PRINCE GEORGE 2
VICTORIA 1 (OT)
The Victoria Royals got the most precious thing possible for a hockey team this time of season 鈥� the X beside their name in the standings to denote they are a team headed to the playoffs.
The Royals, needing only one point, qualified for the WHL post-season with a 2-1 overtime loss Friday night in Prince George against the Cougars.
The Royals have now made the playoffs in each of the seven seasons the team has played on the Island since 2011-12.
鈥淚 am proud of the players and happy with the effort, especially with all the penalties we killed off [holding Prince George to one power-play goal in nine opportunities]鈥� said Victoria coach Dan Price. 鈥淚 felt we deserved a better fate tonight, but we still earned a very important point.鈥�
Ryan Schoettler of the Cougars ended it at 4:04 of overtime by slamming home a rebound. Joel Lakusta of Prince George opened scoring at four minutes of the third period before Noah Gregor got Victoria on the board with a power play goal at 8:07. The fourth-round San Jose Sharks draft pick has four of Victoria鈥檚 five goals over the last four games as the Royals鈥� multi-faceted offence seems to have run dry in a 0-3-1 stretch.
Matthew Phillips drew an assist for his 101st point to tie the record for the most points in a season in the 12-season history of the Chilliwack Bruins/Victoria Royals franchise.
The result moved Victoria (35-24-6) three points ahead of the Vancouver Giants in the battle for home-ice advantage in their likely first-round playoff series in the two-versus-three sa国际传媒 Division bracket. The Giants, 5-1 losers Friday in Kamloops, retain two games in hand.
The Cougars (23-33-8) will not make the playoffs, but were coming off an upset sweep of sa国际传媒 Division-leading Kelowna with 4-1 and 7-6 home wins over the highly-regarded Rockets and are now on an unlikely three-game winning streak.
Royals goaltender Griffen Outhouse, returning to his home area where he grew up in northern sa国际传媒, made 36 saves.
