The Victoria Royals keep finding ways to win. The Royals are off to a 4-0 start, winning games via shoot-outs, special teams, last minute heroics and third period comebacks. The team that many counted out of the race for this season is so far proving their skeptics wrong.
Out fast again
Head Coach Dan Price and his staff seem have their team primed and ready to go for the regular season. It’s a repeat for the Royals to come out of the gate hot and rack up some early wins. Last season they won their first seven games, while outscoring the opposition 43-13. This year’s club is also winning by a good margin, with a 16-7 goal difference over their first four games. The Royals are playing disciplined hockey, currently middle of the league in times short-handed with 19. What is setting them apart is their penalty-killing, which is second in the league at 89%. Victoria utilizes a high pressure, aggressive penalty-kill, the result of which has them tied with the Medicine Hat Tigers for a league best three short-handed goals.
Friday Night Nail-biter (Victoria defeats Kamloops 3-2)
Kaid Oliver opened the scoring with his second goal of the season, both of which have come short-handed. Oliver pounced on a misplayed puck in the Kamloops zone and went forehand to backhand to beat Dylan Ferguson. Igor Martynov made it 2-0 after burying a nice feed from Hannoun. Kamloops got one back late in the first, with just two seconds left Kobe Mohr took a nice stretch-pass and fought off the Victoria defender to muscle it past Griffen Outhouse. Kyrell Sopotyk tied the game at 2-2 after pouncing on a juicy rebound at 11:18 of the second period. The game looked destined for overtime until Victoria’s Phillip Schultz took matters into his own hands. Schultz had his first shot hit the post but rapidly potted the rebound to put the Royals up 3-2 with just over a minute left in regulation. The goal stood as the game-winner, a definitely memorable first WHL goal for Schultz.
Congrats to Schultzy on his first WHL goal #SwitchedSticks@victoriaroyals pic.twitter.com/IwX7Pbk8Uw
— matt auerbach (@m_auerbach) September 29, 2018
Second-half surge sinks Blazers (Victoria defeats Kamloops 6-3)
On Saturday Victoria reeled off five straight goals against the Blazers, including the game-winner and insurance goals coming in less than a minute apart. Dante Hannoun fired home what would be the game-winner at 1:08 of the third period, followed 50 seconds later by Schultz adding the insurance goal. Dino Kambeitz continued his hot start to the season, recording a goal and an assist while picking up the game’s first star. Tempers flared between these division rivals as late in the second period a couple of fights broke out, resulting in multiple penalties and misconducts.
AUDIO: Dino Kambietz, #1 Star post game interview by @LisaLynamCanada @victoriaroyalshttps://t.co/vKNfd18bAQ pic.twitter.com/eXjp7brRYN
— Marlon Martens (@VoiceVicRoyals) October 1, 2018
Hitting the road
Victoria leaves this week for their first road trip of the season, a couple of contests in the Interior. First up is a Friday matchup versus the always challenging Kelowna Rockets. The Rockets are coming off their first win of the season, a 5-2 win in Prince George. On Saturday, the Royals will face the Blazers again, as Kamloops will likely be looking for some redemption after going winless on the Island. Both games will prove a good test for the young Royals as they look to build on their hot start versus division rivals.
News and Notes
- Defenceman Scott Walford returned to action in Friday’s game after missing last year’s playoffs and the start of this season with an upper-body injury. Walford went to camp with the Montreal Canadiens, but skated in non-contact sessions, and will use this season to show that he has fully recovered while looking for his first pro contract.
- Victoria traded forward Lane Zablocki on Saturday to the Kelowna Rockets. In return, the Royals acquired a fourth round pick in 2021 and a seventh round pick in 2019. Zablocki attended the Detroit Red Wings camp this summer and looks to suit up for the Rockets in a couple weeks after tending to an injury.
- Former Royals captain Matthew Phillips was assigned to the Stockton Heat of the AHL by the Calgary Flames. After lacing up for a couple of preseason games, Phillips will see his first regular season action Friday as the Heat open up their season on the road versus the Bakersfield Condors.
- Tanner Kaspick was assigned to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL by the St. Louis Blues. Kaspick suffered a rib injury in camp, however is now fully healed. The former Brandon and Victoria forward is still slated to spend time in the pros this season.
