It is becoming evident the cement is just settling on the 2015-16 Western Hockey League season and is far from hardened.
The Vancouver Giants (10-19-4), last in the Western Conference, have since Friday taken two of three games against the Victoria Royals (20-10-2), who remain currently tied for second in the WHL in winning percentage. The rare four-game set concludes Wednesday at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver.
The Giants, who entered Sunday鈥檚 matin茅e 20 points behind the nationally ninth-ranked Royals, defeated Victoria 4-2 before 3,709 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Vancouver got two goals by Alec Baer just 35 seconds and 5:11 into the game. That threw major shade on Victoria starter Coleman Vollrath鈥檚 record-breaking day as he surpassed Lucas Gore for the most career games (142) played by a goaltender in the 10 years of Victoria Royals/Chilliwack Bruins franchise history.
Vollrath was beaten for the third time in the opening period, by defenceman Ben Thomas at 17:02, and did not survive to see the next period after making only eight saves. Vollrath was replaced by Griffen Outhouse to start the second period and the 17-year-old rookie from Williams Lake finished with 22 saves on 23 shots.
鈥淲e have to be sharper off the start,鈥� said veteran Victoria forward Logan Fisher.
鈥淲e need to get back to what we did Saturday night [in a 6-1 victory over the Giants at the Memorial Centre] and come out flying and with more emotion.鈥�
Fisher is captaining the Royals in the absence of defenceman Joe Hicketts, who is at the Canadian camp in Etobicoke, Ont., preparing for the 2016 world junior championship, which begins on Boxing Day in Helsinki, Finland.
The Royals are 1-2, all against the Giants, so far in the 13-game stretch they are playing without Hicketts and head coach Dave Lowry, who is tasked with guiding sa国际传媒 at the world junior championship.
鈥淚t was a poor start today. That鈥檚 usually the challenge you face after a really big night [Victoria鈥檚 victory Saturday],鈥� said Royals assistant coach Enio Sacilotto, who has taken over as bench boss in Lowry鈥檚 absence.
鈥淗ad we not given up those early goals [Sunday], it would have been a different game. And we hit three posts in the first period, so the opportunities were there. We just didn鈥檛 get that push we needed in the third period.鈥�
Vancouver, which looks to be improving after burning through 46 players on the roster so far this season, began this set against the Royals with a 4-1 home victory on Friday. As the teams prepare to close it out Wednesday evening across the strait, there is evidence the familiarity is breeding some antipathy as there were several skirmishes in the two games played on Blanshard Street.
鈥淭he way we approached this was as a mini-playoff series,鈥� said Sacilotto.
鈥淲e need to come out on Wednesday night with a sense of urgency.鈥�
Playoffs-at-Christmas is the theme of the moment for these two teams as they look to their rematch Wednesday.
鈥淚t鈥檚 only December, but we鈥檙e treating this like a playoff series and we have to play like it鈥檚 playoff hockey . . . but we didn鈥檛 come out with a lot of emotion today,鈥� said Victoria defenceman Chaz Reddekopp, the Los Angeles Kings鈥� draft pick, who had three assists in the two weekend games on Blanshard.
Despite the 10 trades and roster turmoil this season, the Giants appear to be settling into a rhythm. There鈥檚 not a lot of depth but they do have captain Tyler Benson, projected for the first round of the 2016 NHL draft, and their top-two lines are becoming effective.
鈥淭he Giants have a really good top-six,鈥� admitted Reddekopp.
鈥淲e have to key on those guys.鈥�
Both of Victoria鈥檚 goals Sunday, from Jack Walker and Alex Forsberg, came on the power play.
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