Rockets explode to rout Royals
Kelowna lights up Victoria’s young goalies in 8-2 victory to open weekend doubleheader
Victoria Times Colonist
The Kelowna Rockets, with four powerplay goals, made the Victoria Royals pay for their lack of discipline with an 8-2 shellacking Friday night at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Two of the Rockets’ odd-man tallies came from Nolan Foote, who showed why he is projected for the first round of the 2019 NHL draft.
It was the kind of night in which veteran forward Dante Hannoun scored to put the Royals ahead 2-1, only to be assessed a rare post-goal goaltender interference penalty on the same play for running Roman Basran. It turned into a wash with Foote tying the game 2-2 on the ensuing power play.
The Rockets, who feature Kyle Topping of Salt Spring Island and had former Royals forward Lane Zablocki making his Kelowna debut, moved to 3-9 in an uncharacteristic slow start for the annual B.C. Division powerhouse program.
It was a humbling night for the Royals, ranked No. 4 in the CHL top-10 poll, who fell to 8-2 and gave plenty of ammunition to those who believe the team has overachieved in the first 10 games.
Griffen Outhouse was a sudden scratch Friday. No player is more important to the Royals’ chances this season than the 20year-old veteran goaltender. Outhouse was dressed but did not play, in a scheduled rest move in the 5-2 victory over lowly Swift Current on Wednesday, after starting the Royals’ first eight games. Friday’s situation was a surprise, with Outhouse not dressed, as Joel Grzybowski was called up the Saskatchewan Junior League to back-up rookie Brock Gould, who made his second consecutive start for Victoria.
Gould, who doesn’t turn 17 until December, was pulled in the third period after allowing his sixth goal.
“(Outhouse) has a little tweak, so we decided to give Griffen a break tonight,” said Royals GM Cameron Hope, adding the undisclosed ailment is not believed to be serious and that Outhouse would be reassessed before tonight’s rematch between Royals and Rockets at the Memorial Centre.
Lassi Thompson and Foote had two goals each for Kelowna, while Liam Kindree enjoyed a four-point night on a goal and three assists.
Erik Gardiner, with his first of the season just six seconds into the third period to make it 5-2, Kaedan Korczak, with his second, and Dallon Wilton, with his third in as many games and third of his WHL career, rounded out the scoring for Kelowna.
Basran, making his third straight start for the Rockets, stopped 18 of 20 shots.