Kamloops at Victoria 27/28 Jan 12

[CdnSailor]

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

Victoria is holding on to 8th spot in the West, 1 point behind Seattle who has 3 games in hand and 3 points ahead of Prince George who has 2 game in hand.

Royals had a very dismal road trip to the Prairie Provinces winning 2 of the 6 games. They are 2 and 8 past 10.
Victoria has played the Blazers 5 games so far this season winning zippo.

Kamloops have been playing very well this season currently holding 1st place overall and is on a 9 game winning streak.

Kamloops Blazers 47 34 10 1 2 71 PTS 9-0-0-0 P10 STK 9-1-0-0 743 PIM
Victoria Royals 48 15 28 2 3 35 PTS 0-1-0-0 STK 2-7-0-1 P10 816 PIM

[fatshad]

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

Victoria is holding on to 8th spot in the West, 1 point behind Seattle who has 3 games in hand and 3 points ahead of Prince George who has 2 game in hand.

Royals had a very dismal road trip to the Prairie Provinces winning 2 of the 6 games. They are 2 and 8 past 10.
Victoria has played the Blazers 5 games so far this season winning zippo.

Kamloops have been playing very well this season currently holding 1st place overall and is on a 9 game winning streak.

Kamloops Blazers 47 34 10 1 2 71 PTS 9-0-0-0 P10 STK 9-1-0-0 743 PIM
Victoria Royals 48 15 28 2 3 35 PTS 0-1-0-0 STK 2-7-0-1 P10 816 PIM

Disagree on the dismal road trip comment . Of the 24 players on the roster there are eight 94's and four 95's thats half the team starting the season as 16 and 17 year olds !! 2 out of 6 is not bad at all considering the prairie trip is gruelling and eastern teams always seem to be tough at home. Also with a bounce here or there the Royals deserved to win the Swift Current game and had a chance in the Saskatoon game as it was 7 - 6 with 80 seconds left !! All in all I feel the road trip was a positive for this young squad immediately after the trading of great player and friend Kevin Sundher !! The new additions fit in quite well and if they can aquire some goaltending this team will fare considerably better next season !!!! :) :cool: :)

[IR_Hockey]

Disagree on the dismal road trip comment.

Agreed!

[pontcanna]

Royals wary of red-hot Blazers

BY CLEVE DHEENSAW, TIMESCOLONIST.COM JANUARY 26, 2012 11:06 PM


If there is a blueprint for the Victoria Royals to follow, it is being supplied by the Kamloops Blazers, who visit Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre for a Western Hockey League set tonight and Saturday.

One season after missing the playoffs, the Blazers are 34-10-4 and ranked No. 2 in the BMO Mastercard Canadian Hockey League ranking of major junior teams behind only the London Knights of Ontario.

The Blazers’ problems became systemic after the three Memorial Cup national championships of the 1990s. They have not been past the first round of the playoffs in the 12 seasons since current Royals GM and head coach Marc Habscheid took them to the league final in 1999.

The Chilliwack Bruins-Victoria Royals franchise, in its sixth year, has had only one winning season. Now at 15-28-5, it is highly unlikely to record its second this year. But the mantra coming out of the Royals organization is that it is laying a foundation for the future and that fans need to be patient.

After a barren decade, patience seems to have finally paid off for the Blazers, whose nine-game winning streak became a 10-game unbeaten string following Wednesday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Rockets in Kelowna.

“They are an older team with good balance and depth,” said Habscheid.

“We have to be ready this weekend and play our best, for sure. We can’t let them outwork us.”

The latter is the Royals’ only advantage going into this set. Kamloops, which is undefeated in its last nine road games at 6-0-3, has won all five meetings against the Royals this season.

“We’re very familiar with them and they are fast and physical,” said Royals forward Logan Nelson.

“We have to play our game and dictate matters by playing physical and gritty like we do.”

That was the general theme of the week as the Royals prepared to meet the blazing Blazers.

“We have to focus on our game and not so much what they do,” said Victoria defenceman Keegan Kanzig.

