Cowichan Valley Capitals (4-15-0-1) vs. Penticton Vees (18-3-0-1)
Venue: SOEC
Game Time: 6pm
Listen: EZ Rock AM 800
Watch: www.fasthockey.com
Season Series: Nov 9th 4-2 Capitals, Nov 15th at Penticton.
Vees Home Record: 8-1-0-0
Vees Record vs. Island Division: 3-1-0-1
Vees Leading Scorer: Lewis Zerter-Gossage 10-15-25
Capitals Road Record: 0-9-0-0
Capitals Record vs. Interior Division: 2-6-0-0
Capitals Leading Scorer: Kyle Horsman 11-5-16
Looking for Redemption: Six days ago the Capitals upended the first place Vees 4-2 at the Island Savings Centre in Duncan. The Vees were playing their third and final game of their Island Division road trip and Cowichan Valley capitalized. A strong third period push from the Caps saw them break a 2-2 deadlock on goals from Kyle Horsman and Skylar Pacheco. Matthew Zentner was solid between the pipes, stopping 29 of 31 shots in the win. Fast-forward to tonight and the Vees are looking to use home ice to return the favour. Cowichan Valley hasn’t won a game this season away from the “Big Stick” as they own a 0-9-0-0 road record. The Vees finally have a stretch of home games, as tonight marks the first of three straight at the SOEC. They’re 8-1-0-0 at home this season and will need to reassert that home dominance against the Caps.
Comeback Kids: The Vees again overcame an early deficit Friday and posted their seventh win of the season when they surrender the opening goal; now 7-1-0-0. The Vees erased a 2-0 second period deficit and scored four straight for their third straight win over Vernon. Riley Alferd, Demico Hannoun and Jack Ramsey all scored power-play goals and Matt Serratore added the empty-netter late. That’s twice now in their last four games the Vees have comeback from a 2-0 deficit on the road. They did it last Friday in Victoria, erasing a 2-0 Grizzlies lead in the first period, en route to a 4-3 double-overtime win. Tonight the Vees don’t want to copy Friday’s start but they can be comforted knowing they’re never really out of a game.
Gas in the Tank: The Vees are 6-2-0-1 in the second game of back-to-backs this season. An impressive record considering the condense schedule of junior hockey and the travel associated with it. The Vees did drop their last two games in back-to-back situations but that was with a short-staffed line-up on the recent Island Division road trip. The Vees need to press a traveling Cowichan Valley team that’s oh-for on the road this season and they haven’t won in Penticton in six years (stat courtesy of Jeff Sargeant). Who will be the fresher of the two teams? Tonight is a back-to-back situation for teams and both teams have some injuries to their regulars. Who has the most gas in the tank?
Special Teams: The Vees power-play is red-hot, having scored in eight straight games and they have two or more power-play goals in three of their last five games. The power-play has climbed the ladder and is now sixth at an even 25 percent. During this eight-game run the power-play is humming along at 40.5 percent. The penalty-kill has been as good, as the Vees have not allowed an opposition power-play goal in four games; a run of 14 straight penalties killed. Cowichan Valley’s penalty-kill is 14th in the league at 73 percent. When they get them, the Vees have to make the most of their power-play opportunities.
