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While the Victoria Grizzlies enjoy a comfortable 19-day break from sa国际传媒 Hockey League play this holiday season, the Victoria Royals have barely had enough time to squeeze in turkey dinner.
The Royals will get back to Western Hockey League work tonight in the first of a two-game set against the Prince George Cougars at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. They will welcome the Cougars at 7 p.m. and on Monday at the same time.
Team members returned to Victoria on Saturday to begin preparation for the Cougars, having had just six days off. They took to the ice for practice on Saturday evening.
鈥淩ight back into the fire,鈥� said assistant coach Enio Sacilotto, who is running the bench while head man Dave Lowry is at the world junior championship, along with defenceman Joe Hicketts and equipment manager Matt Auerbach.
But the Royals shouldn鈥檛 have trouble refocusing.
鈥淚 like to think not,鈥� Sacilotto said. 鈥淣ot after that last display. I鈥檓 sure they鈥檒l be excited to get back at it, especially after that last episode.鈥�
The Royals are coming off a two-game series split with a 2-0 win and 8-2 drubbing in Prince George. The two teams are tied with 44 points, good for second in the Western Conference behind the Kelowna Rockets.
Victoria is 21-12-1-1, while the Cougars have played one less game at 21-11-1-1.
In the first meeting last weekend, Royals goalie Griffen Outhouse recorded his second shutout of the season in the 2-0 win, but then allowed four goals on 23 shots before being replaced by Coleman Vollrath 26:27 into the second game. Vollrath also allowed four goals, but on 21 shots as the Royals played a much looser game defensively, allowing the 44 shots in total.
鈥淯ps and downs, right,鈥� said Sacilotto. 鈥淚t was a big up on Friday and then a huge low on Saturday. The funny part was I thought we were in it until the third period. We scored first, gave up those three quick goals [in four minutes] in the second.鈥�
The Royals made it 4-2 and had a chance to cut it even further, but failed to cash in. It all went south in the third period.
鈥淲e weren鈥檛 very good in the third,鈥� added Sacilotto, who knows the thought of entering the break might have entered some minds. 鈥淵ou like to think not.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 like the way it ended and they didn鈥檛 either,鈥� Sacilotto said, referring to his coaching staff and the players.
But the Royals need to look ahead now.
鈥淲e sent them home to see their families, to rest and rejuvenate. It does become a grind,鈥� Sacilotto said of the season.
Tonight, the Royals begin a stretch of five games in seven days, which quickly turns into seven outings in 11 days and nine in 14, which means little time to practise.
鈥淶ero time. We have enough time to find our legs and then we鈥檙e back at it,鈥� Sacilotto said. 鈥淲ith the travel this week, there鈥檚 really little time in between games.鈥�
He will certainly make time to watch his boss Lowry and Team sa国际传媒 play their world junior games on television in Finland.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always a big event come Christmas time in sa国际传媒,鈥� said Sacilotto, who will remain in touch with Lowry in between games, as they did last year when Lowry was an assistant with the gold-medal Canadian team. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not quite as easy this time with the time difference, though.鈥�
LOOSE PUCKS: Victoria native Dyson Mayo, a defenceman with the Edmonton Oil Kings, signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. The Coyotes drafted the 19-year-old Mayo in the fifth round (133rd overall) of the 2014 NHL entry draft. Mayo has one goal and 21 assists for the Oil Kings this season.
