Special effort sees Royals speed ahead
The Victoria Royals’ special teams were all that Saturday night at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
The Royals scored three powerplay and two shorthanded goals to lead the Prince George Cougars 5-1 in a bid to sweep their opening weekend series in the Western Hockey League.
The game was in progress in the third period at press time.
The Royals defeated Prince George 2-1 on a fifth-round shootout goal by Dino Kambeitz on Friday night in their 2018-19 season debut.
Two short-handed goals in a period gave Victoria a 2-1 lead Saturday after the opening frame. The first was scored unassisted by Kaid Oliver in what could be the goal of the young WHL season, and the second by Tyler Lees. Fans might think it’s a rarity. Yet it was the fifth time two shorthanded goals have been scored in a game in the eight seasons of Royals team history and the third time two have been recorded in one period.
Special teams were again conspicuous in the second period as D-Jay Jerome and Kambeitz scored Victoria’s first two oddman goals of the season. The latter was on an assist from a darting Dante Hannoun, the 20year-old fourth-year forward, who will be crucial this season if the Royals’ attack is to be effective.
Then Royals defenceman Ralph Jarratt, another 20-year-old veteran, decided he was not about to be outdone by Oliver’s theatrical shorthanded goal earlier in the game. It’s perhaps fitting Jarratt wears No. 4 because he seemed inspired by Bobby Orr as he broke breathlessly down the right side and put the puck high to the top corner for a spectacular powerplay goal to make it 5-1 in the third period.
Veteran goaltender Griffen Outhouse, the third of Victoria’s triumvirate of allowable 20-yearolds, was solid for a second consecutive night.
At the other end, the Royals finally got to Taylor Gauthier. The gold-medal-winning Canada U-18 goaltender was outstanding on Friday night in keeping Prince George in the game.
The Royals were missing blueliner and third-round Canadiens draft selection Scott Walford, who is in Montreal camp. Cougars forward Jackson Leppard has been returned from the Tampa Bay Lightning camp and was in the Prince George lineup for the weekend double dip.
The Royals host the Kamloops Blazers next Friday and Saturday nights in another of the B.C. matchups that will prove pivotal in deciding the outcome of what is expected to be a tight divisional race.
ICE CHIPS: Hometown Victoria-product Tanner Sidaway, along with Jarratt and Hannoun, again assumed the assistant captain roles Saturday for the Royals, who have yet to name a captain … Victoria is keeping three goaltenders for now. Returnee Dean McNabb was dressed behind Outhouse in the two weekend games with Colorado product Brock Gould watching from the press box … It was an Island homecoming for Prince George rookie general-manager and former NHLer Mark Lamb, who had 14 goals and 51 points in 30 games for the Nanaimo Islanders in their lone season in the WHL in 1982-83 … The Cougars are celebrating their 25th season in Prince George. The franchise was established in Victoria in 1971-72 before being moved north in 1994-95, taking with it the historic B.C. capital Cougars hockey nickname and all. Prince George will understand if Victoria fans don’t join in the silver-anniversary celebrations.