Royals look to build playoff momentum
GAME DAY: VICTORIA AT KELOWNA 7 p.m. at Prospera Place TV: None / Radio: The Zone 91.3 FM
This is the time of year in hockey when general managers stare out of their Harold Ballard-type boxes, with their hearts jumping to their throats, every time a player goes into the boards or takes a shot off an ankle.
Victoria Royals GM Cam Hope said he winced, and muttered “Oh, oh” when No. 1 defenceman Chaz Reddekopp took a shot off the foot Feb. 15 in Medicine Hat.
“I could tell right away, even watching online,” said Hope.
“But it’s part of the game, and you can’t change the way you play.”
Reddekopp, a Los Angeles Kings prospect, and forward Ryan Peckford, ranked for the latter rounds of the 2017 NHL draft, are listed still out for another two-tofour weeks.
The Royals, however, have more encouraging news for a third injured player. Forward Tyler Soy, a draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks, is now listed day-to-day and could soon return.
“There is a chance he could return this week but we will have to see how he comes along,” said Hope.
“Tyler has left a big hole, and we want him ready as possible for the playoffs, but it’s important not to take a chance by rushing him back too soon.”
Soy did not practice with the team Monday, so he is unlikely to be in action for the games tonight in Kelowna and Wednesday in Kamloops. Hope said Soy could be sent to the Interior for games Friday in Kamloops and Saturday in Kelowna if the doctors feel he is ready.
“I’m sure we will get him a couple of games under his belt before we start the playoffs,” said Royals coach Dave Lowry.
As for Reddekopp and Peckford, Hope said: “We are hoping they will be ready at some point during the first round.”
There are also the usual accumulated dings and bruises up and down the lineup that every hockey player feels this time of year.
“Nobody feels 100 per cent,” said Lowry. “If you do, you’ve probably not played hard enough.”
The Royals, currently holding down the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference with seven games remaining in the regular season, believe they are positioned to move up and take third place in the B.C. Division. This week’s pair of head-to-heads against the Blazers will prove crucial as the Royals (37-23-5) trail division third-place Kamloops (38-23-6) by three points with two games in hand.
“We are in control of our own fate [in relation to the Blazers],” added Lowry.
Victoria is six points in arrears of second-place Kelowna (40-21-5) with a game in hand. So those two games this week against the Rockets are also key as the Royals still have a mathematical shot at second in the division, which comes with the added bonus of home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
“What we can do is set ourselves up with as many points as possible and let the chips fall where they may,” said Hope.
“Every one of our final games, except [one against Vancouver], is a potential first-round matchup,” he added. Included in that assessment are the two season-capping games next week against the American Division-leading Everett Silvertips (39-14-11).
“So, at the very least, we want to establish playing the way we want to play in the playoffs,” said Hope.
Victoria could also meet the B.C. Division-leading Prince George Cougars (42-20-5) or American Division second-place Seattle Thunderbirds (41-19-6) in the first round.
“We could finish with 40 wins and still only end up with a wildcard berth. That shows how tough the Western Conference has been this season,” said Hope.
The dance card is pretty much filled for the Western Conference playoffs, save for the eighth seed, which the Portland Winterhawks will soon nail down. Only the pairings need to be determined, a process in which this week could prove decisive.
The only teams of the eight in the Western Conference headed to the post-season that Victoria can not meet in the first round are the Winterhawks and Tri-City Americans.
Victoria has won sixth consecutive games, but all against teams eliminated from the playoffs (Vancouver and Kootenay) or about to be (Spokane).
Kelowna has won four consecutive games and is 8-1-1 in its last 10 games. Kamloops has levelled off and is 5-5 in its last 10 games and has dropped its last two.