BROADCAST INFORMATION
Game Time: 7:00 pm PDT
Location: SOEC
Radio: Bounce 800 am
Webcast: Hockey TV
Penticton Vees
GM & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson
2022-23 Regular Season: GP 54 50-3-0-1, 1st overall in the BCHL
Home: 27-0-0-0
Away: 23-3-0-1
GF: 304
GA: 96
Power Play: 39.1% (1)
Penalty Kill: 84.9% (2)
Top Scorer: Bradly Nadeau (45-68-113)
| Playoff series |
| GM 1: 8-2 W vs. Trail (Mar. 31) |
| GM 2: Saturday, Apr. 1 vs. Trail, 7:00 pm |
| GM 3: Tuesday, Apr. 4 @ Trail, 7:00 pm |
| GM 4: Wednesday, Apr. 5 @ Trail, 7:00 pm |
| GM 5: Friday, Apr. 7 vs. Trail, 7:00 pm* |
| GM 6: Sunday, Apr. 9 @ Trail, 5:00 pm* |
| GM 7: Tuesday, Apr. 11 vs. Trail, 7:00 pm* |
*If necessary
Season Series: The Vees won all five games against the Smoke Eaters this season, with one win coming in the shootout. Penticton outscored Trail 32-9 over five games. Aydar Suniev led the Vees with 12 points (7G, 5A) in four games against Trail. Bradly and Josh Nadeau were right behind him with nine points each. Luca Di Pasquo had four wins in four starts and posted a 1.47 goals-against average and .942 save percentage in the season series.
Tonight: Penticton looks to take a 2-0 series in Game Two tonight. The Vees got out to a 1-0 series lead with a convincing 8-2 win Friday, but it wasn’t a runaway victory. Trail twice got within a goal, including making it 3-2 just 48 seconds into the second period. The Vees responded with five unanswered goals to pull away.
Special teams played a key role in Friday’s win, as the Vees first two goals came shorthanded and on the power play. Tinling scored Penticton’s first goal of the playoffs shorthanded two minutes into the game, then Bradly Nadeau scored on the power play just past the six minute mark.
Penticton has won 35-straight games at the SOEC dating back to the 2022 BCHL Playoffs. The Vees’ win streak at home spans a full year, dating back to April 1, 2022.
Don’t expect any changes from Penticton’s Game One lineup.
Trail Smoke Eaters
GM & Head Coach: Tim Fragle
2022-23 Regular Season: GP 54 20-27-3-4, 8th Interior Conference
Home: 13-12-1-1
Away: 7-15-2-3
GF: 162
GA: 214
Power Play: 20.5% (9)
Penalty Kill: 77.5% (10)
Top Scorer: Brady Hunter (18-44-62)
Tonight: Trail looks for the split, before heading home for Games 3-4 at Cominco Arena next week. Big picture, this was the Smoke Eaters’ outlook, have to cracks at trying to take home ice away from the Vees.
Trail showed in Game One they came to play and will be a tough out in this best-of-seven Interior Conference Quarterfinal series. Twice, they came back from two-goal deficits to get within striking distance. Remember, Shortly after Ethan Mann made it 3-2, Adam Marshall was close to tying the game, if it wasn’t for a clutch save by Penticton’s Luca Di Pasquo.
The Smoke Eaters having been dealing with several injuries to key players and last night they may have suffered another blow, as 20-year-old defenceman Ethan Willoughby suffered a lower body injury in the third period and did not return. His status is unknown for Game Two. Trail dressed 11 forwards and seven defencemen last night, which included three affiliate players.
