Penticton, BC: The Penticton Vees (10-5-1-1) have lost three consecutive games in regulation for the first time since November 3-10, 2012, and look to turn things around against the Vernon Vipers (15-4-0-3) in the first half of a home and home on Friday.
Saturday the Vees welcomed the Powell River Kings to the South Okanagan Events Centre and dropped a 4-2 game. It was the first time since 2003 the Kings had won in Penticton.
The Vees opened the scoring in that game when Jonny Tychonick fired home a slap shot from the left point on a power play 7:26 into the opening frame. Penticton controlled the majority of the opening period until a late offensive surge by Powell River.
Gavin Rauser deflected a point shot past Nolan Hildebrand to tie the game up inside the final two minutes of the period, before the Kings came right back on the attack.
Neal Samanski’s shot from the slot beat Hildebrand on the blocker side but rang off the post. The puck then bounced off Hildebrand’s skate and into the net to give the Kings their second goal in 12 seconds, and a 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission.
The eventual game-winning goal came halfway through the second period as the Vees turned the puck over at the attacking blue line, allowing defenceman Andy Stevens to have a clear cut breakaway while shorthanded. Stevens faked forehand before pulling it to his backhand for his first goal of the season.
Ben Berard made it 4-1 Powell River when he banged home a rebound off the end boards before Jackson Keane scored a power-play goal late to make it 4-2.
Vernon was in action Tuesday night as they travelled to Langley for a matchup against the Rivermen. Langley clawed back from down 4-2 in the third period, but Keyvan Mokhtari scored 2:12 into the first overtime period to give the Vipers the win.
With the victory the Vipers improve to 6-0-0-1 over their last seven games. They’ve outscored their opponents 38-17 over that period.
This is the second home and home series between Penticton and Vernon as they last met October 6 and 7. In the first game at the SOEC the Vipers thought they had scored to tie the game at the buzzer, but after a few minute delay the officials agreed the puck didn’t cross the line before time expired and the Vees won 3-2.
The following night in Vernon, Penticton jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the strength of two power-play goals. Vernon got one back before the second period was up and after Massimo Rizzo was stopped on a penalty shot early in the third, Mokhtari tied the game with six minutes left.
The game would go the distance as 70 minutes wasn’t enough to find a winner. Nicky Leivermann and Grant Cruikshank scored in the game while the Vees penalty kill went a perfect eight for eight.
Team Statistics
Leading Scorers
Penticton Vees
Owen Sillinger – 6 G 9 A 17 GP
Nicky Leivermann – 2G 11 A 16 GP
Dakota Boutin – 6 G 4 A 17 GP
Vernon Vipers
Brett Stapley – 14 G 17 A 22 GP
Jimmy Lambert – 9 G 21 A 21 GP
Michael Ufberg – 4 G 18 A 22 GP
Special Teams
Penticton Vees
Power Play – 17.9% (8th in BCHL)
Penalty Kill – 87.2% (1st in BCHL)
Vernon Vipers
Power Play – 22.6% (T-2nd in BCHL)
Penalty Kill – 81.1% (10th in BCHL)
Season Series
October 6, 2017 – Vees 3 vs Vipers 2 Boxscore
October 7, 2017 – Vees 2 @ Vipers 2 Boxscore
November 10, 2017 – Vees vs Vipers
November 11, 2017 – Vees @ Vipers
December 9, 2017 – Vees @ Vipers
February 10, 2017 – Vees vs Vipers
