Arena: SOEC, Penticton
Game Time: 7pm
Radio: EZ ROCK AM 800
Watch: Fasthockey Pay-Per-View
The Penticton Vees (29-11-2-4) welcome back a familiar foe in the Salmon Arm Silverbacks (23-17-1-5) to the SOEC tonight. Six days ago, the Silverbacks erased a two-goal deficit and edged the Vees 3-2 in overtime on January 18th; Landon Smith scoring the game-winner. Tonight is the first leg of a weekend home-and-home set, as the Vees and Silverbacks square-off tomorrow at the Shaw Centre.
Since the OT setback at the hands of the ‘Backs, the Vees have won back-to-back games over Vernon and Trail, outscoring the two 11-3 last weekend. Friday, Cody DePourcq and Erik Benoit scored eight seconds apart in the first, as the Vees cruised past the Vipers 6-1 at Kal-Tire Place in Vernon. DePourcq finished with a pair of goals and the other Vees tallies came from Shane McColgan, Jarod Hilderman and Josh Blanchard.
Saturday the Vees scored just sixty-eight seconds into the first against Trail but it was a two-goal second period, that helped them pull away in a 5-2 win over the Smoke Eaters. Steen Cooper, Brad McClure, Shane McColgan, Nic Pierog and Ben Dalpe scored in the win.
As mentioned, the Vees have won back-to-back games and are looking to put together their second three-game winning streak of the month. They last won three in a row from January 5th-11th. Tonight is the tenth and final game of the month of January for the Vees, who are 5-2-1-1 through nine games, all against the Interior Division.
The Silverbacks have been a bit of a nuisance, as they’ve won the first three games of this eight-game season series. The Vees are 0-2-0-1 against Salmon. Cody DePourcq, Travis Blanleil and Chris Rygus lead the Vees in scoring against Salmon Arm, as each have two points; DePourcq out front of the pack with a pair of goals.
Olivier Mantha gets the start in net for the Vees and is coming of a 31-save win over the Vernon Vipers last Friday. Mantha is 0-1-0 this season against Salmon Arm but 7-2-0 against the Interior Division, while maintain a .917 save-percentage. Cam Amantea serves his third and final game of his three-game suspension tonight and is eligible to return to the line-up tomorrow in Salmon Arm.
After dropping four in a row, the Silverbacks have rattled of three straight wins over Penticton, Vernon and Surrey. The ‘Backs enter tonight one point up on Merritt for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Interior, but are just three back of third place Vernon.
