VICTORIA 2
REGINA 1
How sweet was that for Tanner Sidaway?
You only dream about things like that.
Sidaway one-timed a backhanded pass from behind the net by Dino Kambeitz for the winning goal at 17:15 of the third period to give the Victoria Royals a 2-1 Western Hockey League victory over his former Regina Pats teammates before 5,526 fans Saturday night at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
It was only the second goal of the season for the Juan de Fuca minor hockey graduate, who is better known for his grit and tenacity, and was acquired by the Royals from the Pats over the summer. But it couldn't have come at a more uncannily opportune moment as the Royals moved to 11-6.
It often happens to Memorial Cup hosts that they find themselves hollowed out the following season.
The Pats are 7-15 after making the Memorial Cup championship game at home in Regina last spring against the winning Acadie-Bathurst Titan of Quebec. But they still had enough left over to give the Royals a run, which must not have been easy to do after the Pats were drubbed 10-4 the night before by the Vancouver Giants at the Langley Events Centre.
But the Pats still have a killer first line, led by NHL second-round Las Vegas Golden Knights draft-pick Jake Leschyshyn and fourth-round Colorado Avalanche selection Nick Henry, while goaltender Max Paddock was invited to the NHL training camp of the San Jose Sharks.
Third-star Paddock’s 26 saves kept Regina in the game Saturday on Blanshard.
The Royals outshot Regina 14-5 in a dominant first period, but it ended in a 1-1 saw-off. Kade Oliver’s power-play tally, for his team-leading 13th goal for Victoria, was preceded by Leschyshyn’s team-leading 15th for the Pats. The second period was scoreless.
Sidaway almost won it earlier in the third period, but Paddock was there with an outstanding save on a clever Victoria set play that was nearly executed to perfection.
Veteran Griffen Outhouse blocked 17 shots for the tight-checking Royals squad.
Victoria was without injured 20-year-olds Dante Hannoun and Ralph Jarratt and their veteran stability was missed, especially Hannoun’s offensive touch on a Royals power play that looked lost without him in going 1-7.
ICE CHIPS: It was an Island homecoming for Pats sophomore forward Logan Nijhoff of Comox . . . The Royals cross the strait today to take on the Vancouver Giants at the Langley Events Centre.
