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Dach helps lead Rockets past Royals in WHL action

KELOWNA 6 VICTORIA 4 Second-round NHL draft pick Colton Dach, acquired by the Kelowna Rockets last month in a trade with the Saskatoon Blades, has been sent to the Rockets from the Chicago Blackhawks and drew into the line-up for the first time and m

KELOWNA 6 VICTORIA 4

Second-round NHL draft pick Colton Dach, acquired by the Kelowna Rockets last month in a trade with the Saskatoon Blades, has been sent to the Rockets from the Chicago Blackhawks and drew into the line-up for the first time and made an immediate impact in a 6-4 Western Hockey League victory over the Victoria Royals before 2,143 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

Dach had a goal, seven shots and a 75 percent face-off win percentage in being named the game first star. Victoria defenceman Gannon Laroque, a fourth-round selection of the San Jose Sharks in the 2022 NHL draft, had a goal and two assists in being named second star. Rockets captain Tyson Feist was third star but it could have easily been Royals threat Brayden Schuurman. The Victoria forward just missed his second-consecutive hat-trick with Royals, trailing 5-4 in the last minute on a two-man advantage provided by a Kelowna penalty and extra attacker, when Schuurman was denied on a close-in attempt that would have sent the game to overtime. Instead, Kelowna fired the puck down ice for an empty-net goal.

The Rockets (1-1) and Royals (1-2) traded goals through a 3-3 tie with every Kelowna lead answered by a tying Victoria counter, capped by Swiss 2021 world junior championship tournament international Keanu Derungs’ penalty-shot goal at 8:40 of the second period. But it was the Rockets who went into the second break leading 5-3 on goals by Jake Poole and Caden Price.

The emerging 17-year-old Schuurman scored his fourth and fifth goals of the season for Victoria, all in the last two games, as he continues to defy his mid-level fourth-round status from the 2019 WHL bantam draft. The physical five-foot-nine, 190-pound Abbotsford product doesn’t hesitate sticking his nose in the sticky areas despite his size. He had five goals and 11 points in 22 games in the pandemic-abbreviated 2020-21 season and hasn’t missed a beat.

The Royals, however, will need to address their defensive coverage as they were noticeably outshot for a third successive game. Kelowna had a 31-12 shots advantage after two periods and 37-22 at the final whistle. Victoria can’t keep relying on the goaltending heroics of Tyler Palmer.

The Royals host the Kamloops Blazers, backstopped by New York Rangers prospect and Canada silver-medallist world junior championship goaltender Dylan Garand of Langford, on Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the Memorial Centre.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com