The Game
We figured Victoria was going to make it a series and the Royals showed that Saturday night in a 4-3 win over the Everett Silvertips at Xfinity Arena.
Victoria scored three goals set up from behind the net including two that came directly following lost faceoffs as the Silvertips continue to deal with the absence of centers Devon Skoleski and Riley Sutter (both upper body injuries). In fact, Everett has lost five centers in total since the trade deadline. Besides Skoleski and Sutter, the Tips are without Brett Kemp (traded to Edmonton), Orrin Centazzo (broken collarbone) and Bradly Goethals (left the team on East swing). So the sooner Sutter and Skoleski return the better for Everett’s postseason fortunes.
In the meantime Connor Dewar and Brian King have shouldered center responsibilities after spending most of the year playing on the wing. Defensemen Montana Onyebuchi and Ian Walker have also skated both playoff games on the fourth line.
“The guys who have played those roles have done a great job so far,” Everett captain Noah Juulsen said. “I think as a team we just need to have better stick-on-puck behind the net and shut those guys down.”
Here was the game-winner from Vladimir Bobylev set up by a Victoria faceoff win:
Vladimir Bobylev scores the GWG late and the @victoriaroyals tie the series 1-1 #EVTvsVIC #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/v7SFGlf25a
— #WHLPlayoffs (@TheWHL) March 26, 2017
The power play units for both teams are clicking. Or the penalty kills aren’t. I guess it depends on how you look at it. Everett is 4-for-8 on the power play while Victoria is 4-for-7.
“If you go back and look at the four regular-season games they had their chances and goals then too (on the power play),” Everett head coach Kevin Constantine said. “It’s a bit unusual for our penalty kill because we’ve been pretty good during the year. But it’s not totally different than a little bit of what the (season) series was like.”
The Tips scored first (on the power play) and later took a 2-1 lead (on the power play). Their only even-strength goal tied it 3-3 in the third and utilized some impressive stickwork from Lucas Skrumeda and a nice finish from Brandson Hein:
.@lucas_skrumeda with the leg work, @brandsonhein with the finish. Tie game 3-3. #EVTvsVIC #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/V9202Uryxx
— #WHLPlayoffs (@TheWHL) March 26, 2017
The Turning Point
At 1:40 in the second period Tyler Soy scored a game-tying goal when he bounced a shot off Carter Hart’s back and into the net. That made it 2-2 less than a minute after Everett had taken its second lead. The Royals never trailed again.
Three Stars
1. Victoria F Tyler Soy: Soy had two goals.
2. Victoria F Jack Walker: Walker had a pair of assists.
3. Everett F Patrick Bajkov: Bajkov had a goal and an assist.
Honorable mention: Victoria F Vladimir Bobylev (game-winning goal), Victoria D Chaz Reddekopp (two assists), Everett F Dominic Zwerger (two assists).
For the latest Silvertips news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter.
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