It鈥檚 probably not easy being the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League these days.
There is only one sports story that matters this weekend in Seattle, with ripples being felt from sa国际传媒 to Idaho as Seahawk Nation readies for a certain NFL playoff game today in Atlanta.
Throw in the Emerald City鈥檚 current secondary major sports story with the NBA rumored to be returning. The Thunderbirds didn鈥檛 help their status as afterthoughts by dropping a 6-2 WHL decision to the visiting Victoria Royals at ShoWare Center in Kent on Saturday.
Jamie Crooks, the undrafted but diligent overage 20-year-old forward who knows his way around a crease, led the Royals with three goals.
First-star Patrik Polivka was also a factor as the Victoria goaltender and Czech import turned in a fine 37-save performance.
鈥淚 thought our whole group played well tonight 鈥� especially the young guys,鈥� said Royals head coach Dave Lowry.
鈥淭onight we put pucks on the net and made good decisions. The guys capitalized with their play close to the net. Patrik [Polivka] was great tonight and that鈥檚 why we came back with him [after Friday night鈥檚 7-4 loss in Everett to the Silvertips].鈥�
The end-game dance between the Royals, Thunderbirds and Silvertips continued.
Victoria, sixth in the Western Conference at 21-17-3, moved a comfortable nine points ahead of seventh-place Everett and 10 ahead of eighth-place Seattle (16-24-3) in the battle for the last of the eight conference playoff slots.
The Silvertips (17-25-2) were outclassed 8-0 Saturday by the WHL collosus Portland Winterhawks.
Looking up, the Royals moved to within four points of idle fifth-place Tri City, with a game in hand on the Americans. That particular race is important because the fifth seed will avoid the Western Conference powerhouse triumvirate of the Winterhawks, Kelowna Rockets and Kamloops Blazers in the first round of the playoffs.
The Royals will face the Blazers on Tuesday and Wednesday nights at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
鈥淭hat will be a good test for us,鈥� said Lowry.
Victoria got off to a fast start last night with three unanswered goals in the first period to snap a two-game losing streak. Austin Carroll, Florida Panthers third-round draft pick Steven Hodges on the power play and Brandon Magee on the power play, with his 17th goal of the season, staked the Royals to a decent cushion.
鈥淥ur guys were prepared to start the game,鈥� said Lowry.
Crooks, on the power play, pushed the advantage to 4-0 at 6:27 of the second period before Seattle finally answered with two goals through Shea Theodore and Seth Swenson. Crooks put it away with two third-period goals at 4:37 and later his hat-trick goal, and 21st of the season, into an empty net.
ICE CHIPS: Victoria missed captain and 20-year-old defenceman Tyler Stahl for a second straight game with an upper body injury . . . The Royals continued thin on the front end with forwards Ben Walker out day-to-day and Logan Nelson and Luke Harrison longer term.
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