Royals tarnish big day for Maser
biggest crowd of the season.
“They came out hard and we were a bit sleepy to start but it’s just something we worked through and we got a couple of good bounces and we’re happy we got the win,” said the 19-year Phillips, who got the Royals on the board with his 22nd of the season, 4:06 into the third period.
“We had a lot of guys feeling good about our 10-3 win against Kootenay (on Friday) and we know Prince George plays really physical, but once we got our legs under us we found our offence from there.”
The Cougars penalty-killers held the Royals without a shot in their first three advantages but it was only a matter of time before the league’s second-highest scoring team found a way. The Royals were on their sixth power play when defenceman Kyle Freadrich let go a point blast for the second Victoria goal, 1:33 after Phillips scored. Freadrich also connected for a 4-on-4 goal 9:37 into the third period which tied it 3-3.
“They took a lot of stick penalties and stuff like that and those are ones you want to capitalize on,” said Phillips. “When you shoot the puck and have guys around it, it usually finds its way in.”
Maser’s first of the game, 13:41 into the first period on a Cats’ power play, brought instant relief for the Cougars. With Jackson Leppard providing a screen, Brogan O’Brien fired a hard pass to Maser standing just off the post and he redirected it in - triggering the storm or plastic-wrapped stuffed toys, clothes and gift certificates from the fans, to be given by the Salvation Army to families in need.
Leppard made it a 2-0 game 5:17 into the second period with a hard shot from 30 feet out that got behind goalie Griffen Outhouse. Josh Curtis came close to making it a three-goal lead on a penalty shot a few minutes later, but missed the net trying to put one in over the glove of Outhouse.
Just before the period ended, Maser had his second goal of the game. Curtis lofted a backhander into a scrum in front of Outhouse and Maser crashed the crease and whacked in the loose puck for a 3-0 lead. All of Maser’s goals came on power plays. The Cougars finished the game 3-for-3 with the man advantage.
“I thought we played a pretty solid game out there and we had a three-goal lead going into the third, so maybe we could have defended that a little better,” said Maser, who has six goals in his last four games.
“It was pretty special (scoring the teddy bear goal) and to be honest I can’t really remember much, I just kind of zoned out and saw teddy bears coming over the glass. Pucks were finding my stick tonight. It happens a lot to some guys and the puck just seems to follow you around and fortunate enough tonight it was following mine around.
“It was a really good pass from Obie (O’Brien), he was finding me pretty well. It sucks that he got hurt. It was a dirty play and we can’t have that in our league. He’s a leader in our room and he had to leave the game because of that cheap shot.”
O’Brien, who had two assists, took the brunt of a knee-on-knee collision with Royals defenceman Kade Jensen 7:19 into the third period and did not return. Jensen drew a five-minute major and game misconduct on the play.
The Cougars eventually did capitalize on that major penalty a couple minutes after Freadrich’s tying goal when Maser deflected Ryan Schoettler’s shot into a crowd in front of the net. Maser didn’t know for sure if he had his third goal until the officials went to the replay to determine he hadn’t knocked down the puck with a high stick. Fans showed their appreciation by tossing their hats on the ice – the first time in the 22-year history of the Cougars’ teddy bear toss that a goal by a Cougar has prompted two stoppages in the same game to pick up celebratory offerings from the crowd.
In the post-game aftermath, Cougars head coach Richard Matvichuk expressed his displeasure with the way referees Chris Crich and Nick Swaine dosed out their discipline Sunday.
“I think they can do a better job than what they did tonight, especially from two veteran guys, but we have to find a way to not take penalties, especially in the third period,” said Matvichuk, whose team killed off six of seven penalties.
I think they can do a better job than what they did tonight, especially from two veteran guys, but we have to find a way to not take penalties, especially in the third period. — Cougars head coach Richard Matvichuk on Sunday’s officiating
— see CATS, page 8