KAMLOOPS 8 - VICTORIA 2
The number 13 proved truly unlucky Saturday night for the Victoria Royals, as in winless streak, following the 8-2 Western Hockey League loss to the Kamloops Blazers at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Dylan Garand of Langford, the two-time world junior championship tournament goalie for sa国际传媒 and signed to an NHL contract by the New York Rangers, was riding a clean sheet into the third period at 4-0. He was beaten in the final frame by Victoria forwards Brayden Schuurman, the 58th ranked North American skater for the 2022 NHL draft with his 23rd goal of the season, and two-time world junior Swiss player Keanu Derungs.
But not even the return of Royals captain Tarun Fizer was enough to blunt the Blazers’ (30-11-1) march to their eighth consecutive victory.
Fizer returned for the first time since Dec. 15 after missing 17 games to injury. The Royals were still without goaltender Tyler Palmer and 20-year-old forward Evan Patrician.
The only saving grace for the Royals is that the Tri-City Americans and Spokane Chiefs keep losing as well. The Americans were beaten 6-1 by the Kelowna Rockets and Chiefs 7-3 by the Portland Winterhawks. That kept Victoria in the eighth and final playoff slot in the Western Conference by one point, although Tri-City and Spokane each retain a game in hand on the Royals (12-25-5) in the Turtle Derby.
The Blazers, No. 8 in the Canadian Hockey League top-10 poll, are in another stratosphere. Kamloops got two goals each from Daylan Kuefler and Matthew Seminoff. The WHL player of the month Logan Stankoven, the sa国际传媒 world junior and NHL-signed Dallas Stars prospect, was held to one assist but the Blazers hardly needed him on the night.
“The score was not reflective of the game,” said Royals GM and head coach Dan Price. “But you have to give credit to Kamloops. When they get Grade A chances, they don’t miss.”
Garand made 26 saves to be named game first star. Starter Campbell Arnold made 29 saves for Victoria and call-up Jayden Kraus four saves in less than three minutes of work.
The Royals and Blazers meet again today at 4 p.m. at the Memorial Centre.
ICE CHIPS: Price has disputed the 62 shots attributed to the Western Conference-leading Silvertips in Friday’s night’s 4-2 Royals loss in Everett, Washington. “We audited the tape and counted 40 shots on video,” said Price.