The Royals have returned 2-4 from a marathon six-game, two-week excursion through the Eastern Division and return to play in the Memorial Centre for the first time since Jan. 7.

“It was good bonding, but it feels good to be back in our own beds,” said Nelson, the native of Minnesota and 108th-ranked North American skater for the 2012 NHL draft.

“The bus legs are gone and we feel ready to go at home again.”

Nelson and Kanzig are both WHL rookies and the recent trip was the first for both through Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

“That was a lot of bus time and eating in restaurants, so it feels great getting back to my own bed,” said Kanzig.

Every game is crucial now for Victoria, which holds the eighth and final playoff slot in the Western Conference. Prince George, which is three points behind Victoria with two games in hand, hosts last-place Everett in a two-game set this weekend before coming to the Island for a critical double dip against the Royals on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“I do check the standings but you have to focus on the task at hand,” said Kanzig.

[pontcanna]

As of about 2 pm Friday, there are reported to be less than 500 seats left for Saturday's (Pink in the Rink) game :)

[CdnSailor]

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k29/cdnsailor/VictoriaRoyals.gif 4 http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k29/cdnsailor/KamloopsBlazers.gif 2

After seeing 2 shots and 2 goals in 15 seconds for the Blazers, I as well as 5000+ fans felt that the game was over and time to go home. Everyone looked at Habscheid to see if he was going to take out Hamilton.
Thankfully he did not, as 33 shots later the Royals beat the Blazers 4 - 2.

3 Stars
1. VIC - 25 Robin Soudek
2. VIC - 18 Brandon Magee
3. KAM - 15 Tim Bozon

SHOTS 1 2 3 Total
Kamloops Blazers 17 5 13 35
Victoria Royals 12 16 7 35

SCORING 1 2 3 Total
Kamloops Blazers 2 0 0 2
Victoria Royals 1 2 1 4

[pontcanna]

Same old Royals for 15 seconds. Then this other team came on the ice and played the rest of the way with commitment and intensity, recovering from defensive zone mistakes rather than making two or three and giving up a goal. For once I saw what was pretty close to a full team effort. The kind of game that can start to turn a season around. The Blazers will undoubtedly be p***ed and push back hard tomorrow, but I see green shoots of hope poking out of the soil. The doubleheader against the Brodsky Cougars this coming week will be very important. Need all the points in regulation time.

The SOFA will be damn noisy tomorrow night!

[CdnSailor]

Will be interesting to see how we perform tomorrow evening. Blazers will be coming out a blazin but with our barn sold out, should be one heck of a game.

[pontcanna]

Royals extinguish Blazers

BY CLEVE DHEENSAW, TIMESCOLONIST.COM JANUARY 27, 2012 11:07 PM


That the Western Hockey League game Friday night didn’t start out promising for the Victoria Royals is an understatement of the highest order.

Trailing 2-0 after just 15 seconds, the Royals rallied for a 4-2 victory against the league-leading Kamloops Blazers before 5,593 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

The result was not insignificant, considering it came against a Blazers team that is 34-11-4 and ranked No. 2 in the BMO Mastercard Canadian Hockey League ranking of major junior teams behind only the London Knights of Ontario.

Kamloops had also been undefeated in its previous nine road games at 6-0-3 and had won all five previous meetings against the Royals this season. Those streaks came to a crashing halt Friday.

“The start wasn’t awesome but we battled right back and won the game,” said Royals forward Robin Soudek, who was a factor all night and named first star with a goal and an assist.

“It was good for us and the fans.”

The game began with a rare occurrence as Tim Bozon of the Blazers, a rookie no less, scored twice in 15 seconds to start the game.

The fastest goal to start any period is five seconds but the WHL record book does not list the fastest goal to start a game, nor the fastest two goals to start a game or the fastest two goals by the same player to start a game or period. The WHL record for the fastest two goals is five seconds and held by four players.

“It was a rough start, but we regrouped well,” said Royals goaltender Keith Hamilton, who was strong in making 33 saves after the two early quick ones.

One thing you notice about Hamilton’s demeanor is that he’s an even-keeled customer who doesn’t become unglued.

