Victoria at Lethbridge 16 Dec 11

[CdnSailor]

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

Victoria is playilng there 2nd game of a 3 game Alberta series prior to their Christmas break.
Losing 6 -3 to Edmonton, the Royals are hoping to sweep the Hurricanes after winning 8 - 5 in Victoria earlier this month. Victoria and Lethbridge meet only twice this season.

Lethbridge is currently tied for last place in the Eastern Conference and is on a 2 game win streak, winning 7 of their past 10.

Victoria is currently 7th in the West and is 2 and 8 during their past 10 games.

Lethbridge Hurricanes 35 12 22 0 1 = 25 PTS 2-0-0-0 STK 7-3-0-0 P10 637 PIM

Victoria Royals 35 13 19 1 2 = 29 PTS 0-1-0-1 STK 2-6-1-1 P10 630 PIM

[pontcanna]

Hurricanes strike Royals in overtime

BY CLEVE DHEENSAW, TIMESCOLONIST.COM DECEMBER 16, 2011 11:05 PM

For the third time in their last four Western Hockey League games, the Victoria Royals rallied from a third-period deficit to salvage at least a point.

But one point was all it was limited to Friday night in Lethbridge after Brady Ramsay scored at 1:22 of overtime to give the Hurricanes a 5-4 victory before 2,805 fans at the Enmax Centre.

A goal and assist by Brody Sutter, a 2011 seventh-round draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes and son of former NHLer Duane Sutter, helped Lethbridge (13-22-1) to a 3-0 lead by 7:03 of the second period.

Two goals by Jesse Pauls and others by Ben Walker and Jamie Crooks put Victoria into a 4-3 lead by 6:33 of the third period. But it took defenceman Daniel Johnston only 14 seconds to pull Lethbridge level at 4-4, which is how regulation time concluded.

“We did not play well at the start. We were great at the end when the ice seemed tilted and we outshot them badly [44-28 on the game], but Lethbridge got some timely goals,” said Victoria GM and head coach Marc Habscheid.

“But we can’t always rely on that [rallies]. We have to bring it every night from the start and be ready.”

Veteran WHLer and 19-year-old Keith Hamilton started in goal for Victoria and let in two goals on 12 shots, before being replaced by 17-year-old rookie Jared Rathjen to start the second period.

“We need some saves and whoever is going to stop the puck is going to play,” said Habscheid, adding Rathjen will start tonight in Medicine Hat against the Tigers.

“We need a higher save percentage.”

Pauls, a puck-moving Royals defenceman, has been coming on of late and threatening a breakout game. He finally got his first two goals of the season on a three-point night.

The Royals (13-19-4) begin the Christmas break after tonight’s game in Medicine Hat against the Tigers (19-12-4). Victoria will likely face goaltender Tyler Bunz, who is back in the Hat crease after being cut from the Canadian junior team camp earlier in the week.

But Victoria likely draws a break concerning another Medicine Hat star. The explosive Tigers forward Emerson Etem, second in WHL scoring, is expected to be out of the roster because the U.S. pre-tournament camp for the world juniors opens today in Camrose, Alta.

Following the Christmas break, the Royals play Dec. 28 and Dec. 30 in Portland against the stacked roster of the Winterhawks (20-11-3) before returning to Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on Jan. 3 against Calgary (17-13-3 heading into Friday night) and the Hitmen’s Victoria-raised goaltender Brandon Glover.

[50sWHLer]

WOW !!! Lots of interest on this site, as well as the VSA site ???:rolleyes:

[pontcanna]

Fact is that there's only ever been about a dozen people who have posted on anything, either this year or during the SK era. More seem to be over on the Facebook page which has 5,000 likes.

[coach]

All you ever read here is copy & pasted. Mods have no opinion of their own other then what is written by someone else especially in the Royals's section. My opinion, write what is on your own mind or leave it to the papers to do. This site is for true "Junior" hockey fans not make believe ones. Mods try and edit this and prove me right.

[the Royal Flush]

I am hoping we get to see a little of Rathjen as Hamilton is having his problems.

[pontcanna]

All you ever read here is copy & pasted. Mods have no opinion of their own other then what is written by someone else especially in the Royals's section. My opinion, write what is on your own mind or leave it to the papers to do. This site is for true "Junior" hockey fans not make believe ones. Mods try and edit this and prove me right.

