NEAL’S NOTES: BANNER NIGHT FOR ROYALS IN KELOWNA
It’s not easy admitting to being wrong. But this is so absurdly off the mark it’s worth sharing.
Prior to the start of the season I wondered and had conversations with colleagues about where defenceman Joe Hicketts would land prior to the January 10 trade deadline. I mean, really, 13 new faces in the line-up to start the year, gone were big offensive weapons from a year prior, and it seemed to make sense that with a talented group of prospects on the horizon and thoughts of being a potential MasterCard Memorial Cup host in three years, why not build around that by dealing the best available player.
Now, 70 regular season games later, the Victoria Royals have clinched the franchise’s first regular season division and league title. The Royals matched their season-high 11-game win streak with a 7-4 win over the team that had controlled the BC division the three previous seasons, the Kelowna Rockets in the Okanagan. Alex Forsberg lit up with four points with two goals and two assists to give him 19 points over an 11-game point streak. Tyler Soy was named first star of the game with a goal and three assists and Jack Walker added two goals and an assist. Walker now owns a seven-game goal streak with nine tallies over that span. Ethan Price and Vladmir Bobylev also found the back of the net as the Royals tied the franchise record with their 48th win of the season and will get a chance to break that Friday night in Everett.
Both the Royals and Rockets scored four power play goals in the game and Victoria out-shot Kelowna 36-30. The win gives the Royals five wins in the eight game season series with the Rockets, who now await the out-come of a weekend double-header upcoming between Kamloops and Prince George to see who they will face in the first round of the playoffs.
Listening to Regan Bartel and Kent Simpson on the Rockets radio broadcast, they both expressed how impressed they are of the Royals’ work ethic, which was then echoed by Head Coach Brad Ralph to them afterwards. The longer this unbelievable run has gone where Victoria has now won 24 of 27 games, the more I hear people asking this question; who in the west can beat Victoria? The tone of the question has become more emphasized on the “can” part of late, as if there really isn’t an answer for it. We know how strong they are defensively, but onlookers are really starting to see how explosive this group is. Six players have 25 goals or more and no one else can boast four 30-goal scorers.
This run in the second half of the season reminds me of the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2011-12 when they powered past everyone to claim the Scotty Munro Trophy winning their final 11 games to claim top spot. They weren’t supposed to be that good that year, but they were, and won the first of two league titles in three years. The scary part is Victoria has most of this group coming back next season, with high quality in prospects in the system to challenge for jobs.
One thing that stuck out to me in the post-game show from Kelowna is when Kent Simpson said the Royals work ethic shows how much the team has “bought in” to the system. Dave Lowry won Coach of the Year two years ago and he maybe deserves that honour more this season.
Congratulations to the Royals, what a year it has been.
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First round of the playoffs begin a week from Friday at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, but the opponent is still unknown. That’s pretty well the story for everyone in the playoff picture and race. There have been 13 of 16 playoff spots clinched and not one first round match-up is set. Only the Royals, Rockets, Seattle Thunderbirds, Everett Silvertips, Brandon Wheat Kings and Calgary Hitmen know where they will finish in the standings among playoff teams, at least within the division.
I’ll be in Kamloops Friday for the first game of a home-and-home between the Blazers and Prince George Cougars. Blazers have won seven straight and are four clear of the Cougars for third and a first round match-up with Kelowna. If the Cougars win both games, in regulation, they would take over third spot based on wins since both have 36 right now. The T-birds and Silvertips know they will finish 1-2 in the US division. As former Portland Winterhawks’ star Brendan Leipsic put it, it’s a candy scramble for the final two playoff spots. Leipsic’s former team is in the third spot with 73 points, but tied with Spokane and four up on Tri-City. The Americans can catch either team in points and when the final playoff spot is tied, it will be decided by a tie-breaking game. The Chiefs will finish the season against both teams, the Americans will face Seattle once and the Winterhawks face the Thunderbirds twice. There is potential the Royals’ will not know who they face when the weekend is done if a tie-breaker is necessary.
Meanwhile in the Eastern Conference, the Wheat Kings have claimed top spot but don’t know if they’ll face Edmonton or Medicine Hat. The Oil Kings have lost six of their last eight games and are just two points up on Medicine Hat. The Tigers have been hot of late going 8-2-0-1 in their last 11. Both teams do not have an easy weekend upcoming; the Oil Kings have a home-and-home with Red Deer, the Tigers square off with Lethbridge for a pair. Those two teams are battling for the Central division title, with the Hurricanes three points up on the Rebels. The second place team will face Calgary.
As for the Central winner, they have three potential first round match-ups. Prince Albert lost in Moose Jaw and Regina defeated Saskatoon Wednesday which means the Raiders lead is three on the Warriors for second spot. The Pats are one back of Moose Jaw. It seems there’s a chance all three teams could finish second or in a wild card spot. Both the Warriors and Pats will host Swift Current and be at Brandon this weekend. The Raiders have Saskatoon in a home-and-home.
Of the 10 games Friday night, only three have no meaning for the playoffs: Royals @ Everett, Calgary @ Kootenay & Kelowna @ Vancouver. The rest of them, well, game on!
