Vipers Shut Out Cents 4-0.

It was a very consistent effort from start to finish for the Vernon Vipers as they defeated the Merritt Centennials by a score of 4-0.  All four lines contributed and the defensemen really stepped up as Ryan Renz was a late scratch.  Austin Smith was very solid for the third time getting his first shut out of the season turning aside all 31 shots.  The powerplay converted for the first time in 4 games and really got the ball rolling.

The Merritt Centennials came out very strong in the first five minutes getting pucks deep and banging bodies.  The Vipers, as they did all night, were smart and efficient in their own end and were able to get pucks out quickly.  There was a lot of neutral zone play through the middle portions of the period with both teams clogging up the middle, but there weren't many whistles so it was a fast moving period.  The Vipers had two powerplays in the frame and had some good looks in the first without success.  The second man advantage took all of 9 seconds to convert as Colton Sparrow banked a centering pass off the Centennial defender and through Devin Kero to give the Snakes a 1-0 lead.

The second period at times was controlled by the Vipers with a ton of time spent in the Merritt zone.  Vernon would get a powerplay, but couldn't score on it.  However, they were able to keep the Cents hemmed in their own zone and Demico Hannoun would snap a shot far side on Devin Kero to increase the lead to 2-0.  Less than two minutes later the Vipers would get a two on one break and Chase McMurphy would get the pass and slip it past Kero to make it 3-0.  The flood gates would remain open as Hannoun would score his second of the night on 3 on 2 rush, as the seas parted for him and he let a hard wrister go from the high slot to make it 4-0.

Things got a little chippy in the third period as frustration seemed to boil over for the Cents.  There were a few scraps and a lot of big hits.  Neither team would score goals in the period, but the Cents had the best chance as a shot from the point hit the inside of the near post and rebounded along the goal line and out the other side.  Austin Smith would continue his strong play in the period and end the night with his first shut out of the season.

My 3 Key Thoughts

1) - Consistent Effort - Including this game, I have counted 3 full 60 minute efforts from start to finish from this Vipers team.  There have been games very close to 60 minutes, but not quite there.  Tonight was a great effort from end to end.  This team continues to improve on a nightly basis and it is showing as their goals against numbers are going down and the goals for are going up.

2) - Rattling Tenders - I don't think Devin Kero was rattled on Friday night, but he sure wasn't comfortable in the Centennial goal.  Slight bumps, lots of traffic and trying to dig out loose pucks were just some of the things Kero had to deal with.  He's the type of goalie who will make the saves he sees and the Vipers did a great job of creating disturbances in front of him.

3) - Don't Wake Me Up When November Ends - This is one month I know the Vipers won't want to end.  The Snakes only lost once in regulation and had at least one point in 9 games.  Home ice has been a big reason for the Vipers success and has allowed them sole possession of first place in the division and whether or not that lasts through the weekend or not remains to be seen, but so far through the midway mark of the season there are a lot of positives for the RBC Cup hosts.

December kicks off for the Vipers with a Sunday matinee at Kal Tire Place against the Trail Smoke Eaters.  If you can't make it to the rink, I'll have the call starting at 1:45 on the Vipers MixLR.

Game 29 Preview - Cents @ Vipers

This is the midway point of the regular season as the Centennials and the Vipers face off for the 4th time this season.  All 3 games have been settled by just a goal with two of those going to overtime.  The Vipers are hoping to end the month of November the way they started it...with a win.  Its been a nice month for Vernon, getting points in all but one game.

Here's the breakdown:

Season Series - September 21 - Cents 3 Vipers 2 - OT - Kal Tire Place
                       - October 26 - Cents 1 Vipers 0 - Kal Tire Place
                       - November 15 - Vipers 4 Cents 3 - OT - NVMA

Vernon Vipers

Record - 14-7-3-4 - 2nd place in the Interior Division

Home Record - 6-2-3-3                 Away Record - 8-5-0-1

Leaders - Goals - Mason Blacklock (15)
              - Assists - Michael McNicholas (22)
              - Points - Michael McNicholas (34)

