The Victoria Royals defeated the Kamloops Blazers 2-1 in a shootout Friday night in a potential preview of a WHL Western Conference first-round playoff matchup.
Perhaps it was only fitting the tight game had a playoff-type vibe to it before 4,466 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Goals by Jack Walker and Tyler Soy won it for the Royals in the shootout. Walker鈥檚 counter was his franchise-record fourth career shootout winner.
Victoria (31-21-4) leads the eight-game season series 4-1. But it was the Blazers (33-18-6) who really took the game to the Royals in outshooting Victoria 41-21 in regulation time and overtime. Royals goaltender Griffen Outhouse was the hero of the piece for his 42 saves, including two in the shootout and at least four game-savers in overtime.
鈥淚f Griff isn鈥檛 making those saves, we're not winning that game,鈥� said Soy.
The game was scoreless until a clever give-and-go from Soy to Matthew Phillips at 7:21 of the second period. It was the first goal on Connor Ingram in four periods. The 2017 silver medallist for sa国际传媒 at the world junior championship had shutout Kelowna 6-0 in Kamloops鈥� previous game.
It was the present Soy wanted for his 20th birthday as the Anaheim Ducks prospect extended his points streak to 12 games, with eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points in that stretch. Add in his goal in the shootout and this was one memorable birthday party.
鈥淚t definitely felt good on my birthday,鈥� said Soy.
鈥淢y family was over [from Cloverdale] and it was special. Especially in a game that is a possible playoff matchup. The intensity level was high. It definitely felt like a game in the playoffs.鈥�
Phillips鈥� goal was his team-leading 39th of the season.
Kamloops鈥� Czech-import defenceman Ondrej Vala tied it 1-1 from the point on the power play at 11:09 of the second period.
鈥淭here wasn鈥檛 a lot of room out there . . . they are extremely well coached and [Kamloops bench boss] Don Hay always has his players prepared,鈥� said Victoria coach Dave Lowry.
鈥淭hese teams have a lot of similarities.鈥�
Lowry said he wasn鈥檛 concerned about the shots imbalance.
鈥淎 lot of the shots on Griff were from the outside,鈥� he said.
ICE CHIPS: The clubs meet again tonight in the Memorial Centre. . . . Vladimir Bobylev was back in the Victoria lineup but fellow-forward Ryan Peckford was still missing. . . . the Blazers feature sophomore defenceman Nolan Kneen from Duncan . . . Since relocating to the Island in 2011-12, the Royals are 26-17-2 against the Blazers, including 15-5-2 on Blanshard Street. . . . After tonight鈥檚 game, the Royals will hit the road for four games, starting Wednesday in Medicine Hat against the Tigers.
