Down to the Wire: the Victoria Royals and Overtime

Through their first 30 games this season, the Victoria Royals have already gone to overtime ten times. This matches their overtime totals from each of their last two seasons, having ten encores over those full 65-game seasons. Is this WHL-leading extra time rate a good thing? Why is it happening in the first place?

Well, to answer the first question, it hasn't really impacted the Royals' record that much. Victoria has an even record of 5-5 in extra hockey this season, 2-3 in games ended in the five-minute encore and 3-2 in the shootout. So, statistically, the Royals are more likely to win games if they go to a shootout, but only slightly.

As for the question of why the Royals go to overtime so often, that's where it gets a little more speculative. 40% of Royals games so far this season have been decided by a single goal. This rate of tight games partially explains the high rate of overtime, but why are so many of their games that close to begin with? The Victoria Royals are a strong comeback team, but until recently, have not been very adept at holding onto a lead. This combination of being able to claw back from a deficit while also wearing a paper crown in the games that they lead is a recipe for a lot close finishes. This could be the reason why the Royals play so many extra minutes. It's also entirely possible that the Royals have so much fun playing hockey that they want to pack in as many minutes as they can. Whatever the case, this high number of overtime thrillers is just another reason why the Victoria Royals play some of the most exciting hockey in the Western Hockey League.