KELOWNA聽 5
VICTORIA聽 1
Like that little girl warning her family in the movie Poltergeist, the rest of the Western Hockey League should take notice the Kelowna Rockets 鈥渁re baaaaack.鈥�
The Rockets swept Victoria in their two-game set by defeating the Royals 5-1 on Saturday night before 4,557 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre to followup their聽8-2 blowout victory on Friday.
鈥淚t stings a bit, but it鈥檚 still October,鈥� said Royals defenceman Scott Walford.
鈥淲e are a young team and we are still coming together as a team,鈥� said the third-round draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens.
Outscoring the No. 4-ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League 13-3 over two games will certainly regain notice for Kelowna across the league.
鈥淸The Rockets] are much better than their record and showed that the last couple of games,鈥� said Victoria coach Dan Price.
Considered the model WHL franchise, the annual sa国际传媒 Division powerhouse Rockets are still off to an uncharacteristically slow 4-9 start. But they gave every indication they have found their footing. Or perhaps Foote-ing is more to the point.
Nolan Foote, who had two goals Friday, opened the scoring Saturday for Kelowna just four minutes in to continue showing why he is projected for the first round of the 2019 NHL draft.
Meanwhile, it was fun while it lasted for the Royals in the national spotlight, as Victoria is likely to freefall out of the CHL top-10 when the rankings come out again Wednesday.
It was a humbling weekend for the Royals, who fell to 8-3, and gave plenty of ammunition to those who believe the team has overachieved in the early season.
Victoria, however, pressured Kelowna enough to force Rockets goaltender Roman Basran to be named the game鈥檚 first star.
鈥淥ur guys didn't quit and worked to the end,鈥� said Price.
Kaid Oliver tied it 1-1 for Victoria at 15:04 of the first period, for his seventh goal, to already eclipse his total output of six goals last season.
But the Royals鈥� reverie was short lived as Conner Bruggen-Cate restored Kelowna鈥檚 lead 53聽seconds later with Ted Brennan鈥檚 first goal of the season extending it to a two-goal lead at 13:35 of the second period. Liam Kindree and Ethan Ernst, the latter into an empty net, put it away in the third period.
Griffen Outhouse was scratched for a second consecutive game. No player is more crucial to the Royals chances this season than the 20-year-old veteran goaltender. Joel Grzybowski was called up from North Battleford of the Saskatchewan Junior League to back up rookie Brock Gould, the native of Colorado Springs, who doesn鈥檛 turn 17 until December. Gould, who was pulled in the third period Friday after allowing his sixth goal, was much better Saturday and this loss couldn鈥檛 be hung on him.
鈥淚t was not him [Gould], that鈥檚 for sure,鈥� Price said.
With experience, Gould is going to be a good goalie in the league, Walford predicted.
Royals GM Cam Hope described Outhouse's injury as a 鈥渢weak鈥� and indicated it wasn鈥檛 serious or long term.
Outhouse will have a week to rest, with the Royals not playing again until next Saturday, when they close out their six-game homestand against the Brandon Wheat Kings.
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