BROADCAST INFORMATION
Game Time: 7:00 pm PST
Location: Kopar Memorial Arena, Prince George
Radio: Bounce 800 AM
Webcast: Flo Hockey
| Season Series | Playoff Series |
| Oct. 11 Prince George 2 at Penticton 5 | GM 1: Prince George 0 at Penticton 3 |
| Nov. 17 Prince George 1 at Penticton 8 | GM 2: Prince George 0 at Penticton 3 |
| Dec. 1 Prince George 0 at Penticton 4 | GM 3 Apr. 9 Penticton at Prince George |
| Jan. 5 Penticton 4 at Prince George 7 | GM 3 Apr. 10 Penticton at Prince George |
| Jan. 6 Penticton 3 at Prince George 1 | *GM 5 Apr. 12 Prince George at Penticton |
| Feb. 10 Prince George 0 at Penticton 8 | *GM 6 Apr. 14 Penticton at Prince George |
| *GM 7 Apr. 16 Prince George at Penticton | |
| * If Necessary |
Penticton Vees
GM & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson
Regular Season Record : GP 2 2-0
Last Game: 3-0 Win vs. Prince George (Apr. 6)
Home: 2-0
Away: 0-0
GF: 6
GA: 0
Power Play: (1/5) 20%
Penalty Kill: (4/4) 100%
Scoring Leader: Connor MacPherson (2-0-2)
The Vees took care of business at home to start the series, as they take a 2-0 series lead north to Prince George ahead of Game Three, tonight at Kopar Memorial Arena.
Penticton posted back-to-back 3-0 shutout wins at the SOEC to start the series. In Saturday’s Game Two win, the MacPherson twins took centre stage, combining for four points. Connor had a pair of goals which were both set up by twin brother Ryan. Those two were named first and second star. Huge night for the brothers after a bit of a dry spell offensively in the last three weeks of the regular season.
Andrew Ness picked up where Will Ingemann left off, as he posted a 13-save shutout in his Vees playoff debut. Ness and Ingemann have combined to stop all 33 shots the two have faced through two games.
Speaking of shots, the Vees have been downright stingy defensively. Penticton is averaging just 16 and a half shots against through two games and has held Prince George to single digit shots in all six periods of the series thus far. The Spruce Kings highwater mark for shots in a period is eight.
Offensively, it has been a well-balanced approach. Five different players have scored the six goals in this series for Penticton and 11 players have at least a point in this series.
The series shifts north, and the Vees know they have their work cut out for them. Prince George was a much better home team in the regular season, and Penticton split their two-game set at Kopar Memorial Arena back in January. The Vees were humbled 7-4 on January 5th, before rebounding to win 3-1 the next night. Prince George was only swept twice at home in the regular season in 10 divisional doubleheaders.
In the regular season, the Vees were a league-best 17-5-3-2 on the road, including winning their last six road games to close out the regular season.
Only likely lineup change is in net, as Will Ingemann is the projected starter in Game Three. Penticton rotated their two goalies in the first two games and that likely continues for Games Three and Four.
Prince George Spruce Kings
GM: Mike Hawes
Head Coach: Alex Evin
Regular Season Record : GP 2 0-2
Last Game: 3-0 loss at Penticton (April 5)
Home: 0-0
Away: 0-2
GF: 0
GA: 6
Power Play: 0/4 0%
Penalty Kill: 4/5 80%
Scoring Leader: N/A
The Spruce Kings hope the comforts of home gives them a boost, as they look for their first win of the series.
Prince George has been shutout in the first two games and mustered just 33 shots on net in games One and Two. The Spruce Kings were the third-lowest scoring team in the regular season, as they averaged 2.74 goals per game. However, as mentioned earlier, they were a much better team at home, and they scored 56 percent of their goals at Kopar Memorial Arena this season.
The rink in Prince George is cozier than most rinks, outside of Merritt. Much like Merritt, teams have less time and space, and shot attempts come from all angels. PG will look to funnel a ton of traffic and rubber at the Vees net and try and capitalize on the chaos that ensues.
The Spruce Kings will be without forward Vital Dinis after he received a one-game suspension for receiving his second major penalty and a game misconduct for fighting. Dinis fought the Vees’ Lucas Sorace near the end of Game Two.
Charlie Zolin is the projected starter for Prince George and has been very solid through two games. He made 42 saves in Saturday’s loss and owns .917 save percentage through two games.
Puck drop for Game Three goes at 7:00 pm at Kopar Memorial Arena. You can catch all the action live on Bounce AM 800 and Flo Hockey, beginning with the pre-game show at 6:40 pm.
