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They鈥檙e two teams at different ends of the junior hockey spectrum, but you wouldn鈥檛 have known it on Wednesday night at Rogers Place in Edmonton.听
The host Oil Kings, the youngest team in the WHL with 18 players aged 18 or younger, gave the veteran-loaded Royals everything the visitors could handle, leaving it to the league鈥檚 leading point-getter 鈥� Matthew Phillips 鈥� to score late in overtime to allow the Royals to come away with a 3-2 win.
Phillips, a Calgary product, scored with just five seconds left in the extra period, improving Victoria鈥檚 record to 9-1-1. It was the Calgary Flames draft pick鈥檚 10th goal of the season, and he added an assist to bring his point total to 26 on the season.
The Royals jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to a Kaid Oliver goal midway through the first period and a Jared Legien marker two minutes into the second, but then the home side turned it up a notch, much to the delight of the 5,411 in attendance at the home of the NHL鈥檚 Oilers. Colton Kehler scored on the power play two minutes after Legien鈥檚 goal to bring the crowd to life.
Just 1:27 into the third, the Oil Kings drew even when Ty Gerla beat Griffen Outhouse in the Royals鈥� net. Edmonton outshot Victoria 19-8 in the final period.
Outhouse finished with 44 saves, while Travis Child made 40 saves in the Oil Kings鈥� net.
The Royals now continue eastward, facing the Pats in Regina on Friday and the Wheat Kings in Brandon on Saturday.
LOOSE PUCKS: The Royals have been knocked out of top spot in the weekly Canadian Hockey League rankings. The surging Portland Winterhawks (8-1) assume the No. 1 position, with the Royals dropping to No. 5. The Swift Current Broncos (8-1), at No. 3, are the other WHL team in the top 10. The OHL鈥檚 Sarnia Sting hold down the No. 2 spot.
