VICTORIA 7 - VANCOUVER 3
Keanu Derungs’ world junior hockey championship was cut short this week, and the Victoria Royals winger wasted little time taking out his frustration on the Vancouver Giants.
Derungs returned from the world juniors Thursday morning after his Team Switzerland got in just one game before the IIHF cancelled the tournament due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in Red Deer and Edmonton. He was promptly put into the Royals’ lineup Thursday night at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre and the decision paid off. Derungs scored his first of two goals on the night just 1:13 into the game and helped the Royals cruise to a 7-3 victory over the Giants, who were still missing their three world junior players — captain Justin Sourdif (sa国际传媒), Fabian Lysell (Sweden) and netminder Jesper Vikman (Sweden) — as well as head coach Michael Dyck, who was an assistant coach with Team sa国际传媒.
After Derungs’ goal, everything was just Peach-ey for the Royals and the 2,394 fans at the Memorial Centre. Bailey Peach continued his torrid pace over the past month, scoring three goals and adding four assists. The 20-year-old from Falmouth, N.S., leads the team in scoring with 42 points and has 29 points in his past 12 games.
Gannon Laroque had a goal and three assists and Brayden Schuurman two goals as the Royals beat the Giants for the third straight game. In those three games, Peach racked up 11 points.
Julian Cull, Cole Shepard and Jaden Lipinski had the goals for the Giants, who now have one win in their past nine games.
Campbell Arnold made 28 saves to pick up his sixth win of the season, while Will Gurski finished with 31 saves for the Giants.
The win allowed the Royals (12-13-4-0) to jump over the idle Prince George Cougars into seventh place in the Western Conference and move to within one point of the Giants (14-16-1-0), who have now lost four straight games.
The Royals now head out on the road for three games beginning Saturday afternoon in Kelowna against the Rockets.
LOOSE PUCKS: The Giants were also missing Ottawa Senators draft pick Zack Ostapchuk after he was assessed a one-game suspension for a check to the head of Royals blue-liner Laroque during Wednesday’s game.
