BROADCAST INFORMATION
Game Time: 6:00 pm PST
Location: Western Financial Place
Radio: Bounce 800 AM
Webcast: Flo Hockey
Season Series
Oct. 13 Penticton 4 at Cranbrook 2
Nov. 3 Cranbrook 1 at Penticton 5
Nov. 10 Penticton 3 at Cranbrook 4 OT
Jan. 13 Cranbrook 1 at Penticton 5
Feb. 24 Penticton at Cranbrook, 6:00 pm PST
Penticton Vees
GM & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson
Record : GP 42 30-7-3-2 (1st, Interior)
Home: 19-2-0-0
Away: 11-5-3-2
Last Game: 3-2 overtime loss at Salmon Arm (Feb. 19)
GF: 163
GA: 88
Power Play: (45/142) 31.7% 1st
Penalty Kill: (24/117) 79% 7th
Scoring Leader: Callum Arnott (24-19-43)
The Vees look to extend their point streak to eight games, as they open their weekend road trip in Cranbrook against the Bucks.
Penticton had their six-game win streak come to an end Monday with their 3-2 overtime loss in Salmon Arm. The Vees are 6-0-1-0 in their last seven.
Callum Arnott and James Fisher scored in Monday’s loss to the Silverbacks. Arnott extended his point streak to seven games with his goal Monday. Fisher now has points in his last five.
The Vees are 3-0-1-0 in their last four road games, as they continue a stretch of six-straight games away from the SOEC. The Vees are finding ways to grab points on the road during the crucial time of the season.
Tonight is the fifth and final game in the season series between the Vees and Bucks. Penticton has won three of first four against Cranbrook. The two teams have split the previous two games at Western Financial Place. The Vees won 4-2 back on October 13th and lost 4-3 in overtime on November 10th.
Callum Arnott and Billy Renfrew each have six points against the Bucks this season. Arnott, Connor MacPherson, and James Fisher all have three goals against Cranbrook. Goaltender Will Ingemann is 3-0 in the season series, with a 1.33 goals-against average and .945 save percentage.
Last night the Vees were idle. West Kelowna made up some ground with their 5-3 win in Surrey. Penticton is still four points ahead of the Warriors and now have two games in hand.
Cranbrook Bucks
GM & Head Coach: Ryan Donald
2023-24 : GP 45 19-24-2-0 (6th, Interior)
Home: 9-12-1-0
Away: 10-12-1-0
Last Game: 4-1 loss vs. Trail (Feb. 23rd)
GF: 118
GA: 146
Power Play: (26/135) 19.3% 14th
Penalty Kill: (32/146) 78.1% 12th
Scoring Leader: Joseph Blackley (6-25-31)
The Bucks had their three-game win streak snapped last night with their 4-1 loss at home to the Trail Smoke Eaters. Cranbrook had won five of their last six games heading into Friday’s showdown with their Kootenay rivals.
In Friday’s loss, the Smoke Eaters scored three unanswered goals to pull away with the win. Cranbrook had tied the game 1-1 early in the second, but Trail’s Ridge Dawson scored the eventual game-winner midway through the middle frame. The Smokies scored twice more in the third.
Big picture, Ryan Donald’s team has been playing better hockey since late January. As mentioned, they’re 5-2-0-0 in their last seven, as they sit two points ahead of Merritt for sixth in the Interior. The Bucks are eight points back of Trail for fifth and the Smoke Eaters have two games in hand.
Defenceman Bryce Sookro has five points in his last three games. Sookro scored the Bucks’ only goal last night. Forward Jacob Fletcher had his five-game point streak come to an end in Friday’s setback. Fletcher had 10 points in those five games.
The Bucks have had a few tweaks to their roster since these two teams last met in January. In are forwards Tyler Wishart (Merritt) and Patrick Murphy (Victoria). Luke Pfoh went the other way in the Wishart deal. Forward Evan Brown was traded to Coquitlam for future considerations.
