RED DEER 5
VICTORIA 3
That sound you heard Tuesday night at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre was the Victoria Royals probably falling out of the Canadian Hockey League top-10 for the first time in eight weeks when the new rankings come out Wednesday.
With it will come a growing chorus of whispers that maybe the Royals aren鈥檛 as good as their start to the season suggested.
The previously-reeling Red Deer Rebels snapped a six-game losing streak with a 5-3 WHL victory over the Royals, who squandered a 3-2 third-period lead at home. The Royals (14-17-1) have now lost two consecutive games for the first time this season.
鈥淯nacceptable and fundamentals,鈥� said Royals head coach Dan Price, in his terse description of the loss.
鈥淭here was poor execution of fundamentals in the third period, especially regarding shooting versus passing on the power play and back checking and defensive zone coverage. That鈥檚 a tough lesson for the players in front of their home fans.鈥�
Regan Nagy put the Royals ahead 3-2 with his 17th goal of the season at 5:15 of the third period on one of the few times Victoria shot on the power play rather than engage in needless over-passing.
鈥淚t鈥檚 obviously not good enough. We have to learn from this,鈥� said Nagy.
The first period was scoreless after Royals forwards Ryan Peckford, Matthew Phillips, Dante Hannoun and Tyler Soy all fanned on what looked to be sure goals. That finishing touch, which elevated the Royals to being the highest-scoring team in the league, has vanished faster than Victoria sunshine.
The Royals also lost 4-1 Saturday to the Vancouver Giants in a game they dominated in shots but in which they could not produce goals.
鈥淢y line could have had eight or nine goals tonight,鈥� said Calgary Flames-prospect Phillips.
鈥淲e got some chances that usually go in. In the last two games, they just didn鈥檛 go in. It鈥檚 unlucky. You want to see those go in but it鈥檚 not the end of the world. We can鈥檛 get too frustrated and dwell on it because that turns to negativity. It鈥檚 early [in the season]. We鈥檝e got a couple of days to turn it around and take ownership of it and push ourselves.鈥�
Three unanswered goals to end the third period by Red Deer won it. The fine forward Mason McCarty made it 3-3 at 12:18 and then assisted on Reese Johnson鈥檚 game winner at 14:52. Lane Zablocki put it away with an empty-netter.
A Jeremy Masella turnover allowed Red Deer鈥檚 Austin Pratt to open scoring at 3:02 of the second period followed by some more lax Victoria defensive play to allow the Rebels to go ahead by two on Kristian Reichel鈥檚 goal. Phillips finally solved goalkeeper Riley Lamb to pull Victoria to within one goal later in the middle period.
Victoria levelled 2-2 when Jared Legien took an astute head-man pass from Eric Florchuk to slide it in at 2:07 of the third period.
It doesn鈥檛 get any easier for Victoria, who must now attempt to snap out of their malaise in Spokane on Friday night against a Chiefs team that now has Kailer Yamamoto back from the Edmonton Oilers. That is followed on Saturday with a game in Tri City against the CHL top-10 ranked Americans.
