KELOWNA ROCKETS 3
VICTORIA ROYALS 2
Royals lead series 2-1
The Victoria Royals, 5-2 in the Western Hockey League playoffs without Joe Hicketts, are 0-1 on his return.
But it certainly wasn鈥檛 his fault. The Western Conference MVP made his reappearance Tuesday night at Prospera Place in Kelowna looking none the worse for wear in a vigorous performance with an assist and four penalty minutes.
But getting Hicketts back wasn鈥檛 enough as the Rockets defeated Victoria 3-2 to climb back into their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series at 2-1.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 bring our guys back until they are 100 per cent ready to go,鈥� said Victoria head coach Dave Lowry, of Hicketts鈥� high energy on his return.
The fourth game is Thursday evening in Kelowna. The fifth game is Friday night at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. The first three games have all been decided by one goal each.
鈥淚t鈥檚 tight out there on the ice and you have to fight for space,鈥� said Lowry.
Although the Royals are the WHL regular-season champions, the Rockets are the defending league champions and 2015 Memorial Cup national finalists.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 expect to win every game in this series,鈥� said Lowry.
Kelowna scored on its two-man power-play advantage in the first period while Victoria failed to do the same in the third period. Lowry pointed to those junctures as being key.
鈥淪pecial teams are critical,鈥� he said.
Michael Herringer, raised in the Comox Valley, was outstanding in goal for Kelowna with 30 saves.
鈥淏oth goalies were good,鈥� said Lowry.
鈥淎nytime the other goalie is named a game star [Herringer was picked second star], you know you had chances.鈥�
So did Kelowna, forcing Coleman Vollrath into a busy night with 35 saves in goal for Victoria.
Dillon Dube, on the two-man Kelowna power-play advantage, and Rourke Chartier gave the Rockets a 2-0 first-period lead and they then controlled much of the territorial advantage to start the second period. But Victoria can come back at you so quickly in transition. Which is what Jack Walker did on a turnover breakaway that was parried by Herringer. But another quick counter-thrust resulted in rookie Matthew Phillips scoring with his fourth goal of the playoffs, on a precise assist from sophomore Dante Hannoun, at 8:38 of the second to pull Victoria within one.
Kelowna got a couple of crucial short-handed kills, including the two-man Victoria advantage in the third period, before Tomas Soustal restored the Rockets鈥� two-goal advantage with the eventual winner at 10:26. Alex Forsberg again brought Victoria to within one at 18:52. Kelowna then weathered an intense Victoria push in the last minute.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the playoffs and it鈥檚 tough and tight out there,鈥� said Lowry.