“You have to forget about [a start like] that and just go on to the next play,” he said. “You have to stay in the moment for the whole game.”

Soudek’s 21st of the season at 7:57 pulled Victoria to within one as the Royals responded to the early setback with a great deal of spunk. The persistence paid off as defenceman Hayden Rintoul leveled matters 2-2 on the power play at 5:16 of the second period for this 12th goal of the season and Ben Walker gave Victoria the lead at 18:24.

A power-play goal by Brandon Magee at 11:24 of the third period, on a nifty assist from Soudek, gave Victoria its final cushion.

Soudek, game second-star Magee and Logan Nelson, with two assists, all had two points on the night.

“There was nothing to say after that start,” Nelson said. “We all knew what we had to do.”

Kamloops’ rep and record didn’t faze the Royals.

“I don’t think the rankings mean much to us. On any give night, anyone can win,” said Nelson, of a game in which the Royals seemed to impose their will physically on the favoured Blazers.

The Royals (16-28-5), who hold down the eighth and final playoff slot in the Western Conference, moved five points ahead of the ninth-place Prince George Cougars, who were 5-2 losers at home Friday to the last-place Everett Silvertips. The Cougars, however, retain two games in hand.

[CdnSailor]

Keith Hamilton makes 33 saves in Victoria’s 4-2 comeback win over Kamloops.

For Immediate Release

Friday, January 27, 2012

Victoria, BC – In a Friday night matchup at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, the Victoria Royals returned home to square off with divisional rival the Kamloops Blazers in the first of a two game set. The Royals started Keith Hamilton in net, while the Blazers went with Cole Cheveldave.

Kamloops opened the scoring eight seconds into the game after a defensive miscue behind the net led to an open net for Tim Bozon. Kamloops doubled their lead seven seconds later after J.C. Lipon centered a pass to Bozon who tipped the puck past Hamilton. The Royals cut the lead in half just prior to the 10 minute mark off a face-off. Steven Hodges won the draw cleanly to Brandon Magee who fed Robin Soudek for a one-timer from the top of the right circle that beat Cheveldave. The Blazers’ enjoyed back-to-back powerplays halfway through the period, but couldn’t notch their third after several quality saves from the Hamilton, including two quick pad stops on Chase Schaber from in close. Kamloops took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

Victoria tied the game up 2-2 off a powerplay five minutes into the middle frame. From a face-off, Hayden Rintoul fired a hard wrist shot from the right point that beat the blocker of a screened Cheveldave four seconds into the man advantage. The Royals continued to press after Robin Soudek found the puck to the side of the net and tried to wrap it around Cheveldave, but the Blazers’ netminder stretched out his leg to make a left toe save. Victoria completed the comeback with less than two minutes left in the period when a Logan Nelson shot deflected off Ben Walker into the net. The Royals held a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes.

Kamloops opened the final period strong after Austin Madaisky fired a shot through a crowd and off the left post and into the corner. Before the 10 minute mark, Soudek burst down the left boards before he cut to the net for a shot, but the Blazers’ goaltender was able to make the save. Victoria found their fourth goal only minutes later on their second powerplay marker of the night. From behind the net Soudek centered a pass out to Brandon Magee who chipped the puck past Cheveldave. Royals 4 Blazers 2.

Victoria went 2/7 = 28.6% on the powerplay, while Kamloops was 0/5 = 0.00%. The Blazers and Royals tied for shots 35-35.

[the Royal Flush]

with the exception of the first 15 seconds it was a great game. Hamilton played very well after the initial meltdown and was strong(lets hope its the beginning of something good). I was impressed with Fransoo and his play as well. A nice effort and we took 2 points that were not supposed to be ours. Now...show me some pink!

[pontcanna]

Sea of pink expected in the rink

Times Colonist
mannicchiarico@timescolonist.com

Pink is not only in, it will be regarded as the colour of choice for tonight’s rematch between the Victoria Royals and Kamloops Blazers.

