They have built up quite a rivalry on the ice.
It continues tonight at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre when the Victoria Royals and Kelowna Rockets collide in the sixth of their eight Western Hockey League meetings.
The Rockets lead the season series 3-2.
鈥淲e definitely get up for this 鈥� emotions run high whenever we play Kelowna,鈥� said forward Ryan Peckford, whose 100th career WHL game for the Royals was marred Wednesday at the Memorial Centre by a 4-3 loss to the Rockets.
Winger Regan Nagy logged his 200th career WHL game Wednesday. Both his two previous seasons in Victoria ended with second-round playoff losses to the Rockets. That鈥檚 the sort of thing that sticks in the craw. And creates rivalries.
鈥淥ur last two seasons have been ended by Kelowna and we want to change that,鈥� said Nagy, the effective role forward and six-foot native of Ogema, Sask., who turns 20 in May.
鈥淲e always have good games and these teams battle very hard against each other.鈥�
It can get physical and testy.
鈥淲e have to lay on the body and wear down their top guys,鈥� said Nagy.
That鈥檚 easier said than done against a Rockets team (25-15-3) featuring a handful of potential future pros, such as Dillon Dube, the Calgary Flames draft pick who just returned from playing for sa国际传媒 at the world junior championship.
Whoever plays with the most discipline usually ends up winning in this rivalry. But that synopsis was thrown on its head Wednesday when Kelowna was on the back heel and short-handed for much of the night. Victoria, however, was unable to take advantage and scored only through Peckford in its eight power-play opportunities.
鈥淲e were getting good looks. We just have to bear down on our chances,鈥� said Peckford, who has 13 goals in his sophomore season.
The Royals (22-17-4) have lost two consecutive games after opening the post-Christmas portion of the schedule with five straight wins.
鈥淭here is parity in our division and conference and we have to close the gap again,鈥� said Royals coach Dave Lowry.
Victoria led 2-1 entering the third period Wednesday and 3-2 with eight minutes remaining.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a matter of defending and managing in [those situations],鈥� said Lowry.
A good sign for Victoria was the goal and three-point night turned in Wednesday by import forward Vladimir Bobylev, the Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick, who began the season with Moscow Spartak in the pro KHL before returning to junior with three goals and nine points in 10 games so far with the Royals.
鈥淰ladimir is a big body and he creates opportunities. But he also knows he needs to be skating if he wants to make it to the next level,鈥� said Lowry.
Toward that end, Lowry has put the six-foot-two Russian on a stylistically unusual line with the short but speedy Matthew Phillips and Dante Hannoun, and it seems to be working.
