best gymnastics move,” said Holt, who has been a Royals standout since being acquired from Everett last month. “I am super-proud of the guys in front of me. Kamloops is such a fast team and comes at you in waves and we shut them down.”
But not without that final line of defence provided by Holt, including several big saves in a hairy late stretch as Kamloops pressed, abetted by several late third-period Victoria penalties.
“It was a gut-check and a huge win versus the Memorial Cup host team,” said Price. “We were aggressive up-ice and that made it less of a track meet.”
A first-period goal by Teydon Trembecky and Matthew Hodson’s second-period power-play counter gave Victoria a 2-0 lead heading into the third period. Toronto Maple Leafs second-round draft pick Fraser Minten brought Kamloops (27-10-6) to within one early in the third period.
Victoria leading scorer Jake Poole restored the two-goal advantage at 7:03. But Kamloops’ league-leading power play struck with Hofer scoring 37 seconds later. Assisting on the goal was two-time Canada world junior championship gold medallist Logan Stankoven to extended his Blazers scoring streak to 29 games with 65 points in that span.
The victory kept Victoria (14-28-5) tied with the Kelowna Rockets for the eighth and final playoff slot in the Western Conference, although the Rockets hold three games in hand.
What made the result more impressive is that Victoria was missing three injured players in captain and NHL San Jose Sharks-signed defenceman Gannon Laroque, Canada Under-18 forward Brayden Schuurman and blueliner and former top-10 first-round WHL draft pick Austin Zemlak.
The Royals meet the Prince Albert Raiders on Tuesday night at the Memorial Centre.
cdheensaw@timescolonist.com
