VICTORIA, B.C. — The Everett Silvertips were able to beat eight of their nine Western Conference opponents this season.
However, they never could solve the Victoria Royals, dropping all four contests to the Scotty Munro Trophy winners including Saturday’s regular-season finale 4-1 before 7,006 fans at Save-On-Foods Arena.
With each team’s playoff positioning already established, Saturday’s game was only for pride. Victoria (50-16-3-3, 106 points) and Everett (38-26-5-3, 84 points) will not meet again unless the teams face one another in the Western Conference finals.
The Tips won only three times in their final 13 games. They will play Portland in the first round of the playoffs after the Winterhawks clinched third place Saturday night by reaching overtime against Seattle. The series begins next Friday at Xfinity Arena.
In Saturday’s finale Tyler Soy scored twice, Vladimir Bobylev had a goal and an assist, and Jack Walker and Alex Forsberg had two assists for the Royals.
Cole MacDonald had Everett’s lone goal. Devon Skoleski and Brycen Martin had assists.
Everett goalie Mario Petit, making his fourth consecutive start in place of Carter Hart, recorded 23 saves. Griffen Outhouse had 19 saves for Victoria.
The Royals led 2-0 through the first 20 minutes. Soy’s tap-in at 5:11 in the second on a pass from Jack Walker pushed the advantage to 3-0.
MacDonald put the Tips on the board with a slap shot from the point at 6:32, but Soy answered with a power play goal into the open net at 15:26, and the Royals took a 4-1 lead into the third period.
Neither team scored in the final period, and the squads combined for just 10 shots in the frame.
The Royals scored twice in the opening period as they offered up 11 shots in the opening frame.
Bobylev opened the scoring when he tucked the puck inside the right post and by Petit at 8:28 in the first period.
Phillips made it 2-0 when he tapped in a feed from Forsberg from the left circle at 11:50 on the power play.
The Royals outshot the Tips 27-20. Victoria was 2-for-5 on the power play while Everett was 0-for-2.
Everett010—1
Victoria220—4
1st Period—1, Victoria, Bobylev 28 (Gagnon, Walker), 8:28. 2, Victoria, Phillips 37 (Forsberg, Hicketts), 11:50 (PP). Penalties—MacDonald Evt (kneeing), 11:28.
2nd Period—3, Victoria, Soy 45 (Walker, Bobylev), 5:11. 4, Everett, MacDonald 9 (Skoleski, Martin), 6:32. 5, Victoria, Soy 46 (Hicketts, Forsberg), 15:26 (PP). Penalties—MacDonald Evt (hooking), 15:01; Stadnyk Evt (interference), 19:46.
3rd Period—No Scoring.Penalties—Hicketts Vic (roughing), 5:03; Soy Vic (delay of game), 6:40; Dewar Evt (tripping), 11:07; Skrumeda Evt (charging), 16:58.
Shots on Goal—Everett 8-8-4-20. Victoria 11-10-6-27.
Power Play Opportunities—Everett 0/2; Victoria 2/5.
Goalies—Everett, Petit 3-3-4-0 (27 shots-23 saves). Victoria, Outhouse 18-3-3-1 (20 shots-19 saves).
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