Thin Lizzy鈥檚 The Boys Are Back In Town played on the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre PA in the pre-game Friday, which was appropriate.
The Victoria Royals returned to the Memorial Centre for the first time since Jan. 18 and a six-game, 5,500-kilometre East Division road trip. It was a happy homecoming in a taut 3-2 Western Hockey League win by the Royals over the Kamloops Blazers before a near-capacity crowd of 6,799 fans.
It was the WHL career 100th victory for third-year Victoria head coach Dan Price, all wins with the Royals, in a 100-77-16 tenure. He is the second coach in franchise history to reach the century-wins plateau. Dave Lowry did it in 177 games while it took Price 193.
Victoria forward Brandon Cutler, meanwhile, became the first player in franchise history to score twice in three consecutive games.
Max Martin opened scoring just three minutes into the game on the power play for Kamloops. Assisting was the always-dangerous Connor Zary, the No. 12-ranked North American skater for the 2020 NHL draft. Cutler levelled for Victoria at 13:56 of the first.
Gary Haden gave Victoria a 2-1 lead on the power play in the second period and has seven goals and nine points in his past eight games. Kamloops tied it 2-2 through Matthew Seminoff at 10:33 of the third. Cutler launched a power-play laser to the top corner at 13:00 for the winning goal.
Brayden Tracey, a 2019 first-round draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks, had two assists on the night.
The crease situation was a storyline with both regular starters 鈥� WHL January goaltender of the month Shane Farkas of the Royals and Juan de Fuca-product and 2020 NHL draft-ranked Dylan Garand of the Blazers 鈥� out due to injury.
Victoria鈥檚 Adam Evanoff, with 32 saves, and Kamloops鈥� Rayce Ramsay, with 34, both made big stops all night.
The Blazers (32-14-4) lead the sa国际传媒 Division, nine points ahead of the second-place Royals (27-18-5), who in turn lead the third-place Vancouver Giants by eight points.
With defenceman Will Warm still out of the lineup, Royals captain Phillip Schultz played on the blue line. The Danish international is a natural forward.
Also out for the Royals were forwards Sean Gulka and Graeme Bryks as injuries are again becoming a factor. Cutler went out late in Friday鈥檚 game after his scoring heroics when he was taken into the corner by Kamloops forward Zane Franklin.
The Royals and Blazers meet again tonight at the Memorial Centre.
