The Victoria Royals鈥� domination of Eastern Conference opponents in Western Hockey League play continued Friday night as the hosts edged the Lethbridge Hurricanes 3-2 in a wild 11-player shootout before an announced crowd of 4,494 at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Victoria is now 22-2-1 in the last 25 games against teams from the East as the Royals improved to 10-7-2-0 overall this season. The Hurricanes, who snapped Victoria鈥檚 17-game win streak against the East this season, slipped to 7-7-1-2.
This one took some doing as Kaid Oliver finally ended it, 11 shooters in, on a deft back-hand deke upstairs on Lethbridge goalie Stuart Skinner. It tied the Victoria franchise record for longest shootout.
鈥淓very fan left here getting their money鈥檚 worth. That was a fun game to be part of and we were fortunate to be on the right end of it,鈥� said Royals head coach Dave Lowry.
鈥淲e had a real good start, a good first period, but we stopped skating and spent too much time in our own end.鈥�
Each team had scored three times in the shootout prior to Oliver ending it.
The three-on-three was a thriller as Jack Walker, Tyler Soy and Dante Hannoun were all foiled on breakaways, as was Lethbridge鈥檚 Ryley Lindgren.
Skinner and Victoria鈥檚 Griffen Outhouse were both spectacular and Skinner was also fortunate as Matthew Phillips hit the post on a penalty shot in the extra frame.
The Royals wasted little time getting started as Matthew Phillips set up Jack Walker in tight. He buried his ninth goal of the season behind goaltender Stuart Skinner just 1:39 into the game on a Victoria power play.
Igor Merezhko was fingered for holding just 53 seconds into the game and the Royals made the visitors pay.
The two Royals forwards then combined to make it 2-0 on a four-on-four situation late in the opening period as Walker collected his second of the evening at 18:46.
Skinner denied Blake Bargar in tight midway through the second period and Outhouse had to be sharp on Giorgio Estephan鈥檚 quick release at 12:59, about a minute before Lethbridge finally broke through.
Jesse was left alone on Outhouse鈥檚 doorstep to redirect a pass in at 13:55 to make it 2-1 Victoria.
Outhouse came up big in a sequence in the final minute of the middle frame, stopping Tyler Wong鈥檚 original shot and Jordy Bellerive鈥檚 rebound.
The Royals netminder was even stronger in the third as he faced 19 shots in the third.
Zaharichuk tied with 3:33 to go in the third.
The Royals were one quarter of the way through their campaign to start the night and had recorded 62 goals, which was tied for fourth-highest in the WHL.
Victoria is now off until next weekend when the Royals entertain Tri-Cities for a pair of games Friday and Saturday. The Royals are currently on a eight-game homestand
ROYALS NOTES: Forward Eric Florchuk had an assist on Team sa国际传媒 Black鈥檚 opening goal as the squad eventually defeated Russia 3-2 in a shootout in the semi-finals at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge on Friday. sa国际传媒 Black will face Sweden in tonight鈥檚 final.
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