ROYALS, BLAZERS: THE BREAKDOWN

• GOALTENDING: Outhouse versus Garand/Ferguson. It doesn’t get much better than that at the junior level. Call it a wash.

• DEFENCE: Montreal Canadiens thirdround draft pick Scott Walford of the Royals was named a WHL Western Conference second-team all-star. The reliable 20-year-old veteran Ralph Jarratt is the bookend of Victoria’s big-two duo with good top-five depth provided by Smith, Murray and Mitchell Prowse to give the Royals a definite blue-line edge. Six-foot-one Sean Strange of Saanich doesn’t get many points for the Blazers but is sound defensively in standing up to opposing forwards.

• FORWARDS: Six-foot-four, 216-pound Dallas Stars draft-pick Jermaine Loewen, who has turned 21, is a load for Kamloops up front and has bedevilled the Royals in front of their net, not only this season, but his entire career. “Our defencemen and I are going to have to battle through Loewen’s screens,” warned Outhouse. Everybody knows to beware of hot players in the playoffs. Case-in-point is Connor Zary of the Blazers, who has proven dangerous of late, and comes into the series having been named WHL player of the week for his five goals and nine points in the final four regular-season games. Brodi Stuart and Zane Franklin can come through at times for Kamloops. The Blazers seem to have the edge, especially with Oliver out, but the key to the series could be the return of McDonald to the Victoria lineup. He is 20, hungry and with a physical style that is made for the playoffs. D-Jay Jerome, Brandon Cutler, Phillip Schultz and Igor Martyov of Victoria haven’t had sustained scoring success but each had spurts during the season that showcased their abilities to break open particular games. Playoff series aren’t long hauls, so watch for someone from that mercurial foursome, or perhaps sometimes-promising sophomore Tarun Fizer, to really step up offensively. But the heart of this Royals group are unsung, two-way players such as Dino Kambeitz and Tanner Sidaway.

• SPECIAL TEAMS: Victoria’s league second-worst power play was disjointed and seemed confused all season and scored on just 15.9 per cent of its opportunities. The edge goes to 14th-ranked Kamloops, which converted 20.5 per cent of its chances. The advantage swings to the Royals in penalty killing with Victoria ranking 11th in the WHL with a 78.7 per cent kill rate and Kamloops ranked 18th at 76.5 per cent. • COACHING: Sophomore Price and Kamloops’ rookie bench-boss Serge Lajoie have both been excellent in squeezing the most out of their respective charges — Price all season and Lajoie especially of late. Slight edge to Price.