Vancouver at Victoria 3/4 Mar

[CdnSailor]

6 0

SCORING 1 2 3 Total
Vancouver Giants 1 4 1 6
Victoria Royals 0 0 0 0

SHOTS 1 2 3 Total
Vancouver Giants 12 19 6 37
Victoria Royals 8 4 6 18

3 STARS
1. VAN - 7 Matt Bellerive
2. VAN - 12 Cain Franson
3. VAN - 4 Tyler Vanscourt

Attendance: 5935

Game Summary
http://www.whl.ca/schedule/show/game/60108

[CdnSailor]

Not sure if Hamilton did anything for the Royals in the 3rd as there was only 6 shots on net vice 19 in the 2nd.
As usual our defence sat on their butts after doing such a great job on Friday.

6 games to go with little hope in site unless Prince George and Everett start losing again.

[rednex50]

6 games left, only 2 points up on Everett who have a game in hand and 4 points up on Seattle who have 2 games in hand.

Everett has the momentum going 5-5-0-0 in their last 10 (Victoria is 4-6-0-0 and Seattle I think has crapped the bed going 2-8-0-0), but would hold the tie breaker with more wins if they tied.

I just don't think the Royals will have enough to get them in this season. Part of my wants to if they don't make it, but part of me will also be ...even with the "new home" I still pay attention, maybe not as much as before...but most of these guys are still "my boys" and I was to see them do well (to spite the crap we got from Porter, Burke, Robison and the BoG's).

[rednex50]

forgot to mention as well...as the only team over 300 goals allowed (and possibly the ONLY team to actually achieve such a distinction), I do not see that boding well in their quest for 3 seasons in a row making the 2nd season.

If you can't score, keep it out of your own net!!!

Neither Hamilton (4.27 GAA / .875 SA%) or Rathjen (5.10 GAA / .836 SA%) have been anywhere near where Gore, Friesen and Esposito have been between the pipes in years previous. Rathjen is young, and he may have lately been holding up his end...but numbers don't lie. Holowenko was chastized for similar numbers on fewer games played at 16/17 yrs of age...before being dealt away.

I don't see Hamilton being back next season, I don't see Rathjen being the saviour either. Vollrath may be the ace in the hole, but I feel should see a year under a good vet G who can help him along.

This will be a long summer for Habby. He'll need to majorly rebuild between the pipes and the blue line, yet again. Losing Rintoul (O/A) and possibly Stahl (pro) possibly leaving Habby Jr and Fransoo as your most experienced 2 D...I think speaks volumes about how much trouble this team will be in next season without some major huge deals. The only thing I can think of is to deal from your strenth of '94 forwards to shore up Blue Line and allow guys like Pilton, Zgrag and Kanzig to not be pushed front and centre in pretty much yr 2 as a Major Jr. I know that some may think that'll be ok...but IMHO you are only asking for more of this season if that is the case...and that means get lots of sun block for the G's necks as that red light will be frequent and often.

[pontcanna]

Giants shut out Royals, gain weekend split

BY CLEVE DHEENSAW, TIMESCOLONIST.COM MARCH 4, 2012

Dinah Washington was right.

What a difference a day makes. In this case, even less than her famous “24 little hours.”

The Victoria Royals followed up one of their most inspired performances of the Western Hockey League season — a 5-2 Saturday night victory over the Vancouver Giants — with a Sunday matinée dud as the Giants skated to a comprehensive 6-0 victory over Victoria before 5,935 subdued fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

“They were totally different games,” Royals forward Tim Traber said.

“[Saturday] we came out flying and hitting, but were flat today.”

It was a divergent tune, of course, being hummed Sunday afternoon in the much happier Giants dressing room.

“That was a real solid game for us from start to finish,” said Vancouver head coach Don Hay, who admitted to being displeased by his club’s Saturday showing.

“We played Friday, too, so this was our third game in three days and I didn’t know what we’d be like today. But we have good leaders in our group,” added the veteran mentor Hay, who coached Canada to the bronze medal this year at the 2012 world junior championships.

Everybody pointed to the first goal, at just 15 seconds by Riley Kieser, as being key.

“It was a small mistake right off the bat and it cost us,” Traber said.

After Saturday night, Hay was looking for a quick boost and got one.

“Taking the lead today, so early at 15 seconds, was important for us,” he said.

Royals GM and head coach Marc Habscheid indicated another turning point.

“It was close until they got the second goal [on the power play at 3:45 of the second period by defenceman and 2011 second-round Edmonton Oilers draft pick David Musil],” he noted.

“Then Vancouver turned it up and really pushed. It was like the ice was tilted.”

Habscheid’s descriptive phrase pretty much summed up the afternoon as the Giants outshot the Royals 37-18. Starting Victoria goalie Jared Rathjen gave up five goals on 31 shots over two periods before giving way to Keith Hamilton, who allowed one goal on six shots in the third period.

The six-foot-three Adam Morrison, a 2009 third-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, recorded his 32nd win and first shutout of the season with 18 saves.

The goals came from Kieser, Musil, Jackson Houck, Cain Franson, Tyler Vanscourt and Matt Bellerive as the Giants moved to 37-25-4.

The Royals are 21-39-6 and down to six games remaining as they shakily hold the seventh of eight playoff positions in the Western Conference. Victoria is one point ahead of the eighth-place Everett Silvertips and four points in front of the ninth-place Seattle Thunderbirds, but the Silvertips hold a game and the Thunderbirds two games in hand on the Royals.

The Royals remained six points ahead of the 10th-place Prince George Cougars, who also retain a game in hand.

“There is a huge sense of urgency,” Traber said.

“Every game is huge for us.”

Victoria now embarks on a four-game road trip that is as geographically unusual as it is crucial. The Royals travel back and forth across the U.S. border for games Wednesday in Everett, Friday in Kelowna, Saturday back in Everett and next Sunday in Vancouver.

The regular season concludes with a home set against the Portland Winterhawks March 14 and March 16.

“We’ve just got to find a way to get points,” Habscheid said.

“We got two [Saturday] and none today. When you’ve got a young group like this, inconsistency happens.”

[fatshad]

I'm wondering if it will be "Bag-Skate with the Kids" for the Royals right now?

Oh dear, another one of those "the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train" weekends. That 00:15 goal certainly indicated we weren't ready to play and were lucky to get out of the first only 1-0 down. Least said the better about the second...it got to be entertaining wondering when we'd get that second shot on the Giant net. I think it was after minute 15.

Don't think they'll have sold many playoff ticket packages this afternoon. The radio folk were again working hard to find a positive spin in the after-game show...Soudek got grinder of the game, at least he did have a pulse this afternoon.

Bag skates are old school and dont help in any way at this point of the season !! Staying positive and working on crucial areas like pp and pk are whats needed now !! These are not peewees or bantams , bag skates are for the first half of the season !! In this tight playoff situation coaches that can motivate players is huge !! Not sure that is happening from what I am seeing !! Go Royals Go !!