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WHL Victoria Royals

Royals Fall to Rockets

April 3, 2022 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Victoria Royals News Release


Victoria Royals goaltender Tyler Palmer vs. the Kelowna Rockets
Victoria Royals goaltender Tyler Palmer vs. the Kelowna Rockets
(Victoria Royals)

Kelowna, BC - Kelowna Rockets goalie Jari Kykkanen stopped 15 of 15 shots on the way to his first career shutout and a 5-0 victory over the visiting Victoria Royals.

The Rockets were bolstered by a strong offensive night from forwards Colton Dach, Andrew Cristall, and Elias Carmichael, all who had a goal and an assist in the victory.

Royals goaltender Tyler Palmer stopped 33 of the 38 shots he faced in the loss, ending his four game win streak.

In addition to a disappointing defensive effort, Victoria struggled to gain footing on the offensive side of the puck, managing just 15 total shots.

The Rockets came out of the gate hot, scoring twice in the first 10 minutes of play on goals by forwards Colton Dach (17) at 4:08 and Jake Lee (14) at 7:30.

Kelowna would add to their lead in the second, with forward Andrew Cristall scoring his 28th at 9:01 of the frame, giving his team the 3-0 advantage.

The Rockets offence would continue to overwhelm the Royals in the third, adding two more goals by forwards Pavel Novak (27) at 10:31 and Elias Carmichael (3) at 13:36 to solidify a 5-0 victory.

Saturday's game marked the final meeting of the season between these two teams, the series ending with Kelowna holding a 9-3-0-0 record over Victoria on the year.

The defeat brings the Royals record to 22-36-5-1 on the year as they remain in a tie with the Vancouver Giants for the sixth spot in the conference with 50 total points.

Meanwhile, the Rockets sit at 37-19-1-5 with 80 points on the year, having put a tight grip on fifth place in the West.

Kelowna will get a few days rest before beginning a two-game road series with the Prince George Cougars on Tuesday night.

The Royals will get the benefit of some added rest as they aren't scheduled to be back in action until next Friday night when they head to Kamloops for a date against the Blazers. Puck drop for that game is scheduled for 7:00pm at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops.

The Royals next set of home games will be Apr. 15 and 16 against the Spokane Chiefs. Friday's contest will be a Superhero Salute where the Royals will recognize local heroes and frontline workers.

The game on the 16th will be an opportunity for fans to celebrate Marty's Belated Birthday and Senior Night where we honour our 20-year-old players.

For tickets to upcoming Royals home games, visit the Victoria Royals ticketing page or call the Select Your Ticket box office at 250-220-7777. Visit the Royals promo page for all special ticket offers.

Follow the Royals on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok and visit our website to find out more about ticket sales and the latest news on the team. To get all your Royals news in one place, download the new Royals app available on both Apple and Google stores.

Check out the Victoria Royals Statistics




Images from this story

Victoria Royals goaltender Tyler Palmer vs. the Kelowna Rockets
Victoria Royals goaltender Tyler Palmer vs. the Kelowna Rockets
   



Western Hockey League Stories from April 3, 2022


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