For the first time in the post-season, the Penticton Vees are facing elimination as the host the Surrey Eagles Sunday, in game six of the Fred Page Cup Final. The Eagles lead the best-of-seven 3-2 and can capture their first championship in eight seasons with a win Sunday afternoon. However, if this series tells us anything, it’s not going to be easy for the road team.
The home team has won every game in the series to date and the Vees won games three and four by identical 3-2 scores. The home dominance goes back into the regular season as well, as the Vees took down the Eagles again 3-2 in double-overtime on January 5th at the SOEC; the Eagles beat the Vees 2-1 on January 11th.
Game five was the first time this series went past regulation, as the Eagles won 2-1 on an early goal by Kevan Kilistoff. The Vees actually opened the scoring in the dying moments of the first period when Travis Blanleil scored his second of the playoffs. Scoring first hasn’t necessarily brought success in the series, as the teams two combined for a 2-3 record.
Another interesting trend comes from the Vees special teams, as they are a perfect 9-0 when they score a power-play goal; 1-2-0-2 when they don’t. The power-play has hit a bit of a rough patch, with just two power-play goals in the series and three it the Vees last eight games. The penalty-kill has settled in after some earlier series struggles, as the PK is a perfect 7-7 in the last two games and 14-17 in the series.
Wade Murphy might be a key to success in game six, as the Vees seem to find success when he scores. In the playoffs they sport a 3-1 record when he picks a goal and were 13-2-0-3 in the regular season when he finds the score-sheet. Murphy is tied with Brad McClure for the team scoring lead in the series, as both have two goals in five games. Travis Blanleil, Ryan Gropp and Jade Soleway are tied for second with a goal and an assist each. The Vees depth has shown through in the series, as each of their four lines has at least one goal and all but four players have at least a single point.
The Eagles are one win away from their first Fred Page Cup since 2005 but will have to be the first team to win on the road to do so. The Eagles trailing early in the third period, found a way to win in game five. Trevor Cameron tied the game just before the six-minute mark on a wrap-around. Kevan Kilistoff ended the game before the six-minute on an end-wall carom. The Eagles are 5-2 on the road in the playoffs but both losses have come at the SOEC.
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