VICTORIA 6
EDMONTON 1
The Victoria Royals are just downright mean.
Who could do such things to school kids?
The Royals sent 12,220 Edmonton students home unhappy on Hockey Hooky Day in dominating the Oil Kings 6-1 in a Western Hockey League game Monday morning at Rexall Place.
It鈥檚 the second time this season the Royals have ruined a school field-trip game. Victoria also beat the Vancouver Giants 5-2 before more than 6,500 students in a midweek, work-day anti-bullying matinee Feb. 18.
鈥淢aybe we should play more games at that time of day,鈥� quipped Royals head coach Dave Lowry.
鈥淭he building was loud but we again scored early and played with the lead.鈥�
That鈥檚 been the key to Victoria鈥檚 current six-game winning streak.
Victoria led 2-0 after five minutes, 3-1 after the first period and 6-1 after the second.
鈥淲hen we get the lead, we settle into our game, while the other team has to take chances. And we capitalize on that,鈥� said Lowry.
The Royals have the most points in the WHL, one more than divisional-rival Kelowna, but are second in terms of winning percentage because the Rockets hold two games in hand. Victoria is ranked No. 6 in the CHL top-10 poll, the highest rating for any WHL team. The Royals are the winningest team in the WHL in the calendar year 2016 at 20-4-3 since Jan. 1 and 43-16-6 overall.
It is only the second time the franchise has reached the 40-win plateau in the 10-season history of the Chilliwack Bruins/Victoria Royals. With seven games remaining, this team is now five wins away from the all-time franchise record of 48 victories set by Lowry鈥檚 2013-14 Royals.
The Royals ended the Alberta portion of their four-game road trip at 3-0 with an 18-5 goals advantage following 6-2 victories earlier in Calgary against the Hitmen and in Red Deer against the Rebels.
Jack Walker scored twice for the Royals in Edmonton and Tyler Soy once on a four-point day. Vladimir Bobylev, Jared Dmytriw and defenceman Joe Hicketts also scored. Juan de Fuca product and Arizona Coyotes-drafted blue-liner Dysin Mayo replied for the Oil Kings (27-30-7).
Alex Forsberg recorded an assist for his 53rd of the season to break the Royals鈥� record of 52 set last season by Hicketts. The former WHL No. 1 bantam draft pick Forsberg wasn鈥檛 able to replicate that jump to the pros and wasn鈥檛 selected in the NHL draft or yet signed as a free agent pro. But the 20-year-old forward has been a surprisingly effective late-career junior bloomer for the Royals the past two seasons.
鈥淎lex has been a good and reliable player for us,鈥� said Lowry.
Coleman Vollrath made 24 saves in goal for Victoria and Patrick Dea 25 for Edmonton.
The Royals head to Jasper for some R and R before a game Friday night in Vancouver against the Giants. The Royals and Giants meet again Saturday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Following the pair against the Giants, the Royals will host the Prince George Cougars for two games on March 11 and 13. Then after a road game in Kelowna on March 16, the Royals close out the regular season with home-and-home set with the Everett Silvertips on March 18-19.
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