4 3 in Shootout

New kids on the block?

Who knows?

The upstart Victoria Royals (3-0) defeated the Kamloops Blazers (2-0-1) — the consensus favourites in the B.C. Division of the Western Hockey League — 4-3 in a shootout Friday night before 4,447 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

Paced by Logan Nelson’s regulation-time goal and then his winner in shootout, Victoria rallied from a 2-0 first-period deficit.

“We’re playing one of the top teams in the country [Kamloops is ranked eighth in the BMO Mastercard Canadian Hockey League Top-10 poll], and you can’t always expect to be playing with the lead. The guys recognized that,” Royals head coach Dave Lowry said.

“There was still 40 minutes to play. As the game went on, we got better.”

Victoria goaltender Patrik Polivka redeemed himself with three saves in the shootout after allowing a late third-period goal at 15:35 by Tim Bozon that Polivka got a pad on before the puck trickled across the line to tie the game 3-3. That was a tough break for a Royals club that had rallied to take the lead against a good team.

“I stayed focused,” said Polivka, a rookie Czech import.

“I like shootouts. It feels amazing, especially when you win.”

Goals by Cole Ully, the second on the power play, gave Kamloops a 2-0 lead in the first period.

A power-play goal from the point by defenceman Brett Cote, quietly outstanding, brought Victoria to within one at 1:57 of the second period.

The second frame ended with Victoria holding a

27-13 shots advantage, although Kamloops kept most of those shots from well outside.

Nelson made a deft and daring move from the deep corner to sweep to the net to tie the score 2-2 at 5:52 of the third period.

“That’s what I have to do. That’s why I’m here,” said Minnesota native Nelson, 2012 NHL draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres.

Swift Victoria forward Ben Walker then picked the Kamloops defence clean behind the net to feed Alex Gogolev to make it 3-2 at 6:39.

“We played one period at a time, and we played hard,” Nelson said.

The result was tempered by the fact that Kamloops was missing top rearguard Tyler Hansen, scoring star Brendan Ranford and starting goalkeeper Cole Cheveldave.

The Royals, however, were full value for the two points.

Cote was named first star.

“[Cote] plays against the other team’s top guys and with our youngest guys,” Lowry said.

“That’s the trust we have in him.”

The teams meet again Sunday in a 1 p.m. matinée at the Memorial Centre.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com


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