VICTORIA 4
KELOWNA 3 (OT)
The Victoria Royals and Kelowna Rockets added Saturday to the succession of pulsating WHL games they have played against each other over seven seasons.
Tanner Kaspick ripped home the winner at 2:22 of overtime on the power play to give the Royals a 4-3 victory before 5,874 boisterous fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
鈥淎nytime you get a four-on-three in overtime, you want to take advantage,鈥� said Kaspick, who is signed to an NHL contract by the St. Louis Blues.
鈥淲e wanted to be patient and not force it,鈥� said Kaspick, who from the slot, one-timed a Dante Hannuon pass.
The win moved the Royals into first place by a point ahead of the Rockets atop the sa国际传媒 Division, although Kelowna retains two games in hand.
鈥淲e can compete with anybody in this league and are showing we are a team to be looked out for,鈥� said Kaspick, who had two goals on a three-point night.
Connor Bruggen-Cate gave Kelowna a 3-2 lead at 8:22 of the third period. Noah Gregor, on a deft assist from behind the net by Hannoun, tied it 3-3 on the power play at 10:19.
Gregor, a fourth-round draft pick of the San Jose Sharks, had two goals and an assist.
Victoria moved to 34-19-4 as it extended its home winning streak to nine games. Kelowna, beaten twice in two nights on Blanshard, are 33-17-5.
鈥淭hese are two competitive teams that bring out the best in each other,鈥� said Victoria coach Dan Price. 鈥淭onight was a competitive cauldron that was fast, physical and close.鈥�
Victoria captain Matthew Phillips had an assist to extend his points streak to 17 games. That matched the all-time franchise record, which Matthews set himself earlier this season. Phillips also tied the single-season record of 91 points, in the era the franchise has played in Victoria since 2011-12. Alex Forsberg reached that total in 71 games in 2015-16 while it has taken Phillips only 52 games this season.
The Big Three of the Rockets was heard from with blueliner and Tampa Bay Lightning first-round draft pick Cal Foote recording a goal and assist, Canucks second-round pick Kole Lind a goal and Flames second-rounder Dillon Dube an assist. Dube and Foote were members of the gold-medallist Canadian team at the 2018 world junior championship in Buffalo. It was an Island homecoming for forwards Kyle Brennan from Victoria and Kyle Topping of Salt Spring Island and defenceman Kyle Pow of Nanaimo, with Brennan and Pow picking up an assist each.
Victoria goaltender Griffen Outhouse made 33 saves and James Porter 34 for Kelowna and both were stellar. The teams meet again Monday in Kelowna.
MISSION TO PYEONGCHANG: A total of 26 WHL alumni are representing 10 nations, including six with sa国际传媒, at the 2018 Winter Olympics. There are five on the Czech Republic and four with Germany. The only Royals franchise connection is former Chilliwack forward Oscar Moller with Sweden . . . There are also 26 former ECHLers from nine nations, several who skated as opponents in the Memorial Centre against the Salmon Kings, who are playing in the Olympics.