The local Western Hockey League club is promoting Pink in the Rink night, benefiting the B.C. Cancer Foundation for the 7 p.m. start at Save-on-foods Memorial Centre.

As of Friday afternoon less than 500 tickets remained for the game in which the Royals will don pink jerseys against their B.C. Division rivals. Following the game, uniforms will be auctioned off with proceeds handed over to the BCFC.

“This is one of the big nights every year,” said Darren Parker, the Royals senior vice-president of sales and marketing. “We’re members of the community and it’s one of the neat things we get to do in the business we’re in, having this lovely building as a platform for fundraising.”

A variety of prizes will be also be awarded throughout the evening, including a trip for four to Disneyland; Vancouver Canucks tickets (complete with downtown accommodation); and an opportunity to take in a Royals’ away game against a B.C. Division opponent.

One fan will have a chance to compete in a puck-shooting competition in which they will have a chance to score with upwards of 10 pucks, with each successful shot earning a $250 donation to the BCFC. The same lucky contestant will also have a chance to win a pink Blackberry Curve cellphone.

A pair of Royals’ home tickets along with dinner for two at the Lion’s Den Restaurant will also be up for grabs and someone will compete in a memory card game, in which the winner will have a $1,000 donation made in their name to the BCFC. Several other prizes are available in the chuck-a-puck contest.

The Royals are also encouraging fans to make direct donations to the Pink in the Rink cancer promotion through their online page at, donate.bccancerfoundation.com/goto/pinkintherink.

[pontcanna]

Bit of a damp squib after last night's excitement. We were in good shape for about half the game, then the wheels came off. Hamilton played a blinder for quite a while too. But if our effort was OK, our execution was awful. The shots don't really reflect the chances, as most of ours were from outside and theirs were from right on the doorstep.

The Blazers played a very efficient road game and as such it wasn't a thrill a minute by any means. Shame that the full house on the big occasion were treated to a bit of a yawner (our first and only goal plus the fight afterwards were highlights). Jones was invisible (why was he scratched on Friday?) and I'm still annoyed with Mr. ($1025 jersey) Soudek for his undisciplined charging penalty that resulted in the Blazers making it 3-1.

But I still get a much more positive feeling from the team right now than before The Trade. Also the PG Cougars lost again at home (against EVERETT, ferchrissakes) so we need to sting them for all four points Tues/Weds.

[CdnSailor]

Regardless of what people say, Habscheid and Rintoul are useless as defensemen on the team and need to be benched. They continue to make to many mistakes, try to act as a forward and by that not able to get back in the D position. This continues to happen game in and game out.
Daddy crapped on his son this evening after screwing up.
Rintoul just saunters back to the bench says nothing and does nothing. He is supposed to be a team leader keeping the boys together, talking them up, getting the momentum going and guess what, he does absolutely nothing.
I know that the Blazers are a strong team and deserve to have won both games and that last night was well deserved by us by the way we played, but enough is enough. they continue to make Bantam mistakes in Junior Hockey.
If we lose to Prince George on Tues/Wed we are in a world of hurt.

[pontcanna]

Kamloops Blazers in the pink in win over Royals

BY CLEVE DHEENSAW, TIMESCOLONIST.COM JANUARY 28, 2012 11:08 PM


Pink was in the house Saturday night at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

Not the singer in concert, but the Victoria Royals and 7,006 of their fans clad in the colour for the annual fundraiser in support of cancer research.

But the funhouse filled up with evil clowns in the form of the Kamloops Blazers, who stole away with a 5-1 Western Hockey League victory.

After losing the opener of the two-game set 4-2 Friday night, the Blazers showed why they are 35-11-4 and No. 2 in the BMO Mastercard Canadian Hockey League ranking of major-junior teams behind only the London Knights of Ontario.

Kamloops, which had carried a 10-game unbeaten streak to the Island, began working on a new one Saturday.

"They [Blazers] have it figured out as a team and don't let up," said Victoria forward Tim Traber, whose first-period goal stood up as the lone counter until midway through the second period.

"We kind of broke down halfway through the second period."