Goaltending - Danny Todosychuk - 8-4-0-1, 3.02 GAA, .901Sv%
                   - Austin Smith - 5-2-3-2, 2.71 GAA, .912Sv%

Special Teams - Powerplay - 16th in the league - 15 for 112 - 13.39%
                       - Penalty Kill - 5th in the league - 93 of 111 - 83.78%

Merritt Centennials 

Record - 16-10-1-1 - 3rd place in the Interior Division

Home Record - 8-4-1-1                 Away Record - 8-6-0-0

Leaders - Goals - Scotty Patterson (16)
             - Assists - Sebastien Pare (18)
             - Points - Scotty Patterson (29)

Goaltending - Devin Kero - 9-9-1-1, 2.50 GAA, .916Sv%
                   - Russell Sanderson - 3-1-0-0, 3.24 GAA, .887Sv%

Special Teams - Powerplay - 4th in the league - 25 for 117 - 21.37%
                       - Penalty Kill - 7th in the league - 102 of 123 - 82.93%

If the playoffs started today, these two teams would face off in what would be a fantastic series.  All the action starts at 6:45 on Vipers MixLR.

Game 28 Preview - Warriors @ Vipers

Its the third meeting of the season between the West Kelowna Warriors and the Vernon Vipers.  Each team has a win with both teams looking good in those victories.  This is an important game as the Vipers look to put some distance between themselves and the other teams in the division.  While the Warriors try to end November on a good note after struggling early in the month.  The Snakes are coming off a very good performance in Trail after a 4-1 win.  The Warriors played a solid game, but ran into a hot goaltender and despite putting 61 shots on goal fell 6-3.

Lets break it down:

Season Series - September 17 - Warriors 5 Vipers 3 - Royal LePage Place
                      - November 8 - Vipers 5 Warriors 3 - Kal Tire Place

Vernon Vipers

Record - 14-7-2-4 - 2nd place in the Interior Division

Home Record - 6-2-2-3               Away Record - 8-5-0-1

Leaders - Goals - Mason Blacklock (15)
              - Assists - Michael McNicholas (21)
              - Points - Michael McNicholas (33)

Goaltending - Danny Todosychuk - 14 GP 8-4-0-1, 3.02 GAA, .901Sv%
                   - Austin Smith - 12 GP 5-2-2-2, 2.81 GAA, .906Sv%

Special Teams - Powerplay - 16th in the league - 15 for 108 - 13.89%
                       - Penalty Kill - 6th in the league - 90 of 108 - 83.33%

West Kelowna Warriors

Record - 14-9-0-2 - 5th place in the Interior Division

Home Record - 6-6-0-0               Away Record - 8-3-0-2

Leaders - Goals - Jason Cotton (13)
             - Assists - Jason Cotton and 3 others (16)
             - Points - Jason Cotton (29)

Goaltending - Andy Desautels - 22 GP 12-6-0-1, 2.75 GAA, .902Sv%
                   - Cody Porter - 6 GP 2-2-0-1, 4.18 GAA, .854Sv%

Special Teams - Powerplay - 11th in the league - 21 for 124 - 16.94%
                       - Penalty Kill - 15th in the league - 82 of 111 - 73.87%

Each team has scored 8 and given up 8, just another example of how close these teams really are.  All the action starts at 7pm.  If you can't make it to the rink, tune into 107.5 KissFM starting at 6:45.

Vipers Smother Smokies 4-1.

It was a complete team effort Friday night as the Vernon Vipers defeated the Trail Smoke Eaters 4-1.  The team was aggressive, yet controlled.  Physical, yet disciplined and got great goaltending.

A good first period saw the Vipers up by a goal.  Vernon was able to shake the bus legs and at one point led the Smokies 10-3 in the shot department.  The line of Dumonceaux, Sparrow and Povelofskie excelled and were rewarded with a goal as Povelofskie got his second of the season.  Both goaltenders at times fought the puck with some awkward rebounds and both teams looked to shoot from everywhere.  The penalty kill was solid for Vernon killing off both powerplays they faced.

