Who: Vees @ Cents
Where: Nicola Valley Memorial Arena
When: 7:30pm
Radio: EZ ROCK AM 800
Watch: Fasthockey Pay-Per-View
The Penticton Vees (27-10-2-3) look to get back in the win column tonight, when they visit the Merritt Centennials (21-17-3-1) at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena (puck-drop 7:30pm). The Vees are coming off a 2-1 loss on home ice Wednesday to the West Kelowna Warriors; the Cents’ dumped the Vernon Vipers 4-1 at home on Tuesday.
Coming into tonight, the Vees have a seven point cushion atop of the Interior Division, ahead of the second place Warriors and are 13 points better than the fourth place Cents’. The Vees are 4-0-1-1 this season against the Cents’ and are 1-0-1-0 in Merritt. These two last met on January 5th in Penticton, the Vees skating to a 6-2 victory. The last time these two met in Merritt, they skated to a 1-1 tie. Hunter Miska and Devin Kero were excellent between the pipes, teaming up to stop 72 of 74 shots.
The Vees are looking to bounce back from that loss Wednesday against West Kelowna. Taki Pantziris and Adam Plant each scored in the first two periods to put the visitors in the driver’s seat. Brad McClure brought the Vees back within one late in the third when he tipped-in his team-leading 33rd. However, despite having the extra skater out and two abbreviated power-plays in the final moments of the game, the Vees couldn’t manufacture the equalizer. Wednesday was just the fourth regulation loss on home ice this season for Penticton.
Adam Tracey, Jeff Wight and Diego Cuglietta all scored in the second period for the Cents’ on Tuesday, as they cruised to a 4-1 win over the Vipers. Wight added an empty-netter in the third to seal the win for Merritt; their first win on home ice in nearly a month. The Cents’ come into tonight’s game tied on points with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Interior; Merritt has one more win than the ‘Backs.
Hunter Miska will get the start for the Vees tonight and will play both games this weekend, as Olivier Mantha is battling the flu. Miska is 13-4-2-3 on the season, owning a 2.26 goals-against average, while maintaining a .917 save-percentage. Miska is 2-0-1-1 versus Merritt this season, sporting 2.09 goals-against average and owns a sparkling .932 save-percentage.
Mantha won’t dress this weekend, so the Vees will have a call-up backing up Miska tonight and tomorrow. 16-year-old Brendan Barry from the Okanagan Rockets will dress tonight for the Vees and will wear number 1. Barry is 8-1-0 on the year for the Rockets and sports a 2.89 goals-against average; no word as to who will backup Miska tomorrow.
Max Coatta will sit out again tonight, as he recovers from an upper-body injury sustained in Vernon back on January 10th. Riley Alferd will return the line-up after his absence Wednesday due to the flu. The Vees however will still be without the services of Chris Rygus, who serves the second game of his two-game ban. Wyatt Trumbley will again patrol the blue-line for the Vees in place of the suspended Rygus. Trumbley, 19, plays for the Osoyoos Coyotes of the KIJHL and calls Campbell River, BC home.
Brad McClure leads all Vees in scoring versus Merritt, as he’s bagged four goals and racked up nine points in five games. Right behind McClure is Brett Beauvais (3-5-8) and Travis Blanleil rounds out the top three, as he has two goals and six points versus the Cents’.
As mentioned, the Cents’ are coming off a big 4-1 win at home over the Vernon Vipers on Tuesday and after tonight, don’t play again until next Friday in Coquitlam. January has been a bit of a mixed bagged for the Cents’ who sport a 2-3-1-0 record in six games this month. Last weekend Merritt split their Island Division road trip, coming from behind to knock-off Nanaimo 4-3, before falling to Victoria 4-2 Saturday.
Tonight is the start of an important stretch for Merritt, as they play four of their next five at home, four of five within their division and three of four against teams directly above them in the standings. After tonight, the Cents’ make a stop in Coquitlam next Friday, before returning home next Saturday to play the Vipers. Then it’s Trail on January 28th and then they close out the month of January versus West Kelowna on the 31st.
Scott Patterson’s lead in the team scoring race (20-16-36) is shrinking; as Jeff Wight is just a point back (17-18-35) entering tonight’s action. Also in the rear-view mirror is Diego Cuglietta, who has 10 goals and 34 points. However, neither of those three lead the team in scoring against the Vees, as its defenseman Shane Poulsen at the front of the pack, with two goals and four points in five games.
This is the seventh and final meeting between these two teams in the regular season.
