PREVIEW: Vancouver Giants vs. Victoria Royals (Game #52)
Tonight at the LEC the Vancouver Giants (26-20-3-2) take to the ice for their most important regular season game to this point in the 2019-20 season. Michael Dyck’s crew are gunning for their eighth straight victory and in order to get it, they’ll need to take down the Victoria Royals (28-19-4-1) who bring their own four-game winning streak into battle this evening.
VICTORIA ROYALS
OVERVIEW:
Head Coach: Dan Price
Record: 29-14-4-1
Road Record: 12-10-3-1
Last Game: A 3-1 victory over Red Deer on Tuesday at home.
Last 10: 4-4-1-1
Record vs. VAN: 3-3-0-0
Goals For/Goals Against: 143 GF/143 GA (0)
Power Play: 21.6% (10th)
Penalty Kill: 81.6% (6th)
Leading Scorers: Brayden Tracey (18-34-52), Tarun Fizer (16-31-47), Gary Haden (21-24-45)
OLIVER AND COMPANY:
2000-born forward Kaid Oliver (White Rock, B.C.) returns to the Lower Mainland tonight looking to extend his point streak to five games. Oliver comes into tonight’s game with five points in his last four games (3G, 2A). In Victoria’s most recent victory over Red Deer, Oliver supplied the Royals with the insurance goal late in the third in what ended as a 3-1 victory. So far this season, in three meetings with the Giants, Oliver has recorded one goal and one assist. Now in his fourth season with the Royals, Oliver has recorded 38 points in 41 games (17G, 21A) and has registered 119 points through 224 games (52G, 67A) over the span of four seasons.
THE SEASON SERIES:
Through six meetings so far this season the Royals have snagged three wins from the Giants. Two of their three wins have come on the road. The Royals have been outscored 14-11 over the course of the six games. The list of results can be found below:
Vancouver 6 @ Victoria 2 (Jan 18 2020)
Victoria 1 @ Vancouver 4 (Jan 17 2020)
Victoria 1 @ Vancouver 0 (Jan 1 2020)
Vancouver 2 @ Victoria 1 (Dec 27 2019)
Vancouver 1 @ Victoria 3 (Dec 4 2019)
Victoria 3 @ Vancouver 1 (Oct 20 2019)
Tarun Fizer leads all Royals with a goal and three assists against Vancouver.
VICTORIA NOTES:
- The Royals are 2/21 on the power play against Vancouver this season.
- Keanu Derungs and Phillip Schultz are the only two Royals with multiple goals against the Giants.
- Victoria is 15-4-4-1 in one-goal games.
- The Royals have won four straight and have earned nine of their past 10 available points.
VANCOUVER GIANTS
OVERVIEW:
Head Coach: Michael Dyck
Record: 26-20-3-2
Home Record: 14-10-2-0
Last Game: A 4-1 victory over Red Deer on Wednesday at home.
Last 10: 7-2-1-0
Record vs VIC: 3-3
Goals For/Goals Against: 149 GF/134 GA (+15)
Leading Scorers: Tristen Nielsen (25-27-52), Eric Florchuk (18-27-45), Justin Sourdif (19-23-42)
BYRAM HEATING UP:
As the Giants look to wrap up their home stand on a winning note, the 2019 fourth overall pick of the Colorado Avalanche Bowen Byram continues to deliver. Byram is on a six-game point streak (3G, 10A), and he is currently on a four-game multi-point streak. Byram is relied upon in all situations for the Giants and has been especially effective (as of late) on the power play. The 2001-born Cranbrook native has recorded eight powerplay points (1G, 7A) in his last six games. For the season, Byram now has six goals and 28 assists for 34 points to lead all Giants blueliners. Byram is in his third full season with the Giants and during his tenure he has recorded 132 points in 177 games (38G, 94A). Byram currently ranks third all-time in points for a Giants defenceman trailing only Jonathan Blum and Neil Manning.
STREAK UPDATES:
- Eric Florchuk has points in eight straight games. (3G, 11A)
- Bowen Byram has points in six straight games (3G, 10A)
- Justin Sourdif has points in seven straight games (5G, 6A)
- Holden Katzalay has points in four straight games. (3G, 3A)
- The Giants power play has scored in eight straight games.
VANCOUVER NOTES:
- Since the trade deadline the Vancouver Giants power play is 22/54.
- Eric Florchuk has four goals in two games against the Royals.
- Cole (2G, 3A) and Jackson Shepard (1G, 4A) are tied for the team lead in scoring against Victoria this season.
- David Tendeck is 2-3 against Victoria with a 1.63 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage.