The Game
The Silvertips might feel like they let one slip away Monday at Victoria. They trailed twice in the second period only to come back and take the lead at the end of the frame. And when the Royals tied it in the third, the Tips took the lead again with Noah Juulsen’s power play goal.
But it all fell apart after that as Jack Walker scored a hat trick in the game’s final seven minutes as the Royals won their ninth straight.
The good news is that the Tips did score four goals for the third straight game after tallying no more than two goals in the previous five. Of course that comes with the caveat of allowing six goals themselves.
It was the first of four meetings with Victoria – all of which will come in the Tips’ final 20 games as head coach Kevin Constantine noted in the radio pregame show with broadcaster Mike Benton. The Royals are in second place behind Kelowna in the Western Conference and B.C. Division standings and having a better year than most thought they would. The same, of course, could be said about the Silvertips.
Carson Stadnyk had a goal and an assist for his second consecutive two-point game. It would be a huge boost for the Tips if they could get the overager going offensively here in the final stretch run prior to the postseason – particularly with Dawson Leedahl out and Remi Laurencelle having not scored in his last nine games.
Connor Dewar replaced Leedahl (out four-to-six weeks) on the first line Monday and earned plaudits from Benton on the radio broadcast. He scored his ninth goal of the season and continues to get ample time on special teams as his impressive rookie campaign continues.
The Turning Point
Jack Walker scored the tying, go-ahead and insurance goals in a span of 5:17 in the third quarter as the Victoria Royals put together a four-goal third period to beat the Tips.
Three Stars
1. Victoria F Tyler Soy: Soy had two goals and two assists.
2. Victoria F Jack Walker: Walker had a hat trick and added an assist.
3. Victoria F Matthew Phillips: The diminutive dynamo had a goal and an assist.
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