The Victoria Royals are heading into a must-win matchup tonight in Spokane as they battle the Chiefs in game six of their second-round WHL playoff series.
Down 3-2 in the best-of-seven showdown, the Royals need a win to stay alive and force a game seven Wednedsay night, also in Spokane.
There’s a watch party happening tonight at the 6 Mile Pub in View Royal for fans who want to cheer them on from home.
One bright spot through the high-intensity series has been 2025 NHL Draft prospect Cole Reschny, who has been on fire.
The 17-year-old from Macklin, Saskatchewan was just named WHL Player of the Week after racking up three goals and eight assists in four games. He’s now tied for the playoff scoring lead with 25 points in 10 games, including nine goals.
After splitting the first two games on the road, the Royals snagged a 2-1 series lead with a gritty 4-3 win last Wednesday. But things quickly turned in Game 4 when Spokane exploded for a 9-6 victory, tying the series at two apiece.
They followed that with a 5-4 overtime win on Saturday at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, despite the Royals holding a 4-1 lead heading into the third period.
Victoria’s game five goals came from Reggie Newman, Cole Reschny, Brayden Boehm, and Kenta Isogai. But the Chiefs clawed back with four unanswered goals — including the game-winner from Andrew Cristall with just two seconds left in OT.
If the Royals win tonight, they’ll push the series to a seventh and final game. The winner will face either Everett or Portland, who are also headed to a game seven tonight.
Game time is 7:05 p.m. — grab your Royals gear, cross your fingers, and get ready to cheer.
