Adam Hall pursued the puck during the Vancouver Giants 4-2 win on the Island over the Royals on Friday, Jan, 21. (Kevin Light/Special to Langley Advance Times)

Cole Shepard scored as the Vancouver Giants won a 4-2 victory on the Island over the Royals on Friday, Jan, 21. (Kevin Light/Special to Langley Advance Times)

Jesper Vikman blocked 17 of 19 shots as the Vancouver Giants moved back in the win column with a 4-2 victory on the Island over the Royals on Friday, Jan, 21. (Kevin Light/Special to Langley Advance Times)

Zack Ostapchuk (No. 10), with Ethan Semeniuk, scored to help put the Vancouver Giants back in the win column on Friday, Jan, 21. (Kevin Light/Special to Langley Advance Times)

Vancouver Giants are back in the win column after a 4-2 victory on the Island over the Royals on Friday, Jan, 21.

📽️ WHL Highlights – January 21, 2022

🏒 @WHLGiants (4) at @victoriaroyals (2)@NHLBruins prospect Fabian Lysell marks his return to the Giants lineup with a goal and an assist.

STATS 📰 | https://t.co/DxktbibYAJ pic.twitter.com/dtC5uI5HZo

— The WHL (@TheWHL) January 22, 2022

Fabian Lysell paced the Giants attack with three points while Cole Shepard, Connor Horning and Zack Ostapchuk all added goals.

Victoria countered with goals from Riley Gannon and Austin Zemlak.

Giants peppered the Victoria goal with 38 shots while the Royals countered with 19 on Jesper Vikman.

Shepard opened the scoring for the Giants off a tic-tac-toe passing play at 6:30 in the first period as Fabian Lysell and Alex Cotton combined for the assists.

Riley Gannon answered for Victoria off a centering feed from the right-wing. Gannon snuck by a couple of Giants defenders, stood in the slot and one-timed an Evan Patrician feed home for his 11th.

RECAP: The G-Men returned to the win column Friday after a 4-2 road triumph on the island. Fabian Lysell, Cole Shepard and Ty Thorpe combined for six points in the victory. On to Kamloops Wednesday!

More 📎: https://t.co/CDSp9vaC0t

📸: Kevin Light pic.twitter.com/JRyNlbOdeY

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) January 22, 2022

Lysell restored the Giants lead for the Giants at 9:42 in the second when he finished off a Shepard pass of a Victoria turnover in the far corner of their zone.

For Lysell it was his team-leading 12th goal of the season.

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At 7:27 of the final period, Horning’s point shot switched directions of a Royals defender and bounced past a sprawled Campbell Arnold and in.

Horning’s eighth goal of the season was set up by newcomer Tom Cadieux and Fabian Lysell.

At 14:04, rookie Austin Zemlak moved the Royals back within one when he fired his first career WHL goal past Jesper Vikman from the left-wing circle. The lone assist on the play was credited to Tanner Scott.

Ostapchuk ended all hopes of a Victoria comeback at 19:10 when he iced the game with an empty net goal from the right-wing off the rush.

Ty Thorpe started the play with a defensive shot block, before sending Ostapchuk on his way down the right wing.

Shepard and Lysell were first and second stars of the game, while Victoria’s Zemlak was third.

Next up for the Giants, a Wednesday road tilt in Kamloops at 7 p.m.

READ ALSO: Giants see Langley home game rescheduled due to COVID

Giants jumped six points ahead of Victoria for seventh place in the Western Conference playoff standings, and are now just two points shy of Prince George for sixth after Friday’s victory.

Friday’s game was Fabian Lysell’s ninth multi-point game of the season.

Giants improved their road record to 8-9-1-0.

With his eighth goal of the season, Giants defenceman Connor Horning has now matched his previous season high for goals which he set during the 2018-19 season with the Swift Current Broncos.