4 Game Road Trip

[CdnSailor]

Upcoming road trip is going to be a real barn burner
Playing 4 games in 5 nights against 3 different teams.
Down under to Everett, one day break, up to Kelowna, down under again and then finally Vancouver.
For the Royals to be guaranteed a spot in the playoffs they will have to win at least 3 of the 4 games.
Prince George is all but out of the running unless a miracle happens.

[pontcanna]

Royals hope to be on road to playoff spot

BY CLEVE DHEENSAW, TIMESCOLONIST.COM MARCH 6, 2012 10:21 PM

If mild-mannered Victoria Royals forward Ben Walker can get into his first career fight, as he did Sunday against the Vancouver Giants, then you have to figure anything is possible over the final six games of the Western Hockey League regular season.

It promises to be quite a ride as the Royals embark on a four-game road trip trying to hold on to one of the final two playoff berths in the Western Conference, beginning tonight in Everett, Washington, with a potential four-point swing game against the Silvertips.

“It’s a big road trip and we need some points,” said Walker, a soft-spoken cross between Howdy Doody, Ron Howard, Prince Harry and that red-headed guy in the Harry Potter movies.

“As long as we’re prepared, we should be OK. We feel pretty good going in.”

Not feeling so hot, however, following Sunday’s 6-0 loss to the Giants, was Walker’s face.

“I didn’t feel the punches at all until afterwards when my face stiffened up,” said the unassuming rookie from Edina, Minnesota, of his scrap against Taylor Makin.

“It was my first fight ever. I’m not a fighter. I think I’ll stick to scoring.”

The punchline to the unexpected Walker punchfest was that it required the referee to blow the whistle in the second period just as fellow Minnesotan and Royals forward Logan Nelson had the Giants goalie deked on a clear breakaway and about to ruin Adam Morrison’s shutout.

“That was a bummer. I should have looked up to see where Nelly was,” winced Walker, after practice Tuesday at the Memorial Centre.

Nelson admitted having to do a double-take when he glanced back to see why play was being whistled in the midst of his breakaway.

“I had to look twice to see if I was really seeing what I was seeing,” chuckled Nelson.

“But Ben did all right for his first fight.”

The feistiness will come in handy tonight against an Everett team featuring a quartet of talented players. Top-shelf defenceman Ryan Murray played for Canada at the world junior championship and is the third-ranked North American skater for the 2012 NHL draft. Veteran goalie Kent Simpson was taken in the second round of the 2010 draft by the Chicago Blackhawks and forward Josh Birkholz in the third round in 2009 by the Florida Panthers. Import defenceman Dominik Bittner from Germany already has pro experience with the Heilbronn Falcons.

If you get past Murray and Bittner on defence, no easy task in itself, you still have Simpson staring you down in the crease.

“Simpson is hot right now,” noted Nelson, himself a rookie revelation ranked 108th among North American skaters for the 2012 NHL draft.

“We have to get faces in front of him and some snow on him. We have to get in his head a bit.”

The Royals’ zigzag road trip continues Friday in Kelowna against the Rockets before backtracking across the border for a another game in Everett on Saturday. Then it’s off to Vancouver on Sunday to face the Giants.

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

Seventh-place Victoria is one point ahead of eighth-place Everett, which holds down the final playoff berth, but the Silvertips have a game in hand.

The ninth-place Seattle Thunderbirds moved to within two points of the Royals with a game in hand following Tuesday night’s 3-1 victory over the fading 10th-place Prince George Cougars, who remained six points behind Victoria.

[CdnSailor]

at

Victoria's quest for the playoffs begins in ernest this evening.
Playing Everett 2 of the 4 games on this road trip.

Everett came into town one month ago today and kicked our butts two games straight. Victoria fans left the barn both games in shock, seeing a team that everyone thought the Royals should beat.
Hopefully there will be some revenge this evening.

One thing to factor is is our goalie and defense.
Both goalies are not all that great but we have had wins out of both of them.
Our top defensemen is -40, with this being the highest in the Royals roster. Can't do very good with a record like that.

Everett is currently in 8th spot with one game in hand and 1 point behind the Royals.

[CdnSailor]

3 2

Three Silvertip wins against the Royals. Victoria drops to 8th spot and Everett moves up to 7th. Silvertips still have one game in hand as well.
Shots on goal 37 - 13 for Victoria.