Traber, better known as Victoria's defensive shutdown artist, opened scoring at 11:01 of the first. Traber seemed energized on offence and was stopped on a breakaway in the second period before Tim Bozon of Kamloops tied the game 1-1 at 13:46 of the second.

An unassisted, short-handed goal at 14:38 of the second period by Brendan Ranford, a seventh-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, pulled the Blazers into the lead and stood as the winner.

Colin Smith made it 3-1 at 19:25 of the second, and JC Lipon stretched that into a three-goal cushion on a power play at 8:07 of the third period. Brock Balson's power-play goal in the last minute just added to Kamloops' fine showing and Victoria's disappointing one in front of the large home crowd.

"[Friday] we had that extra, and tonight we didn't have that extra," said Victoria GM and head coach Marc Habscheid. "We were one step off."

The Royals (16-29-5), who hold down the eighth and final playoff slot in the Western Conference, are four points ahead of the ninth-place Everett Silvertips with a game in hand following the Tips' 4-3 victory over the Cougars on Saturday in Prince George.

The Royals remained five points ahead of the 10th-place Cougars, who retain two games in hand on Victoria.

Victoria remained one point behind the seventh-place Seattle Thunderbirds, following the T-Birds' 8-3 loss to Portland, although Seattle has three games in hand.

The Royals meet Prince George in a critical set Tuesday and Wednesday at the Memorial Centre.

"Those are huge points," said Traber.

"It's make or break time for us."

Asked about the impending set against the Cougars, the first visit of the franchise that called Victoria home for 23 seasons, the veteran Habscheid coolly replied: "They're all big games."

[the Royal Flush]

i agree with the Habsheid,Rintoul comments..they are both useless...Habsheid plays like a scared girl and Rintoul coughs up more crap than a 2 pack a day smoker...we got owned by a better team...thats it. I think the Sundher trade has been good for us as it appears we have a more balanced team as opposed to waiting for Sundher to "do it all"...Fransoo looks okay and Conroy will be fine...we need some toughness on D...if Kanzig turns into a mean As$hole over the summer it will benefit us 300% as he has the size to completely shut down his side of the ice as well as police the whole goddamn shootin' match...Hamilton played well,but not well enough to win us one.

[fatshad]

i agree with the Habsheid,Rintoul comments..they are both useless...Habsheid plays like a scared girl and Rintoul coughs up more crap than a 2 pack a day smoker...we got owned by a better team...thats it. I think the Sundher trade has been good for us as it appears we have a more balanced team as opposed to waiting for Sundher to "do it all"...Fransoo looks okay and Conroy will be fine...we need some toughness on D...if Kanzig turns into a mean As$hole over the summer it will benefit us 300% as he has the size to completely shut down his side of the ice as well as police the whole goddamn shootin' match...Hamilton played well,but not well enough to win us one.

Kamloops is a very good team , although I dont see them holding up through gruelling playoffs for too long !! ( not nearly enough size up front ) Getting a split from them is better than I thought we would do so thats a bonus !! The next two against PG are really huge , thats for sure !! Hoping Stahl can get back soon , Rintoull is logging to many minutes and looks tired as of late !! Go Royals Go !! :clap:

[bobsaget]

Kamloops is a very good team , although I dont see them holding up through gruelling playoffs for too long !! ( not nearly enough size up front ) Getting a split from them is better than I thought we would do so thats a bonus !! The next two against PG are really huge , thats for sure !! Hoping Stahl can get back soon , Rintoull is logging to many minutes and looks tired as of late !! Go Royals Go !! :clap:


Well the Blazers thank the opinions of a fan of one of the worst teams in the CHL. Their size isn't an issue, don't be mad cause they ran the Royals over all season long.

[fatshad]

Well the Blazers thank the opinions of a fan of one of the worst teams in the CHL. Their size isn't an issue, don't be mad cause they ran the Royals over all season long.

Blazers have been really poor for quite sometime so it is good they are having a good year !! The Royals have 12 guys that could have played Midget this year , they will be much better in a year or two. Thats the way it is in this league !! Thanks for your 2 bits though BOB !!! :):):)