Untimely penalties cost Royals as first place slips away

If the Richmond Royals were hoping to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the pack, they let the opportunity slip through their hands.

One That Got Away

Sunday, Jan. 8 in Richmond, the Royals had a 4-2 lead but let it slip away in the third period before losing 5-4 in overtime to the Ottawa West Golden Knights.

The Royals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first. After coming up short on an early power play, the Royals got another opportunity when Marco Peloso took a slashing penalty. Golden Knights coach Derek Lemadeleine objected a bit too passionately to the call, and he was given a bench minor to give the Royals a twominute, five-on-three advantage.

Sam McElheran scored from Sheldon Lyons and Tyler Cutts to end one of the penalties, and then Jackson Dallaire scored Richmond’s second power play goal 22 seconds later from Shane Sullivan and Drew Russett.

The Royals took three penalties in the second half of the period, allowing the Golden Knights to get back in the game.

Justin Graham scored an even strength goal to make the score 2-1. With Richmond’s Shane Sullivan in the penalty box for the second time in the period, Anthony Tardioli scored to tie the score for the Golden Knights.

Early in the second period, Richmond regained their two-goal lead. Dylan Rorwick scored the third Royals power play goal of the game from Sullivan and Lyons, and then Jaidon Genereux scored his 11th of the year from Sullivan and Lyons.

The Royals had the chance to put the Golden Knights away later in the second period as they had three straight power plays. The Royals looked sloppy, Ottawa West goalie Jordan Provost looked sharp, and a big opportunity was lost. A turnover led to an opportunity for the Knights, and Logan Bohm converted with a shorthanded goal to make the score 4-3 at the intermission.

The Royals were out- shot 14-8 in the second. The ice was tilted even more in favour of the Royals in the third period as they dominated play and outshot Richmond 14-5.

Richmond goalie Gabe

Arrigo made a number of big saves, but a hooking penalty charged to Dallaire with just 3:10 remaining in regulation time put the Royals’ backs against the wall.

The Golden Knights pulled Provost to have a six-on-four advantage. Eventually, big blueliner Adam Cater drifted a wrist shot from the point that went through a maze of bodies and handcuffed Arrigo to tie the score.

The Royals put themselves in a hole again at the end of the third period. Genereux took a kneeing penalty with just 18 seconds remaining in regulation time. The referees originally let the call go while the Knights’ bench and fans went ballistic. At the next whistle, a conference with the referees and linesmen led to the five minute major and game misconduct for Genereux.

The penalty resulted in what would be a Golden Knights four-on-three power play throughout overtime. The Golden Knights pressured the Royals, and 56 seconds into the power play, Cater scored his second goal to win the game.

Tensions were heated after the game, and Provost, the Golden Knights goalie who was extremely vocal after the initial noncall against Genereux for kneeing, crossed the threshold of acceptance and was handed a game misconduct.

Bounce Back

On Tuesday, Jan. 10, the Royals got the chance to bounce back as they visited the Ottawa Jr. Canadians. However, the team came out even flatter than they looked on Sunday afternoon.