After 23 years, WHL playoffs return
After 23 years, WHL playoffs return
BY MARIO ANNICCHIARICO, TIMESCOLONIST.COM MARCH 27, 2012 10:30 PM
After a 23-year hiatus, Victoria-area Western Hockey League fans welcomed back the playoffs Tuesday night at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
More than 5,000 spectators were in their seats to support the Victoria Royals in Game 3 of their Western Conference quarter-final. The Royals played the first two games of the best-of-seven series on the road, and lost both to the Kamloops Blazers.
Coincidentally, it was the same opponent — the Blazers — who the local WHLers played way back in the 1988-89 post-season. The Victoria Cougars lost that series 5-3 when the West Division played a best-of-nine series, with just four of six teams qualifying in the division. The Cougars moved to Prince George in 1994, after five lean years without post-season play.
"I was here for that last series," said local superfan Jody Rice. "The Cougars were up 3-2 and they lost the last three games to the Blazers. That was in the old Memorial Arena. It was a best-of-nine and they blew it.
"It was a horrible finish — horrible. But it's very exciting to have it back. I've supported everything in town from the BCHL to the ECHL, but the WHL is my favourite league. It's a lot of fun having the WHL playoffs back."
The Royals were welcomed with a Sea of Blue as fans waved some of the 4,000 towels that read "We are Royal blue, are you?" which were handed out.
Kamloops won 7-5. The series now stands 3-0 for the Blazers with Game 4 tonight at 7 at Memorial Centre.
Blazers put the heat on Royals
Blazers put the heat on Royals
BY CLEVE DHEENSAW, TIMESCOLONIST.COM MARCH 27, 2012 10:38 PM
Perhaps it is only perversely fitting the Victoria Royals are on the verge of elimination in the Western Hockey League playoffs because of defence, goaltending and special teams — because that is the triple-axel of problems which have bedeviled the club all season.
You only have to look at one statistic to see why the seventh-seed Royals are down 3-0 to the second-seed Kamloops Blazers in their best-of-seven opening-round Western Conference series.
The 18 goals allowed by Victoria in the three games stands out like Mount Baker on a clear day. So do Kamloops’ five special-team goals Tuesday night — three on the power play and two short-handed — in the Blazers’ 7-5 victory in Game 3 before 5,255 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
The Royals’ season hangs in the balance in Game 4 tonight at 7 inside the Memorial Centre.
“It’s reality . . . the way it is,” said Victoria GM and head coach Marc Habscheid, about the dire situation his club faces.
“To use the old clichés, it’s one shift, one game at a time. Our guys never quit. They competed like heck.”
Not even Jamie Crooks’ hat-trick was enough to save the Royals on this night.
“I would like to get a win more than a hat-trick,” said Crooks.
“[Today] is a new day and we have to come back and win. It’s not going to be easy. But we’re going to try to do it [win the series]. You can’t get too high or too low.”
Victoria got off to the start it so desperately needed by taking a 2-0 lead on first-period goals by Zane Jones and Crooks.
Kamloops suddenly didn’t look as invincible with captain Chase Schaber out with a serious cut incurred early in the first period and best defenceman Austin Madaisky sitting out the first game of a two-game league suspension for a hit on Jones in Game 2.
And the Royals received a gift in the final minute of the first period when an apparent Kamloops goal was waved off because of a questionable goaltender-interference penalty. But the hockey gods have a way of exacting justice — Dylan Willick of Kamloops scored short-handed on the ensuing Victoria power play to make it 2-1 at 54 seconds of the second period.
A stoppable shot by Tim Bozon tied it 2-2 at 2:55 and Landon Cross on the power play gave Kamloops a 3-2 lead as a hush fell over the crowd. But two follow-up tap-ins by Crooks at 5:51 and 8:26 of the second — after respective shots by defencemen Jordan Fransoo and Jesse Zgraggen pinged off posts — put Victoria back into the lead at 4-3.
An inability by Victoria to clear the puck led to Jordan DePape’s power-play goal as Kamloops levelled 4-4 at 14:55. Then Matt Needham simply blew past the Victoria defence to give Kamloops the lead with an unassisted shorthanded goal at 17:26.
That was it for Royals crease starter Jared Rathjen, replaced by Keith Hamilton, who was set upon almost immediately by JC Lipon with a power-play goal at 18:48 to make it 6-4.
“It’s frustrating to lose three straight. We have lapses that cost us,” said Royals captain Hayden Rintoul.
Austin Carroll got Victoria to 6-5 at 1:20 of the third period. But Colin Smith restored Kamloops’ two-goal lead at 6:38.
Sniper's hat trick not enough as Royals go down 3-0 in series
By Staff Writer - Victoria News
Published: March 28, 2012 9:00 AM
Updated: March 28, 2012 10:13 AM
Jamie Crooks' hat trick wasn't enough and now it's do-or-die for the Victoria Royals.
The Kamloops Blazers won 7-5 on Tuesday and take a 3-0 series lead into Game 4 Wednesday night at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.
The game was full of momentum shifts that ultimately went Kamloops' way.
Zane Jones and Crooks scored to give the Royals a 2-0 lead in the first period but the Blazers came back to make it 3-2 on goals from Dylan Willock, Tim Bozon and Landon Cross.
Crooks then scored back-to-back goals in the second period to regain the lead 4-3. But it was short lived. The Blazers struck back with goals from Jordan DePape, Matt Needham and JC Lipon to close out the second period with a 6-4 lead.
Royals forward Austin Carroll scored to make it 6-5 early in the third but that was it for the Royals as Colin Smith scored to make it 7-5 five minutes later.
Rookie netminder Jared Rathjen started but was shaky, giving up the lead twice, though he managed 16 saves on 20 shots. Keith Hamilton replaced Rathjen late in the second period and made 10 of 12 stops.
Crooks leads the Royals with four goals and an assist, tied for fourth overall in WHL playoff goal scoring.
The Blazers were back at Memorial Centre on Wednesday, crashing tables and doing impressions.