The Victoria Royals welcome the Vancouver Giants for a pair of highly anticipated games this weekend. Both clubs are off to hot starts, Vancouver predictably so while Victoria has caught many by surprise. The Royals are the league’s last undefeated team at 6-0, while the Giants earned a lengthy shootout win Friday night over the Kamloops Blazers to improve to 7-1. What is set up for this weekend is a rematch from the first round of last years playoffs, a battle between a couple of current CHL top ranked teams.
Vancouver has the tougher lead up to this weekend, as their schedule has them playing three in a row. The Blazers took the Giants to 13 rounds of a shootout on Friday night, a lengthy game for a team who must travel and play the next day. The Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena has not been the most welcoming for the G-men, as they have a lowly 3-11-0-1 regular season record in Victoria over the last five years. However, this year’s team is not one to take lightly, as many people rightly picked them as favourite to win the division outright. Although pure snipers the like of Ty Ronning and Tyler Benson are gone, this Giants team boasts incredible depth at every position. James Malm leads the way offensively, with an impressive seven goals and ten points. On the back end, Dylan Plouffe and Bowen Byram are off the great starts. In net, the tandem of David Tendeck and Trent Miner is impressive, and both are likely to see action this weekend with three games in row.
(Photo:Christoper Kelsall, Victoria Sports News)
Victoria should be rested and ready to take on the Giants, motivated to continue showing the league that they should not be taken lightly. The Royals continue to find ways to get it done. Like the Giants, gone are their snipers of last year in Matthew Phillips and Tyler Soy. But in that void, players have stepped up and taken that opportunity. Igor Martynov, Dino Kambeitz and Kaid Oliver are off to fast starts and making the most of situations they are put in. Victoria’s 20-year-old players are also proving a force, as Dante Hannoun leads in points, Ralph Jarratt leads in defenceman points and Griffen Outhouse featuring prominently in every game so far.
“We know Vancouver. They are going to play real fast and play physical. They’re well structured and deep at every position, so I think it’s going to be two just outstanding games.” – Royals Head Coach Dan Price
These two clubs battled to a tight seven-game finish in the first round of last year’s playoffs. It was a series that easily could have gone either way, ending with Victoria advancing to the second round. The series had everything you would expect, from high-powered offense to borderline nastiness. Although each team has turned over some key pieces and the focus is always ahead, there are enough remaining players for the emotions to likely still run hot from the series. With that recent history, mixed with two of the hottest clubs in the CHL, the games this weekend are worth watching.
Players to Watch
- Bowen Byram (VAN)- put on your scouting hat and see for yourself what a top-rated NHL draft prospect looks like close up. Byram does it all and rarely makes a mistake.
- Kaid Oliver (VIC)- Oliver is having fun, perhaps surprised by his sudden offensive outburst. But his production is not a fluke, he hustles in every situation and is becoming a challenge for the opposition.
- Milos Roman (VAN)- Roman played exceptional against Victoria last year and was arguably one of the Giants best players in the playoff series
- Ralph Jarratt (VIC)- returns to the lineup after missing a couple of games. Jarratt will have his hands full with Owen Hardy, who likes to cause chaos in front of Outhouse.
