Five keys to a first-ever championship title
Photo via https://chl.ca.
The Victoria Royals are in playoff mode.
That’s not to say that the WHL regular season is out of their minds entirely. The upcoming final two games of their 68-game schedule — March 21 and 22 against division rival Prince George Cougars — are undoubtedly important. They provide the Royals an opportunity to make some final lineup and system tweaks and, crucially, clinch first place in the B.C. division. This would also mean home-ice advantage for round one.
So yes, those last few tilts are still important. And a couple of confidence boosting blowouts would be nice. But with the playoffs set to begin on March 28, it’s the Ed Chynoweth Cup that the Royals want. They’ve put in the work. They clinched a playoff spot a month ago. They’re over .500 for the first time since 2020, and over .600 for the first time since 2016. They’re ready.
But with a potential for 28 brutal, bloody, slogging playoff games on the horizon, the journey to the crown will be filled with swords and spears. But there are ways to mitigate those dangers — armour, if you will. So, without further ado, here are five keys to the Royal’s playoff success.
Stay out of the dungeon
At 72.9 per cent, the Royals have the fourth worst penalty kill in the league, and the second worst among playoff teams. Special teams are always important. But they become critical in the playoffs, when defenses start playing tighter and trailing by a goal can feel like an insurmountable barrier. Luckily for the Royals, playoff refs tend to wear blinders and swallow their whistles, so they may end up getting away with more than they usually do. But they’re bound to take penalties eventually, and when they do, they better hope they can shut the door.
Get your newest soldiers involved
It was a busy trade deadline for the Royals this year, as they shipped off former assistant captain Tanner Scott and five draft picks for wingers Kenta Isogai and Brandon Lisowsky. Those moves have paid off so far, with both forwards scoring at a point-per-game pace since their move to the Garden City. That has to continue in the postseason. Lisowsky, especially, needs to be an active voice in the locker room, because he’s been here before, having reached the conference finals in his last two seasons with Saskatoon. Chemistry is a finicky thing. You never know which combinations will mesh and which will miss. But the newcomers seem to be fitting in, so hand them the reins to the warhorses.
Protect your princes
The Royals have two players in the top-25 of the WHL scoring race. Cole Reschny, a top prospect in the upcoming NHL draft, and Teydon Trembecky, who has exploded onto the scene after a mediocre first two seasons. The easiest way to hurt a good team is to hurt their best players, and you better believe opposing teams will be sending their hardest hitters after those two. The Royals will have to counter with a physical game of their own. Lay the body, get into the dirty areas — don’t be afraid to drop the gloves and set the tone. Those are the little things expected of the bottom-six grinders on this team, like Reggie Newman and Escalus Burlock. And they make a big difference.
Fortify the barricade
After sporting a very ugly .870 save percentage as last year’s backup, Royals goaltender Jayden Kraus has chosen a good year to finally come into his own. This season, he’s been a solid presence in the net. He’s boasting a much improved .908 save percentage and has even played himself onto Central Scouting’s NHL draft board. But Kraus will need to be more than a wall if the Royals are to upset cup favourites like Everett and juggernaut offences like Spokane. He’ll need to be a battlement. Preferably one with hot lava. Maybe a moat.
Act like you’ve worn the crown before
Experience is everything. There are five teams in the WHL right now whose players have a combined 3 200+ games played — all five in the playoffs. Three of them are in the top five. Meanwhile, the team with the least amount of games played, the Moose Jaw Warriors are dead last. The Royals are sixteenth on that list, among the lowest for playoff teams. They are by no means a veteran team. So the mantra of these playoffs will be “fake it ‘til you make it.”
Regardless of what happens this postseason, one thing is for sure: the playoff Royals are going to be fun to watch. And, with players like Reschny, Kraus, and rookie phenom Keaton Verhoeff all likely to return next year, they’ll be fun for a while. So strap in. It’s time to see what kings are made of.
