Apparently a lot can happen in 35-seconds and the Penticton Vees found out the hard way Wednesday. The Merritt Centennials mounted a late three-goal rally in the inside the final two-minutes, to come from behind to beat the Vees 6-4 at Nicola Valley Memorial Arena.
Merritt, who were down 4-3 with just over 90-seconds left in regulation, stunned the Vees by scoring three goals in just 35-seconds to snap Penticton’s five-game win streak. The Centennials scored the game-tying and game-winning goals 11-seconds apart, and then iced it with an empty-netter 13 seconds after that.
It was rollercoaster night for the Vees, as they spotted the home team a 3-0 lead in the first, before rallying themselves for four unanswered to take the lead midway through the third, to only see the home mount an improbable comeback late.
Easton Brodzinski and Scott Conway combined for all four of the Vees goals, as each had a pair in defeat. Brodzinski scored twice on the power-play in the second and Conway scored back-to-back short-handed goals, at the end of the second and midway through the third.
Anthony Brodeur suffered his first loss of the season, after coming into the game at the start of second in relief of starter Zach Driscoll.
Nick Jermain led the Merritt attack, bagging a hat-trick in the win and the Cents’ got singles from Michael Regush, Tyrell Buckley and Brett Jewell.
It was a sluggish start for the Vees, as they surrendered two goals 40-seconds apart midway through the first to quickly go down by a pair. Regush opened the scoring just before the nine-minute mark, when he tipped home a point-shot at 8:58. On the next shift, Jermain picked up his first of three, scoring from the slot at 9:38. Jermain nabbed his second of the period late, beating Driscoll over the glove off a face-off in the Vees’ end at 19:05.
The power-play got the Vees on the comeback trail in the second, as they cut into the deficit three-minutes in. Brodzinski scored on his backhand from the bottom of the circle at 3:19 to get the visitors on the scoresheet. On their next power-play, Brodzinski was at it again, finishing off a nice passing play down low at 6:26. Gerrie found him in front and he flipped his backhand attempt up and over the goalie’s blocker; Brodzinski scoring his 26th and 27th goals.
Special teams were the focal point of the middle frame, as only eight-minutes of the period was played at even strength. But it wasn’t the power-play making noise late rather the penalty-kill.
Short-handed, Conway broke in on an odd-man rush and the puck eventually came back to him in the crease for a tap-in at 16:06; the Vees coming back all the way back to tie it up 3-3. Conway wasn’t down there, as he making things happened short-handed, again, in the third.
On their fourth consecutive penalty-kill, Conway forced a turnover at the Merritt blue-line, picked up the puck, skated and wired a wrist-shot over the goalie’s blocker at 9:03; his 46th and second shorthanded goal in 13-minutes.
The Vees looked to be in control until the final 93-seconds of the third. First, Merritt tied the game with a minute and a half left in regulation with their net empty, Tyrell Buckley tied it on a quick shot from just inside the blue-line at 18:27; his first BCHL goal finding its way through a crowd. Then, 11-seconds later, another point-shot had eyes for the back of the net.
Nick Fiorentino’s shot from the right-wing appeared to be going wide, but it in fact it hit Nick Jermain in the midsection in the crease and bounced in at 18:38.
Jewell sealed the Merritt win with an empty-net goal at 18:52.
Final Score: 6-4 Merritt
Shots: 40-38 Vees
Power-Plays: Vees 2-3 Merritt 0-4
Three Stars: 1) Nick Jermain 2) Scott Conway 3) Henry Cleghorn
Wednesday was the Vees’ first loss this season to Merritt and their first since January 16th of last year; a seven-game win streak snapped. Conway extended his point streak to 11-games in a losing cause; he has 16 goals and 24 points during the run. The loss also marked the first time this season the Vees have surrendered six-goals in a game.
Penticton (39-6-1-0) looks to bounce back Friday when they host the Trail Smoke Eaters at the SOEC; face-off is 7 pm. Tickets are available at the Valley First box office, or online at www.valleyfirsttix.com
