Royals play Giants in Battle of B.C.

The recharge suited the Victoria Royals well as the visitors pulled out a 4-3 overtime victory over the Vancouver Giants in an important Western Hockey League B.C. Division matchup on Friday night at the Langley Events Centre.

Tanner Kaspick scored his second goal of the game, at 2:28 of the extra session, not too long after Royals goaltender Griffen Outhouse robbed Matt Barberis to keep his club alive.

Second-period power-play goals by Kaspick and Mathew Phillips gave the Royals their first lead of the game, but they failed to hold on as Edmonton Oilers draft pick Tyler Benson scored his second of the game with 58 seconds remaining in the third period.

A well-rested Victoria club pulled out the critical two points, which give the Royals a two-point advantage in second place in the division over their provincial rivals.

Victoria returns home to face the Calgary Hitmen tonight at 7:05 and Sunday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre to cap a tiring, three-games-in-three-days scenario.

Andrei Grishakov and Matthew Smith also scored for the Royals, who are now 28-17-2-1 in the standings. Dawson Holt had staked the Giants to an early 1-0 advantage. Benson restored the one-goal advantage after Grishakov had tied the game in the opening frame.

Outhouse, making his 43rd appearance, stopped 22 of 25 shots he faced, while David Tendeck, the No. 8-rated North American goalie by NHL Central Scouting, faced 32 shots in the Giants’ goal.