Prince George takes Seattle 3 - 1 leaving the Thunderbirds in 9th position down by 2 points.

[pontcanna]

Silvertips' stars shine brightest


BY CLEVE DHEENSAW, TIMESCOLONIST.COM MARCH 7, 2012 10:31 PM


Never underestimate the value of true blue-chip prospects.

The Everett Silvertips have a couple in goaltender Kent Simpson and defenceman Ryan Murray and rode them to a crucial 3-2 Western Hockey League victory over the Victoria Royals on Wednesday night in Washington state.

Simpson, a 2010 second-round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, was simply outstanding as Victoria outshot Everett 37-13 and was named the game’s first star.

The second star selected was Murray, who played for Canada at the world junior championship and is the third-ranked North American skater for the 2012 NHL draft. Murray finished the night with two assists and a plus-3 rating.

“The hockey gods were not smiling on us tonight,” said Royals GM and head coach Marc Habscheid.

“We deserved a better fate but Simpson was totally solid. We outshoot them by 24. They get two shots in the third period and two goals. Our guys played hard and played well. We were good defensively and created chances. We wanted the points. It’s disappointing because we feel we won the game but didn’t get the points.”

Jared Rathjen made only 10 saves in a rare light night of work. The Royals goalies are more used to having the shot balance tipped decidedly the other way.

It was the type of lean, spare playoff-like atmosphere everybody expected before 3,632 fans at Comcast Arena.

The result dropped the Royals into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference as the Silvertips moved a point ahead of Victoria into seventh place with a game in hand.

It could have been worse had the Cougars not beaten the Seattle Thunderbirds 3-1 in Prince George. That Wednesday result left ninth-place Seattle two points behind Victoria with a game in hand. Both the Silvertips and Thunderbirds would win the tiebreaker against the Royals. The 10th-place Cougars, meanwhile, moved to within four points of the Royals.

The Royals have five games remaining. They all loom large. They are in Kelowna on Friday against the Rockets, before a return engagement Saturday in Everett and a game Sunday in Vancouver against the Giants. The Royals close out the regular season with a two-game set next week at home against the Portland Winterhawks.

“We’re keeping our heads up,” said Habscheid.

“If we keep playing like that [Wednesday in Everett], we will get the points.”

Robin Soudek scored his 26th and 27th goals of the season for Victoria.

Joshua Winquist pulled Everett level after Soudek scored on the power play earlier in the second period.

Manraj Hayer gave the Silvertips the lead at 2:47 of the third period and Ryan Harrison tallied the winner at 14:58 before Soudek responded at 18:09.

Things got testy in the third period with Zane Jones of Victoria engaging Zach McPhee in a fight and Tim Traber of the Royals tangling with Silvertips defenceman Lucas Grayson of Port Hardy.

[the Royal Flush]

once again we got outgoaled...just once this season i would have liked one of our netmen to put in a stellar game when it mattered...oh well maybe next season with 2 new goalies...

[rednex50]

if Habby didn't piss Holowenko off last season, allowed him back up Gore...released/re-asssigned Gamble they wouldn't have had to go out and pay for Hamilton, and you would have had Holowneko and Rathjen/Vollrath this season...and next.

Its ok to have 1 season of inconsistent goaltending if you feel that they will grow (Holowenko is now the starter in PA - so it would have been a mute point).

I know hindsight is 20/20, but I felt he was a stud at the time he was drafted. He was a little slower than expected in his development but that could be for several reasons (including the system he was thrown into where he so more rubber than a dead ground hog on the Trans Canada Highway)

how different things would be...

[the Royal Flush]

more rubber than a Rock Bay prostitute...

[CdnSailor]

at

This is the final regular season game against the Rockets.

Victoria and Kelowna have played 7 games with Victoria winning 4 games.
Kelowna is locked in 6th place, currently on a 3 game winning streak and is 5 - 5 past 10.

Victoria is dwindling not sure where they will end up at the end of he season.
They are currently holding 8th spot with Seattle biting at their heals one game behind and one game in hand.

The Royals are currently on a 2 game losing streak and is 4 and 6 past 10.

[IR_Hockey]

Victoria really needs this game against Kelowna, as the return trip to Everett and the next night against Vancouver will be difficult.