The Victoria Royals knew things were likely to even out after a sticks-ablaze 7-0 start to the Western Hockey League season.
But a 3-6 stretch likely wasn’t what they envisioned as a followup.
The Royals went to 10-6 on the season after a 7-2 loss to the Spokane Chiefs on Saturday night before 6,525 fans on Canadian Armed Forces Appreciation Night at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
“The last nine games have been close and very competitive,” said Royals head coach Dan Price, who is not hitting any panic buttons.
“It’s an indication of the great parity in our division, conference and league. We will continue to look for consistency and a co-ordinated effort on the ice. There will be no deviation from that.”
The Chiefs (9-7-3) have had recent issues of their own as the victory ended a three-game losing skid, including a 7-5 loss to Victoria on Friday to start the two-game set on the Island.
Spokane’s potent offence, however, could be stifled only for so long. The Chiefs’ scoring total Saturday was abetted, though, by two empty-net goals as Victoria made a desperate late-game attempt with goaltender Griffen Outhouse pulled for an extra attacker.
Among those scoring for the Chiefs were Toronto Maple Leafs draft-pick Filip Kral, Luke Toporowski, ranked by Central Scouting for the 2019 NHL draft, and sniper Riley Woods, named WHL player of the week for his three goals and three assists in the two games in Victoria.
Chiefs defenceman Ty Smith was also back to his normal self as the first-round draft pick of the New Jersey Devils rebounded from an uncharacteristic minus-five game in the loss to Victoria on Friday. The mobile blueliner was plus-one with two assists in the victory Saturday on Blanshard.
Victoria goals came from Danish U-20 international Phillip Schultz, shorthanded, and Kaid Oliver with his team-leading 12th goal of the season.
Both teams were absent key players. Two of Victoria’s 20-year-old over-agers, forward Dante Hannoun and defenceman Ralph Jarratt, were out. Hannoun, through whom much of the Royals offence flows, missed his fourth game of the last five and Victoria clearly missed his set-up abilities. Jarratt, who anchors the Royals defence with Montreal Canadiens third-round draft pick Scott Walford, is in a foot cast and out four-to-six weeks. Price said it is “possible” Hannoun could be back for Saturday’s game at the Memorial Centre against the Regina Pats.
“There is no option but to take a next-man-up approach,” Price said.
The Royals, whom Price describes as a “pack-mentality team,” are the sort of group built for that approach. Indeed, overall, few pundits expected this rebuilding squad to be 10-6 at this point of the season.
Spokane was without Los Angeles Kings’ second-round draft pick Jaret Anderson-Dolan, who began the season with five games in the NHL with the Kings and five games in the AHL with the Ontario Reign. Anderson-Dolan will be out six-to-eight weeks with a wrist injury after scoring two goals in two games back with Spokane. That is a huge blow, not only for the Chiefs, but also, potentially, for the Canadian junior team if Anderson-Dolan can’t make it back in time for the Canadian team selection camp next month at Naden and the Q Centre ahead of the 2019 IIHF world junior championship tournament at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre and Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
It’s a given, however, that Chiefs captain Smith will be invited to the Canadian team selection camp in Greater Victoria.
ICE CHIPS: The Royals have a week off before meeting the Pats on Saturday on Blanshard . . . Spokane assistant coach Scott Burt knows the Memorial Centre well. Burt was a highly effective former pro forward for the Idaho Steelheads and Alaska Aces and was always a burr in the side of the Victoria Salmon Kings during ECHL days.
. . . The dry spell is over for Matthew Phillips as last season’s Royals captain has scored his first goal as a professional. The undersized, but shifty and quick Phillips, had a goal and assist in Friday’s 5-1 AHL victory by Stockton over Ontario. Phillips, who is eligible to return to Victoria as an over-age 20-year-old, has just those two points and is minus-five in 10 games with the Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliate team in Stockton, California.
