Preview: Vancouver at Victoria (Sat. March 3)

The 7th place Victoria Royals (20-38-2-4, 46pts) entertain the 5th ranked team in the West, the Vancouver Giants (36-24-1-3, 76pts) in the first of a two game home set Saturday.  The pregame show is at 6:45 pst on The Zone @ 91.3 FM

STANDINGS:  Victoria holds the 7th spot in the West by one point over the Everett Silvertips who lept into 8th place with a 4-0 win over the now 9th seed Seattle Thunderbirds Friday night.  Just 3 points separates 7th from 9th.  Prince George remains in 10th, six back of Victoria.  Only Seattle has a game in hand.

With 76 points, Vancouver is 5th, one point back of Spokane.  The Giants are 13 ahead of the Rockets.

SERIES: It’s meeting number 8 of 10, with Victoria looking for their 3rd win in the season series.  Their most recent encouter an 11-3 loss in Vancouver Nov. 18th.  The Royals last win against the Giants came on home ice Nov. 4th by a score of 2-1.  They’ll clash again Sunday at 1pm, and wrap up the series in Vancouver on Sunday March 11th.

Victoria 3 @ Vancouver 11 (Nov 18 2011)
Vancouver 5 @ Victoria 3 (Nov 5 2011)
Vancouver 1 @ Victoria 2 (Nov 4 2011)
Victoria 1 @ Vancouver 8 (Oct 21 2011)
Victoria 1 @ Vancouver 5 (Oct 10 2011)
Vancouver 3 @ Victoria 5 (Sep 24 2011)
Victoria 2 @ Vancouver 5 (Sep 23 2011)

LAST GAMES:  The Royals opened up a four game home stand with a pair of losses to the Spokane Chiefs, 4-2 Tuesday and 6-1 Wednesday, after a pair of wins in Prince George.  They closed out the month of February with a record of (4-8-0-1).

The Medicine Tigers came from behind to beat the Giants in Vancouver Friday night 6-4.  The Tigers scored 3 power play goals while the Giants went 0 for 8.  Vancouver out shot Medicine Hat 39-20.  The Giants won their previous game 5-3 in Kamloops Feb 25th, but have only one win their last 5, and 5 wins in 10.  Vancouver is in the middle of 3 in 3 nights with a road record of (15-14-1-2).

UP NEXT:  After the weekend set with Vancouver, Victoria heads out for their final four road games with stops in Everett, Kelowna, Everett and Vancouver – 4 games in 5 nights.  They wrap up the regular season at home with a pair against Portland.

WHO’S HOT:  Victoria’s Steven Hodges has 4 points (2g 2a) during his 3 game point streak.  Jamie Crooks leads the team in goals (33) and points (63).  Hayden Rintoul leads all defenseman in power play goals with 13, and is tied for 9th among reargaurds in points (46).  Logan Nelson is 4th in rookie scoring and leads the team in assists (35).

Vancouver is led by Brendan Gallagher’s 73 points and team leading 39 goals.  He’s on a 3 game point streak (3g 2a).  Marek Tvrdon is second in team scoring with 63 points, on a 3 game point streak (3g 1a) and is second in rookie scoring (63). 

STATS:  Victoria’s penalty killing has been perfect over their last four games (14 for 14), moving into 15th best overall.

Vancouver has taken the 2nd most PIM’s on average per game.  Their power play is ranked 15th, and penalty kill 11th best.  They’ve scored the 11th most goals for, while allowing the 12th most.  The Giants are stingy by allowing the 3rd fewest shots against on average (28.49).  Statistically their first period is the best when analyzing the goal differential per period (+25, -2, -6).

LEADING SCORERS:

Crooks (33-30-63)
Nelson (21-35-56)
Soudek (25-28-53)
Rintoul (15-31-46)
Magee (21-23-44)

Gallagher (38-35-73)
Tvrdon (25-38-63)
Franson (25-29-54)
Martinook (35-18-53)
Manning (7-30-37)

HEAD TO HEAD:
                        GP    G    A    Pts
Robin Soudek      7     4     2     6    
Steven Hodges    7     3     2     5    
Jamie Crooks      7     2     2     4    
Brandon Magee   6     1     3     4    
Logan Nelson     7     2     1     3

Brendan Gallagher 5     7     8     15    
Marek Tvrdon        7     7     8     15    
Cain Franson        7     4     5     9    
Dalton Sward        7     6     2     8    

DRAFTED/NHL SIGNED PLAYERS: For Victoria: D Tyler Stahl (Carolina, 6th rd 2010), D Jordan Fransoo (Ottawa, 7th rd 2011).  For Vancouver: F Marek Tvrdon (DET 4th rd 2011 ), F Brendan Gallagher (MTL 5th rd 2010 ), D David Musil (EDM 2nd rd 2011), G Adam Morrison (PHI 3rd rd 2009)

TOP PROSPECTS:  Central Scoutings mid-term rankings of North American players positions Victoria’s Steven Hodges (55), and Logan Nelson (108).  For Vancouver: D Brett Kulak (67), F Dalton Sward (188).

INJURIES:
For Vancouver:
#16, Austin Fyten, Lower body, 1 month+
#14, Austin Vetterl, Lower body, 1 month+

For Victoria:
#3, Zach Habscheid, Lower body, 1 month