PHOTO: Chris Fowler/Pure Life Photography
SALMON ARM, B.C. – The Penticton Vees used a three-goal 3rd period along with a 41-save performance from Yaniv Perets to help them to their 20th road victory of the season in a 5-2 defeat of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks on Friday night at the Shaw Centre.
The pace was high between both sides in the opening period as a brisk first frame saw each of the goaltenders standing tall, including a post that helped out Ethan Langenegger and the Silverbacks. Colton Kalezic carried down the right wing with a two-on-one opportunity and fired a wrist shot from the left-wing face-off circle that clanked off the post on the glove side of Langenegger to keep the game scoreless.
On the same sequence, the Vees got the puck to the front of the goal where Tyler Ho was camped at the top of the crease and swatted a rebound at the net before Langenegger came across and denied the shot with a blocker side save, one of his 14 in the opening period.
Yaniv Perets was not to be outdone in the Vees crease as he turned aside each of the 11 shots he faced, including tracking the puck through traffic to make a big stop on Akito Hirose from the right point as each team was held off the scoreboard in the opening period.
There was no shortage of scoring in the 2nd period with the Silverbacks grabbing the game’s first goal courtesy of a power play. Akito Hirose had his left point shot stopped by Perets with the rebound laying loose on the glove side as Daniel Rybarik slid it past the goal line at the 3:34 mark to give the home team a 1-0 advantage.
A response came just 39 seconds later as the Vees evened the score with a quick shot from Jackson Niedermayer. Lukas Sillinger busted his way down the right wing and sent a pass cross ice where Niedermayer collected and snapped a shot over the blocker shoulder of Langenegger for his 12th goal of the season and tied the game at the 4:13 mark.
Perets continued to dazzle in the 2nd period, turning aside 16 of the 18 shots he faced in the middle stanza including multiple big stops to keep the game on even terms. The Silverbacks regained their lead, however, at the 11:00 mark with a two-on-one from Rybarik to Noah Wakeford to give Salmon Arm a 2-1 advantage.
David Silye came through in a clutch spot and tied the game with just 17 seconds remaining in a back-and-forth frame. The captain slipped through a check on the left-wing boards before moving to the slot and beating Langenegger with a shot past the blocker side for his 14th goal of the season and sending the game into the 3rd period all tied at 2-2.
The Vees first lead of the game come just 1:02 into the final period of play with Jack Barnes burying his 4th goal of the season on a breakaway. Evan McIntyre spotted Barnes with the pass at the blue line where he worked in alone and beat Langenegger over the glove to give Penticton a one-goal lead.
The power play helped the Vees to a two-goal advantage just 26 seconds later as Niedermayer buried his second of the contest. The Vees forward came out from below the goal line and snuck a shot through the legs of Langenegger, good for his 13th goal of the season and a 4-2 Vees advantage.
Perets remained strong in the game, turning aside all 14 shots he faced in the final period before Barnes iced it with his second goal into an empty net with 1:01 remaining in the final frame to push the Vees ahead by a 5-2 score, the eventual final score.
Yaniv Perets was outstanding in between the pipes for the Vees, making 41 saves on 43 shots in his 18th victory of the season while Ethan Langenegger stopped 33 of the 37 shots he faced in his 10th loss of the season.
FINAL SCORE: 5-2 Vees
SHOTS ON GOAL: 43-38 Vees
VEES PP: 1/3
VEES PK: 0/1
3 STARS:
1) David Silye (1-2-3)
2) Daniel Rybarik (1-1-2)
3) Yaniv Perets (41 saves on 43 shots)
Fortis Energy Player of the Game: Hunter Sansbury (0-0-0)
Attendance: 959
The Vees (29-10-1-1) return home for their first game on home ice in the New Year as they host the Victoria Grizzlies (15-25-0-0) on Saturday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Puck drop from the SOEC is slated for 6:00 PM with tickets available at the SOEC Box Office as well as online at ValleyFirstTix.com.
