Preview | Jan. 26 | Royals @ Giants

Langley, BC – The Royals are on the road again, heading to Langley for a three game home-and-home series against the Vancouver Giants. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm at the Langley Events Centre.

EVENLY MATCHED

This game will be the fifth meeting of the season between the Royals and Giants, with both teams holding a pair of wins. This season at the Langley Events Centre, the Royals boast a 2-1 record, but if you look back over the last five years, both teams are deadlocked at 11-11-0 in Langley. With Friday’s contest being the last between the two this season at the Langley Events Centre, one way or another that deadlock will be broken until next season.

ROYALS LAST GAME

It was a Sunday matinee game at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria between the Royals and the visiting Kamloops Blazers. Jesse Sanche started in net for the Blazers, while the Royals rolled out Braden Holt. The game started with an eventful first period, seeing the Blazers take a 3-2 lead into the first intermission. The Blazers got goals from Nathan Behm, Blake Swetlikoff and Logan Bairos, while the Royals scorers were Tyson Laventure and Tanner Scott. The teams settled down in the second period with neither team getting a goal. In the third period, the Blazers would take over scoring three more goals (including an empty net goal) from Blake Swetlikoff and two from Emmitt Finnie to win the game 6-2.

THE LAST TIME THESE TEAMS MET

VANCOUVER

The Royals made the trip to Langley back on December 27th, 2023. The lone goal of the first period came just two minutes in, as a slick wrister from Cole Reschny gave the Royals a 1-0 lead. 32 seconds into the second period, Escalus Burlock would bury a Reschny rebound to give the Royals a 2-0 lead. The Giants would storm back with goals from Ty Halaburda and Tyler Thorpe to tie the game 2-2. Just past the midway point of the second, Nate Misskey would wire a point shot off the faceoff to put the Royals up 3-2. In the third period, Tanner Scott would slam a rebound home to give the Royals a 4-2 win. That would be the game’s last goal, as the Royals held on to the win thanks to some phenomenal saves from starting goalie Braden Holt.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

GIANTS

• Defenseman Mazden Leslie is currently red hot for the Giants. He comes into Friday’s game riding a six game point streak on which he has produced seven points. Leslie leads all Vancouver defensemen with 10 goals and 32 points.
• While Leslie is riding a point streak, winger Ty Thorpe just saw his six game point streak end. Thorpe has been red hot producing seven goals and 16 points in his last 12 games.

VICTORIA

• Newcomer Tyson Laventure has been an instant fit on the Royals following his trade deadline move from the Swift Current Broncos. Laventure has points in six consecutive games, including all four as a member of the Royals. Laventure has five points in those four games, including a pair of goals.
• Winger Tanner Scott has been continually productive for the Royals this season. Scott has set career highs in goals (17), assists (27) and points (44) and comes into Friday’s game on a four game point streak.

SEASON RECORDS

vs GIANTS

• Sept. 22 @ VAN • 4-1 Loss
• Oct. 27 @ VAN • 3-2 Win
• Oct. 27 v. VAN • 3-2 Loss
• Dec. 27@ VAN • 4-2 Win
• Jan. 26 @ VAN • 7:00 pm
• Jan. 27 v. VAN • 6:05 pm
• Jan. 28 v. VAN • 3:05 pm
• Feb. 14 v. VAN • 7:05 pm

LAST 5 GAMES

ROYALS

• 6-2 L v. Kamloops (01-21-2024)
• 7-2 W v. Kamloops (01-20-2024)
• 5-4 L @ Saskatoon (01-13-2024)
• 4-3 L @ Prince Albert (01-12-2024)
• 5-0 L @ Moose Jaw (01-10-2024)

GIANTS

• 4-2 W v. Kelowna (01-21-2024)
• 5-2 L @ Kelowna (01-19-2024)
• 7-2 L @ Moose Jaw (01-13-2024)
• 4-2 W @ Regina (01-12-2024)
• 7-2 L @ Saskatoon (01-10-2024)

ROYALS UPCOMING SCHEDULE

• Jan. 27 v. VAN • 6:05 pm
• Jan. 28 v. VAN • 3:05 pm
• Feb. 02 v. SEA • 7:05 pm
• Feb. 04 @ SEA • 5:05 pm
• Feb. 07 @ KEL • 7:05 pm

WATCH AND LISTEN

Radio broadcast

Royals games will be broadcast on 91.3 FM the Zone this season with Marlon Martens calling all of the action.

Online video stream

All Royals games will be available on WHL Live.  WHL Live is available to fans anywhere in the world, providing high-quality streaming of WHL games on Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV platforms, via mobile with iOS and Android, and on web using Safari or Google Chrome web browsers. Visit watch.chl.cafor complete details and subscription options.

Written by Graham Morrison