It’s a game of Western Hockey League musical chairs, only substitute playoff spots for the chairs. The Victoria Royals, Spokane Chiefs, Vancouver Giants and Prince George Cougars are vying for the final three berths into the Western Conference post-season with just two points separating them all. But four into three won’t go, so one of those teams will be handed a ham sandwich and sent on its way home along with fellow also-ran and 10th-place Tri-City Americans.
With three of their four remaining games against teams they are contesting against for playoff slots, the Royals essentially control their own destiny when they meet the Cougars on Saturday in Prince George and close out at home with two games against the Chiefs next weekend at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. But that’s a double-edged equation because it means Prince George and Spokane also control their own fates in those crucial four-point swing games.
“It’s exciting. We have put ourselves in position to have a chance. Now we have to take advantage of it,” said Royals head coach Dan Price.
But first up for the Royals are the Blazers tonight in Kamloops. They are one of five Western Conference clubs to have clinched a playoff berth along with the Everett Silvertips, Portland Winterhawks, Seattle Thunderbirds and Kelowna Rockets.
“We want a good start in the Kamloops game to get traction into the next three games,” said Price.
It won’t be easy against a Blazers team (46-16-2) that is 44 points ahead of Victoria (22-36-6) and backstopped by Canadian world junior silver-medallist goaltender Dylan Garand of Langford, who is under NHL contract to the New York Rangers. This will be the final career regular-season game against his hometown club for Garand, who leads the WHL in wins with 32 and is second in goals-against average at 2.06 and second in save percentage at .928.
The Royals have not won this season against Kamloops in 12 attempts and are 0-11-1 in season series. The Blazers are 12-0 from their perspective.
“Our guys finally want to beat Kamloops. That would be a big step for us to get over that hurdle,” said Price.
Victoria’s quest this weekend isn’t helped by the loss of captain Tarun Fizer, sitting out the final two games of a three-game suspension for kneeing. Also out for the Royals are Swiss world junior player Keanu Derungs and fellow-forward Caleb Willms to injury.
“That’s half our top-six forwards. That means [Royals leading-scorer] Bailey Peach and the Evan Patrician line will get everyone’s attention in Kamloops and Prince George,” noted Price, about the Blazers and Cougars being able to narrow their focus defensively.
