Lethbridge Hurricanes at Victoria 09 Dec 11

[CdnSailor]

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k29/cdnsailor/LethbridgeHurricanes.gif at http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k29/cdnsailor/VictoriaRoyals.gif

Victoria's whoas continue loosing 9 of 10 games now. There appears to be no ending in site. Granted they did play a fabulous team this past two days, the Tri-City Americans.

Even though Lethbridge is last place in the Central Division, they have won 7 of thier past 10.
Should be a great game
Victoria plays Lethbridge twice this season.

Lethbridge Hurricanes 32 10 21 0 1 = 21 PTS 0-1-0-0 STK 7-3-0-0 P10 613 PIM
Victoria Royals 32 12 18 1 1 = 26 PTS 0-3-0-0 STK 1-8-1-0 P10 576 PIM

[CdnSailor]

The Lethbridge Hurricanes, in last place and 10 points adrift of the next nearest team, look to be in dire straits in the talent-laden Central Division of the Western Hockey League.

The Canes (10-21-1), who make their lone appearance at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre tonight at 7, might be just what the Victoria Royals (12-18-2) need to end a three-game WHL losing streak.

But not so quick.

Lethbridge has gone 7-3 over its last 10 games while Victoria is 1-8-1.

Not only that, but Victoria is without its second-leading scorer Robin Soudek who was slapped with a four-game suspension because of an incident that occurred in Tuesday’s 6-2 loss to the Americans.

The 20-year-old Czech import sat out Wednesday’s 5-3 loss to Tri-City. He will also miss tonight’s tilt against the Hurricanes, Saturday’s game in Seattle and next Wednesday’s fixture in Edmonton against the Oil Kings.

The ’Canes are led by undrafted 20-year-old Cam Braes of Shawnigan Lake, Saskatchewan. The five-foot-11 centre has 15 goals and 29 points. The only other ’Canes player to crack 20 points this season is six-foot-four forward and 2011 Carolina Hurricanes seventh-round draft-pick Brody Sutter. The strapping winger is part of the noted Alberta hockey clan, the son of Stanley Cup-champion Duane Sutter, and has 13 goals and 23 points.

The Royals, meanwhile, are looking to rebound after being swept at home earlier this week by Tri City. There was at least something of a mitigating circumstance for the Royals in that the Tri City club leads the WHL at 23-7 and only the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League and St. John Sea Dogs of the Quebec league are ranked higher in this week’s top-10 poll of major-junior teams.

“We did some good things and we’re coming along,” said Royals leading scorer Kevin Sundher, of Victoria’s performances during the two losses to the Americans. The Wednesday game against Tri-City might be remembered as the one in which Victoria’s 17-year-old rookie backup goaltender Jared Rathjen established himself.

“I felt very confident and calm,” said Rathjen, who started for only the second time in place of workhorse Keith Hamilton.

“We’re making little mistakes out there right now. When we eliminate those little mistakes, we’re going to be a good team.”

Meanwhile, Victoria blueliners Zach Habscheid and Jesse Zgraggen are nursing day-to-day injuries.

After tonight’s home tilt against Lethbridge, the Royals are away for six road games and the Christmas break and do not return to Blanshard Street until Jan. 3 against the Calgary Hitmen



Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/sports/Hurricanes+cure+Royals+woes/5833543/story.html#ixzz1g13jkYeR

[pontcanna]

Twitter indicates a sellout crowd for tonight.

Man, this is as close to a must-win game as a team can have in mid-season.

Many present tonight won't have been for a while (esp with all the midweek games) and they'll have read about the slide. Last thing we need is a loss of any kind, even the "but we actually played well/bad breaks" type I'm getting tired of hearing. They won't be back home until after the holidays, big road trip coming up.

It's time to deliver. And if it's not asking too much, a decisive victory would be nice :)

[pontcanna]

Well, that was highly entertaining and a coach's nightmare. Announced sellout due to probably close to a thousand freebies - minor hockey players from all over in town for a tournament.

God, did we suck for most of the first period. Zane Jones is turning into a real beast - hit of the season at centre ice early in the game should have established the Royals' intentions (and for once, not penalised) but we were terrible from that moment on until the livewires Walker and Jones brought the teddy-bears down from the stands. That ended the period prematurely, on return Sundher nearly got a hat trick in about five minutes. He missed two more breakaways tonight, bringing his streak to six or seven without a goal. But he more than did his bit tonight anyway.

Just when we seemed ready to steamroll the Albertans, things fell apart again and they took back the lead...I can't begin to describe all the interesting stuff that took place, so I won't. It seemed the Gods weren't with us when a tying goal at the end of the second proved to be .2 seconds too late (there's a still photo with proof somewhere, I'll post it). Then everything was over in the first few minutes of the third.

The last few minutes was the only part of tonight that seemed like a regular hockey game. People (paid or free) certainly had a good night out.

Now for the fourth game in five nights in Seattle. Could be tough to keep the magic going. But on the other hand this could have been a turning point.

[pontcanna]

Offence comes alive for Royals
BY CLEVE DHEENSAW, TIMES COLONIST DECEMBER 9, 2011 10:28 PM


It was another Sunderful performance by the Victoria Royals’ leading scorer in an 8-5 Western Hockey League victory Friday night over the Lethbridge Hurricanes at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

But even Kevin Sundher, who scored twice and added two assists on a four-point night, took best supporting honours to Jamie Crooks’s hat-trick performance. The Royals, trailing 5-4 after two periods, scored four unanswered goals in the third period.

“We were down a few times [2-0, 4-3 and 5-4] but talked to each other on the bench … and said we have a lot of game left,” said Crooks.

“We’ll try to build on that third period going into [tonight’s game at Seattle against the Thunderbirds].”

Victoria’s first goal, by Zane Jones at 18:11 of the first period, really had the fur flying — literally. Thousands of stuffed toy animals rained down on the ice from the capacity crowd of 7,006 in the Teddy Bear Toss promotion.

Steven Hodges, on a penalty shot, and Brandon Magee scored the other goals for Victoria (13-18-2), which snapped a three-game losing streak.

“We were down going into the third period and needed to find a way,” said Sundher.

“We needed this one badly. The guys responded. It was a wild one. But a win’s a win.”

Brody Sutter, a 2011 Carolina Hurricanes seventh-round draft-pick, Jurag Bezuch, Jaimen Yakubowski, Brady Ramsay and Jay Merkley scored for Lethbridge (10-22-1).

The Royals are now away for six road games and the Christmas break and do not return to Blanshard Street until Jan. 3 against the Calgary Hitmen.

ICE CHIPS: With five new cameras recording the game Friday from various angles around the arena, there is ample evidence the much-awaited video-replay screens are finally about to be mounted inside the Memorial Centre . . . Lethbridge leading-scorer Cam Braes is a feisty 20-year-old Island boy from Shawnigan Lake . . .

[CdnSailor]

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k29/cdnsailor/VictoriaRoyals.gif 8 http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k29/cdnsailor/LethbridgeHurricanes.gif 5

Highlights of game from A Channel and Chek TV
http://youtu.be/QMMgaH8o4zA


Attendance
Sell out 7006


SHOTS 1 2 3 Total
Lethbridge Hurricanes 15 10 6 31
Victoria Royals 7 10 9 26


SCORING 1 2 3 Total
Lethbridge Hurricanes 2 3 0 5
Victoria Royals 2 2 4 8


3 STARS
1. VIC - 15 Jamie Crooks
2. VIC - 9 Kevin Sundher
3. VIC - 14 Zane Jones


Game Summary
http://www.whl.ca/schedule/show/game/59729

[the Royal Flush]

a very entertaining game...