With apologies to Thomas Hobbes, and what he said about life in general, playoffs in sport are nasty, brutish and short. You don’t have to tell Tyler Soy. The Victoria Royals star forward is likely out for the rest of the WHL Western Conference quarter-final series against the Vancouver Giants, according to Royals GM Cam Hope, with another injury.
The Anaheim Ducks’ prospect scored three goals Thursday in his first game of the series as Victoria won 7-3 to level the series 2-2. Soy now has 17 playoff goals in his Royals career to surpass the former franchise record of 15 held by Jack Walker. Soy also tied Walker, now an ECHL/AHL pro, for the most career post-season points by a Royals player with 31. But will Soy, 21 and in his final season of junior, have the opportunity to break that record this spring if the Royals advance? Or has he played his final game in Royal blue if his teammates can’t make it past the Giants without him? What a bitter ending that would be — watching from the press box — to his outstanding five-season Royals career.
Soy, also the all-time Royals franchise leader in regular-season goals, assists and points, missed the first three games of the series after being taken into the boards in the meaningless last game of the regular season against Everett. Soy was hurt again in the third period Thursday when the greatest true sniper in franchise history was wrestled to the ice by Giants forward Tyler Benson in a scuffle that followed a whistle. Soy left the game with 12 minutes remaining, favouring his upper body, and did not return, not even to skate out for his first-star accolade.
Victoria’s first line and power play, which also includes Thursday’s five-point and four-point producers Dante Hannoun and Matthew Phillips, came alive with Soy back in the lineup. But that will be short-lived and fleeting, at least for the rest of this series.
“We have lots of guys able to step in and carry the load,” said Royals head coach Dan Price.
There is no option but to, especially with the Royals also missing St. Louis Blues-signed centre Tanner Kaspick, forward Dino Kambeitz and blue-liner and Montreal Canadiens third-round draft pick Scott Walford.
“I’m going to have to get a bigger medical team,” said Hope, trying to find a sliver of humour in what is a dire injury load for the Royals.
It’s the opposite situation for the Giants, who will add key returnees tonight. Vancouver’s thinned blue line, ripped to shreds by Victoria’s speed in Game 4, will be bolstered with the return from suspensions of veterans Matt Barberis and Darian Skeoch.
“Our young guys did what they could,” Vancouver head coach Jason McKee told Steve Ewen of the Province.
“They hung in there. They gave us everything they could. I don’t question the effort level. When you add a Barberis and Skeoch — a 19- and a 20-year-old — there’s going to be a significant difference. It just slots everybody where they're supposed to be.”
Price said neither Soy’s absence, nor the returning two Giants defencemen, will alter Victoria’s approach at the Vancouver blue line tonight.
“There will be no change to the way we play our game,” said the Royals bench boss.
“We plan to again be the aggressors and play our game of speed combined with physicality.”
Thursday’s Soy-fuelled result recaptured home-ice advantage for the Royals in what is now effectively a best-of-three.
“Your focus narrows in the playoffs,” said Price.
“Even calling it now a [best-of-three] is too big a picture. In the playoffs, you’re only concerned about the next shift.”
Game 6 is Monday afternoon in Langley. Game 7, if required, will be Tuesday night back on Blanshard.
The Royals are the B.C. Division second seed and the Giants the third seed. The winner of this series will advance to play the Tri-City Americans, who swept the B.C. Division-champion Kelowna Rockets 4-0 in their Western Conference quarter-final series.
ICE CHIPS: Victoria’s 7-3 victory in Game 4 on Thursday set all sorts of team and individual records. The seven goals was the most the Royals franchise has scored in a playoff game in its history. Hannoun’s five points also set a franchise playoff record, breaking the old standard of four points held by Soy and the graduated Brandon Magee.
