The Victoria Royals are at Angel of the Winds Arena Sunday in Everett, Washington, in need of some angelic intervention on defence against the Silvertips.
Victoria has allowed 16 goals in three winless games to start the Western Hockey League season, the latest being a 4-1 loss late Friday night against the Vancouver Giants at the Langley Events Centre. Failure to clear the front of their goal and boxing out opposing forwards remains a major flaw on a veteran blueline that features only returning players and touted to be the team’s strength.
“Vancouver did a very good job getting to our net. That is the third time in a row that has happened, so I believe our players will take that very personally and rectify that on Sunday [in Everett],” Royals head coach Dan Price said in a statement.
This was after a week of practice that Price described as “process oriented, especially on the defensive side of the puck,” following 7-5 and 5-4 home losses against the Spokane Chiefs to open the season.
The Royals offence, meanwhile, was OK against Spokane, but could only muster 16 shots Friday on Giants goaltender Jesper Vikman, who was re-assigned to junior before the game from the NHL training camp of the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Anthony Wilson scored the Royals’ lone goal against Vikman. Nanaimo-product and Royals veteran goaltender Campbell Arnold, also in his first start of the season, faced 29 Giants shots. Victoria-raised forward Ty Halaburda scored twice for Vancouver (1-1-1 heading into Saturday night).
The Royals are missing their two best players. Forward Brayden Schuurman was hurt in the NHL rookie camp of the Boston Bruins and Victoria captain Gannon Laroque, signed to an NHL entry-level contract by the San Jose Sharks, is also out with injury. Schuurman is back skating but unlikely to play this weekend. Price said there is no clear timeline on Laroque.
Everett (2-0) was also without a key player with Olen Zellweger, named last season’s WHL top defenceman, in NHL training camp with Anaheim. But the Ducks have sent Zellweger, a member of sa国际传媒’s 2022 world junior championship gold-medallist team, back to junior hockey with the Silvertips. The Calgary native is expected to again be a mobile, puck-moving presence on the Everett blueline beginning Sunday against Victoria.
The Royals will conclude their five-game road swing Wednesday night in Kelowna against the Rockets and Friday and Saturday nights in Kamloops against the Canadian Hockey League top-10 Blazers. The next Royals home games at the Memorial Centre are Oct. 11-12 against the Rockets.
