DUBNetwork Game of the Night: Spokane Chiefs (18-10-3-1) @ Victoria Royals (17-10-2-0) 7:05 PST
The final night before the holiday break is upon us, with just three games on the schedule.
These two teams played last night. Victoria squeezed out a 5-4 win on home ice. Carson Miller had two goals and an assist for the winners, while Brandon Cutler had the game-winning goal. Adam Beckman scored twice for the Chiefs in a losing effort.
The Chiefs had won the previous two meetings between the two clubs. Tonight’s game will be their fourth and final matchup of the regular season.
The Chiefs are led by the number two point-getter in the WHL, Adam Beckman. The Minnesota Wild prospect has been on a tear of late with 13 points in his last five games. That run gives him 22 goals and 29 assists on the season. Eli Zummack is also a point-per-game player for the Chiefs.
Bear Hughes is among the leaders of the rookie contingent in the WHL. The 2001-born forward from Post Falls, Idaho, has 28 points in 29 games with the Chiefs this season.
With Lukas Parik at the Czech Republic training camp and the IIHF World Junior Championships, the Chiefs have leaned on 17-year-old Campbell Arnold. In December, he sports a 3-1-0-1 record. Overall, he is 9-8-1-1 on the season and backs that up with a 2.78 goals against average and .903 save percentage.
On the island, the Royals are quietly putting together a good season. The team has played just 29 games and has gotten themselves into third in the BC Division.
Shane Farkas has put together a better than expected season as an overage goaltender. He is 12-5-1-0 as a member of the Royals and adds a 2.53 goals against average and .919 save percentage. His save percentage is tied for fourth in the WHL.
Victoria boasts just one scorer in the top-60 in the WHL, Tarun Fizer. He has scored nine goals and added 16 assists for 25 points. Rookie import Keanu Derungs has produced for the Royals as well with eight goals and 11 assists. He’s collected seven points in his last 10 games.
19-year-old Mitch Prowse has quietly led the defense for the Royals. He has two goals and 11 assists from the blue line. Will Warm has six power-play points from the back end.
Not much separates these teams on the power play. Spokane is 10th at 21.0%; Victoria is 15th at 19.1%. It’s the penalty kill that sees a lot of separation between the two teams and has Victoria riding high this season. Fourth in the WHL, the Royals kill off 85.9% of their penalties. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are 14th at 78.1%.
In other WHL action
Tri-City Americans (12-14-3-1) @ Everett Silvertips (23-6-2-0)
The Americans have just one win in their last 12 games as the team has slid to the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. With two games in hand, the Americans’ lead for the second wild card spot has dropped to just one point. Everett has points in seven straight games and is atop the US Division.
Vancouver Giants (14-15-1-1) @ Kelowna Rockets (18-10-1-2)
The Giants are playing through their worst patch of hockey this season with just three wins in their last 10 games. The team has slipped to the first wild card position and is now six points back of the Royals for third in the BC Division. Kelowna has points in eight of its last 10 and are six points back of the division-leading Kamloops Blazers.
