The Victoria Royals have officially crossed into the second half of the Western Hockey League season taking three of a possible four points over the visiting Prince George Cougars.
Jansen Harkins had the 3-2 shoot-out winner for Prince George on Monday night over the hosts, who were playing their 37th of 72 games this Western Hockey League season. It came after a convincing 6-2 Royals鈥� triumph the night previous at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
It was the fourth straight meeting between the two teams, who will meet again Jan. 8 and 9 in Prince George.
Victoria had a great chance to end it on a two-man advantage in the final 20.6 seconds of the third period that spilled into overtime, but the Cougars killed off both penalties.
鈥淭hree out of four [points] ... these back-to-back games are really tough,鈥� said Royals assistant coach Enio Sacilotto, who was pleased with both efforts.
鈥淲e had some great chances to close the game,鈥� he said of Monday鈥檚 affair. 鈥淎 lot of times it comes down to a bounce 鈥� sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't. The thing about sports is they even out during the year. It was a good effort on our guys鈥� part and a well-played game by both teams, I thought.鈥�
Like Sunday night, the Royals struck first as Tyler Soy showed tremendous patience on a 3-on-1 break and fed Vladimir Bobylev at 8:33 of the first period, using Jack Walker as a decoy. Cougars鈥� goaltender Nick McBride didn鈥檛 have a chance as his teammates got caught up ice.
It came after both teams failed to produce a goal on an early power-play chance each.
Victoria鈥檚 Matthew Phillips was also turned aside on a penalty shot just 3:55 into the game as McBride closed his pads on the puck. He appeared to carry it into the net with him, but the video review was inconclusive, with the puck nowhere to be seen on the overhead.
鈥淗e slid into the net with the puck, but we couldn鈥檛 see the puck,鈥� said Sacilotto.
Tate Olson tied it at 1-1 on a P.G. power play at 8:38 of the second as Brayden Pachal was called for tripping on what first appeared to be a good hip-check.
Alex Forsberg got it right back just over two minutes later on a Victoria power play as he banked it in off McBride from behind the net. But Chase Witala knotted it back up at 2-2 on a short-handed goal at 16:43 of the middle frame.
Victoria now travels to Kamloops for Wednesday and Friday night games and are then in Kelowna on Saturday.
On Sunday, Dante Hannoun and Bobylev each had three assists. Soy, Jared Dmytriw, Alex Forsberg, Ryan Gagnon, Walker and rookie Pachal, with his first WHL goal, all scored for Victoria, which opened up a 4-0 lead in the first period.
Chase Witala and Kody McDonald replied for the Cougars.
Coleman Vollrath played goal in both games for the home side.
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