Skip to content
Join our Newsletter
  1. Home
  2. Sports

Royals win in OT despite blowing another lead

Victoria hosts Seattle on Friday night
Cleve Dheensaw
Cleve Dheensaw
web1_vka-royals-02102
Dawson Pasternak and the Royals edged the Giants on Sunday afternoon. (ADRIAN LAM, TIMES COLONIST)

A dreaded sense of déjà-vu enveloped the faithful in the stands of Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on Sunday afternoon. Was it about to happen again?

The Victoria Royals squandered a lead for the third consecutive game, this time 2-0, but escaped with a 3-2 overtime victory against the Vancouver Giants. The Royals led 3-0 on Friday at the Langley Events Centre before losing 5-3 to the Giants and Victoria led 5-1 on Saturday night at the Memorial Centre before losing 7-6 in overtime to the Giants.

Vancouver again rallied on Sunday, tying the game with one minute remaining in the third period, to earn five of a possible six points in their three-game set against the Royals.

Dawson Pasternak gambled on a pinch and stole the puck to record the overtime goal at 15 seconds for Victoria on Sunday.

“It feels really good because it’s important for us to be back in the win column,” said ­Pasternak, in the media scrum following the game.

“It’s been a tough little stretch for us. We really deserved this and it’s a great feeling and will be good for the guys this week.”

Pasternak, a forward who leads the team with 49 points, was forced to play defence again due to the injury situation on the Victoria blue line. It includes 2024 NHL draft-ranked Nate Misskey out month-to-month and blue-liners Austin ­Zemlak and Hudson Bjornson also injured.

“You see the ice completely differently, the way the plays develop from offence to defence, and how important the first touch is to move the puck quickly,” said Pasternak, of ­playing defence.

Pasternak has been partnered with Arizona Coyotes-drafted Royals rearguard Justin Kipkie, the latter who is seeing up to 30 minutes of ice time per game, because of the injuries on the Victoria defence. Kipkie is tied for second in the WHL for goals by a defenceman with 15.

“[Kipkie] is a great player who is really lighting it up this season,” said Pasternak.

Tyson Laventure, with his 21st goal of the season, and ­Teydon Trembecky, with his eighth, gave Victoria ­(25-16-7) the lead in regulation time. ­Royals goaltender Braden Holt was named game second star for his 30 saves. ­Slovak world junior championship tournament veteran and Calgary Flames first-round draft-pick Samuel Honzek, taken 16th overall in the 2023 NHL draft, had two assists for the Giants (20-24-3).

The Royals play the Seattle Thunderbirds (16-24-2), hit hard by graduation after winning the WHL championship last ­season, on Friday at the ­Memorial ­Centre and Sunday in Kent, Washington.

[email protected]