Royals flush Cats in rematch
Matthew Phillips’ record-setting performance Saturday was anything but the Cats’ meow.
The 19-year-old Victoria Royals centre needed just one point to set the Royals’ record for most points in a season and ended up with three in a 7-3 win over the Prince George Cougars Saturday at CN Centre.
The loss officially eliminated the Cougars (23-34-4-4) from contention in the WHL playoffs.
After beating the Royals 2-1 in overtime Friday night, the Cougars came out flat in the first period of the rematch and Phillips was ready for them. He set up Tyler Soy to open the scoring on a power play 12 minutes in, the 102nd point for Phillips. He also assisted on Scott Walford’s goal late in the period, which put the Royals ahead 2-1, after Aaron Boyd had tied it.
The Cougars were at their best in the second period. Brogan O’Brien scored 28 seconds into the period and Jackson Leppard also scored to make it a 3-3 game, after Jared Freadrich had restored the Victoria lead, taking advantage of an undisciplined elbowing penalty handed to Cougars left winger Josh Maser.
Leppard’s goal, the third on 15 Cougar shots, prompted a goaltending change and rookie Dean McNabb was replaced by Griffen Outhouse, who made 37 saves the previous night. Outhouse slammed the door the rest of the game, stopping all nine shots he faced.
The Royals scored four unanswered goals on Tavin Grant in the third period to put the game away. Noah Gregor and Kade Jensen struck in the first 3:19 of the period, Chaz Reddekopp came out of the penalty box to score on a breakaway and Tarun Fizer capped it on another Royals power play late.
The win moved the Royals (3624-4-2) to within four points of the Kelowna Rockets for first place in the WHL’s B.C. Division. The Rockets (38-22-4-2) and Royals each have six games remaining in the season.
The Cougars return to CN Centre ice tonight and Wednesday to face former Cougar captain Dennis Cholowski and the Portland Winterhawks. The just-turned 20-yearold defenceman was traded to Portland Jan. 10 and has a goal and 21 assists in 24 games with the ’Hawks.
After the Portland series the Cougars are on the road for games in Victoria (two), Kelowna and Kamloops. They’ll wrap up the season at home against Kamloops on March 17.