Moral victories are worth zero points in the Western Hockey Hockey League or any other league.
But the Victoria Royals will take what they can out of Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Kamloops Blazers at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, despite that Victoria’s winless streak spiralled to 14 games. The scoreline, before an announced crowd of 3,249, was one of the closest for a club that has yet to win a game in 2022. Kamloops (31-11-1) is headed in the opposite direction and won its ninth consecutive game.
“This game was tight checking and the most that felt like Royals hockey all year,” said Victoria head coach and GM Dan Price.
“It was more like our speed and our personality and our usual sticks. We’re building back. The evidence was right there on the ice.”
Dylan Garand of Langford, the two-time world junior tournament goaltender for sa国际传媒 and signed to an NHL contract by the New York Rangers, was given the afternoon off by the Blazers. But Kamloops gave nothing away in the crease with back-up Dylan Ernst, who made 29 saves to be named the game’s first star.
“We had a number of chances but Ernst had a great game and made the saves,” said Price.
“I was disappointed for our guys not to get the tying goal.”
Not that Kamloops didn’t pressure, too, as Victoria goaltender Campbell Arnold was also kept busy in making 32 saves to be named second star in his third start in three days with tandem crease-partner Tyler Palmer out.
“Injuries have been a challenge,” acknowledged Price.
It didn’t help that recently-returned Royals captain Tarun Fizer left the game Sunday after re-aggravating the injury that had kept him out for 17 games since Dec. 15, prior to his return in Saturday night’s 8-2 loss to the Blazers. The Royals did not yet have a status report on Fizer.
“Hopefully, it is temporary,” said Price.
Goalie Palmer and defenceman Anson McMaster were out due to COVID protocols and forwards Evan Patrician and Caleb Willms to injuries. Palmer and McMaster are good to go and will return to practice this week.
What a tired and short-staffed team can’t do, however, is take seven penalties, as the Royals did Sunday. Although Kamloops was held to one power-play goal, defending that many odd-man opportunities drains a team.
“We need to be more disciplined,” said Price.
Keanu Derungs, two-time world junior tournament player for Switzerland, scored on one of Victoria’s three power plays. Defenceman Gannon Laroque, fourth-round NHL draft pick of the San Jose Sharks, scored Victoria’s other goal.
The Blazers, No. 8 in the Canadian Hockey League top-10 poll, got a goal from sa国际传媒 world junior team player Logan Stankoven, an NHL-signed Dallas Stars prospect. Connor Levis and Luke Toporowski scored the other Blazers goals.
The Royals tenuously remained in the eighth and final playoff slot in the Western Conference by one point over both Tri-City and Spokane, although the Americans and Chiefs each have two games in hand on Victoria (12-26-5).
The Royals prepare to meet the Seattle Thunderbirds (25-11-5) on Friday and Saturday nights at the Memorial Centre.