I wonder how many people here attend games at all. I try to post my impressions immediately post-home game (and some of the away ones I've watched on video) and I know Sailor has season tickets. If you're not actually there it's hard to talk authoritatively about what's happening on ice. There seems less off-ice complaining around marketing and so on compared to the SK's...the politics, as it were. The people who started up dedicated blogs for the Royals also aren't posting, and the Network 54 WHL board seems mostly dedicated to Prairie and some US teams. I'd love for there to be more traffic/banter, but maybe it's the essential passivity of the Victoria hockey fan?

[pontcanna]

I am hoping we get to see a little of Rathjen as Hamilton is having his problems.
I missed watching the first period and was surprised to learn that Hamilton was pulled so early. Does make me wonder what's going on in the room. Any inside knowledge, Flush?

[the Royal Flush]

I missed watching the first period and was surprised to learn that Hamilton was pulled so early. Does make me wonder what's going on in the room. Any inside knowledge, Flush?


none...

[coach]

I wonder how many people here attend games at all. I try to post my impressions immediately post-home game (and some of the away ones I've watched on video) and I know Sailor has season tickets. If you're not actually there it's hard to talk authoritatively about what's happening on ice. There seems less off-ice complaining around marketing and so on compared to the SK's...the politics, as it were. The people who started up dedicated blogs for the Royals also aren't posting, and the Network 54 WHL board seems mostly dedicated to Prairie and some US teams. I'd love for there to be more traffic/banter, but maybe it's the essential passivity of the Victoria hockey fan?

Correct me if I am wrong but are you not also a copy and paster poster?
The Royals are doing things right as far as marketing and fan participation. The team is doing good for a first year team,improvements needed on defence but over all is what I expected.Juniors are not paid like the SK's were,so any complaints on team memebers should be filed where the sun don't shine. Complaints on team coaching or ownership should be allowed as they are paid well for their part. I find it extremely laughable when people on here put down the junior type of hockey (prior to them coming to victoria)verus the SK type which could not be classed as hockey in any book.

Sorry this wasn't copy & pasted as I can think for myself.

[Giantsfan]

The team is doing good for a first year team

Victoria isn't an expansion team. They've been in the league for six seasons now. I think Habschied has done a poor job in making trades & not moving guys like Howse, Horak, Manning & Gore.

[CdnSailor]

Being that it is Christmas and all COACH, I am not going to get in to a pis_ing match with you. As much as stories go on here, many people do not go to our Times Colonist or to other forums that talk about the Royals.
This is for any "FAN" of the WHL who may want to read the article from Cleve or any other author.
If you do not like it I can keep you off this forum for good as I am getting tired of your negativity.

Merry Christmas

[CdnSailor]

I find it extremely laughable when people on here put down the junior type of hockey (prior to them coming to victoria)verus the SK type which could not be classed as hockey in any book.



I guess if you read the articles that were copied and pasted here you would have seen that Kevin Sundher may go to ECHL or possibly AHL next season for conditioning as Buffalo has both teams.
So I guess Kevin will be a nothing in your books if he plays ECHL for a season.

[pontcanna]

Oh my Coach, I guess I have been drinking the Kool-Aid, cannot think for myself and must copy and paste the T-C line. I am beholden to Cleve. Good job we have independent intellectuals like yourself to keep us in line.

The ONLY reason I copy the articles is that the T-C site is (mostly) behind a paywall and as a subscriber I can access those articles and share them with the rest of the people on this board.

I await your tactical analysis of games in the New Year.

[coach]

I guess if you read the articles that were copied and pasted here you would have seen that Kevin Sundher may go to ECHL or possibly AHL next season for conditioning as Buffalo has both teams.
So I guess Kevin will be a nothing in your books if he plays ECHL for a season.

I may be blind but where did Cleve mention the ECHL?????????????????
I have read the pasted article 5 times and still see no mention of ECHL.

Realistically he will be passed if he plays for the echl. The players who make the nhl for the most part come from junior hockey , ahl or american college. His chances decrease the longer he spends in the echl or even the ahl unless he is there for an injury. I have seen a few ex-grizzlie players go to the echl and quite frankly their careers are basically over as far as getting to the nhl. Sad but true.ie: Benn's brother.

[coach]

Being that it is Christmas and all COACH, I am not going to get in to a pis_ing match with you. As much as stories go on here, many people do not go to our Times Colonist or to other forums that talk about the Royals.
This is for any "FAN" of the WHL who may want to read the article from Cleve or any other author.
If you do not like it I can keep you off this forum for good as I am getting tired of your negativity.Merry Christmas

Negative, I am the one who has been a paying junior hockey fan for a long time and was a paying supporter of the Kings for the first 3 years.

Negative would be the threats you are putting out there as a Moderator.