Wenatchee, WA: The Penticton Vees (28-12-1-2) finally snapped a six-game losing streak, that spanned nearly three years, at Town Toyota Center with a 3-2 shootout win over the Wenatchee Wild (25-15-2-1) Wednesday night.
A scoreless first period saw the Vees jump out with a great opening 10 minutes, holding the Wild in their own zone and not allowing them many chances in the Penticton end.
The Wild rebounded in the opening minutes of the second period, eventually opening the scoring. AJ Hodges took a back-door feed from Lucas Sowder, shovelling the puck into a yawning cage 4:43 into the period.
Wentachee then extended their lead on a lucky bounce. Murphy Stratton fired the puck towards the net from the blue line, and it went off the Vees defenders leg who tried to block the shot, before bouncing through the five hole of Jack LaFontaine just 2:08 later.
Things went from bad to worse not long after as Carson Kosobud was called for slashing, but despite nearly 10 shots on the power play, the game remained 2-2.
Lukas Sillinger cut into Wenatchee’s lead shortly after the penalty ended. Luke Loheit fired a dragging wrist shot from the left circle that Austin Park thought he caught, but it popped loose into the crease for Sillinger who banged home his 9th of the year.
Penticton ran into penalty trouble late in the period as Massimo Rizzo and Brendan Harrogate were both called for slashing 1:23 apart, but the Vees penalty kill came up big again to keep the game 2-1 after 40.
Eric Linell then tied the game early in the third period. After Cole Shepard led the rush into the Wild zone down the left wing, he stumbled and fell to his knees. He still dropped the puck for Linell who came down the left wing on his backhand before beating Park from a sharp angle to even the game at two.
The Vees had an excellent chance to win the game in regulation, getting their first power play of the night with a minute to go, but couldn’t find the back of the net. The power play carried over into the overtime, and the Vees had plenty more chances to end it, but Park came up with the saves he needed to.
After the game went into a shootout, the first four shooters were turned aside before Luke Loheit gave the Vees a chance to win. Sowder was able to sneak a shot over the pad of LaFontaine that barely rolled over the goal line to keep the shootout going.
After LaFontaine stopped Christophe Tellier who had a chance to win it, Rizzo fooled Park with a backhand-forehand move to give Penticton another chance to end it. Matt Gosiewski, the former Vee, jumped over the boards but was turned aside by the blocker of LaFontaine as Penticton won 3-2.
The win pushes Penticton’s lead at the top of the Interior Division to four points over the Merritt Centennials, who host the Chilliwack Chiefs Thursday night. The Vees are back on home ice Friday when they welcome the Prince George Spruce Kings (26-11-1-4) who have lost four of their last five games.
