The Rockets scored twice in the final eight minutes to defeat the Royals 4-3 in an eventful Western Hockey League game Wednesday night before 3,783 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
It brought back faint echoes of the, albeit far more dramatic, from-the-brink comeback Kelowna victory in Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs last spring.
鈥淚t鈥檚 tight in the sa国际传媒 Division and it鈥檚 a game of inches,鈥� said Royals captain Ryan Gagnon.
The Kelowna penalty kill was outstanding in holding Victoria to 1-for-8.
鈥淪ometimes that just happens on the power play . . . Kelowna is an elite team,鈥� said Royals forward Vladimir Bobylev.
The Russian import, who began the season in the pro KHL, had a goal and two assists. He swooped around the net to feed Matthew Phillips for the tap-in at 11:59 of the third period to make it 3-2 for Victoria
Six-foot-four defenceman Cal Foote tied it on the power play for Kelowna at 14:36 and Calvin Thurkouf scored the winner at 15:14.
鈥淎 couple of mistakes cost us the game,鈥� said Royals coach Dave Lowry. 鈥淭hese games are hard-fought and we鈥檙e learning how to play in this time of year.鈥�
The Royals (22-17-4) lost for the second consecutive game after opening the post-Christmas portion of the schedule with five consecutive wins.
The Rockets (25-15-3) lead the eight-game season series against Victoria 3-2.
Kelowna opened scoring with a controversial goal by Tomas Soustal at 12:43 of the first period. Victoria answered with a strange one of its own from behind the net when Bobylev glanced the puck in off the skate of Kelowna forward Jack Cowell at 2:28 of the second period. Defenceman Loch Morrison, acquired earlier in the week from the Prince Albert Raiders, picked up an assist on the play in his first game with the Royals.
鈥淸Morrison] was solid and physical and moves the puck well,鈥� said Gagnon.
Victoria took the 2-1 lead on the power play as Bobylev found Ryan Peckford, playing his 100th WHL game, on the short side at 15:33 of the second for Peckford鈥檚 13th goal of the season. Regan Nagy recorded the other assist in his 200th career WHL game.
Second-round Calgary Flames draft-pick Dillon Dube, who earned a silver medal with sa国际传媒 at the recent world junior championship, outdeked the Royals defence, and Victoria goaltender Griffen Outhouse, to tie matters 2-2 at 8:32 of the third period.
Outhouse was otherwise fine in making 32 saves. Kelowna鈥檚 heavy-duty starter Michael Herringer, from the Comox Valley, made 19 saves in his 32nd appearance of the season.
The Royals and Rockets meet again Friday night at the Memorial Centre.