The second period was more of the same as the Vipers were very calm and composed in their own end and very aggressive in the Smokies end.  It goes without saying when you're aggressive, sometimes you give up chances and the Smokies had their fair share.  A goal post, a disallowed goal and some big saves from Austin Smith kept Trail off the board.  The forecheck of the Vipers would force a turnover and Sparrow would score on a short breakaway to increase the Snakes lead to 2-0.

Things started to open up in the third as the Smoke Eaters pushed to get back in the game.  The Vipers took advantage of a few odd man rushes as Dancs scored on a 2 on 1 off a Michael McNicholas feed.  Shortly after that Colton Sparrow deposited a rebound off Riley Corbin for his second goal of the game.  Late in regulation the Vipers tried to hold onto the shutout, but it wasn't to be on this night as Adam Wheeldon found a loose puck in the slot and snapped it past Austin Smith.  Disappointing for Smith, but I'm sure at the end of the day the team is happy to get the 4-1 win.

My 3 Key Thoughts

1) Nice Rebound - It was a nice bounce back game for the Vipers.  Clearly not happy with their play on Wednesday night, Vernon came out with a consistent effort for pretty much 60 minutes.  When they did make mistakes, they were able to recover or get big saves from their goaltender.

2) Contributions from Everywhere - When your top line isn't getting on the scoreboard, you need contributions from other lines and tonight was a prime example of that.  Colton Sparrow looked like a man possessed with his two goals and Tyler Povelofskie continues to improve on a nightly basis.

3) Austin Smith - It came to my attention after the fact, but Austin Smith was 30 seconds away from his first career shutout in junior hockey.  He really battle hard, fighting the puck at times, but battling through it to keep his team in the lead.  If he continues to play the way he did tonight, there is no doubt in my mind he'll get that elusive shutout sooner than later.

Next up for the Vipers is a Saturday Night matchup against the West Kelowna Warriors at Kal Tire Place.  If you can't make it to the rink, all the action can be heard on 107.5 KissFM starting at 6:45 with the pregame show.

Game 27 Preview - Vipers @ Smokies

Tonight will feature the first trek to the Kootenays for the Vernon Vipers as they face off against the Trail Smoke Eaters for the second time this season.  The Smokies look very different from the last time these two teams played.  Trail has a new coach, dealt some players away and acquired some as well.  Whatever they've done has worked as the team is playing much better hockey and the Vipers can't get caught looking at the standings.

Lets break down the matchup.

Season Series - October 15 - Vipers 6 Trail 3 - Kal Tire Place

Vernon Vipers 

Record - 13-7-2-4 - 3rd place in the Interior Division

Home Record - 6-2-2-3            Away Record - 7-5-0-1

Leaders - Goals - Mason Blacklock (15)
              - Assists - Michael McNicholas (20)
              - Points - Michael McNicholas (32)

Goaltending - Danny Todosychuk - 14 GP 8-4-0-1, 3.02 GAA, .901Sv%
                   - Austin Smith - 11 GP 4-2-2-2, 2.99 GAA, .901 Sv%

Special Teams - Powerplay - 16th in the league - 15 for 107 - 14.02%
                       - Penalty Kill - 8th in the leauge - 86 of 104 - 82.69%

Trail Smoke Eaters

Record - 7-16-2-1 - 6th place in the Interior Division

Home Record - 4-9-2-0                  Away Record - 3-7-0-1

Leaders - Goals - Travis Stephens/Tyson Witala (9)
             - Assists - Travis Stephens (12)
             - Points - Travis Stephens (19)

Goaltending - Dustin Nikkel - 16 GP 4-10-2-0, 4.03 GAA, .888Sv%
                   - Riley Corbin - 7 GP 2-4-0-0, 3.70 GAA, .902Sv%
                   - Adam Todd (IR) - 5 GP 1-2-0-1, 3.96 GAA, .877Sv%

Special Teams - Powerplay - 5th in the league - 22 for 105 - 20.95%
                       - Penalty Kill - 10th in the league - 95 of 117 - 81.20%

This is the final road trip of November for the Vipers.  They're 1-1 so far and will look to take the two points back home with them.  All the action starts at 7:15 for Village Green Hotel Vipers Hockey on 107.5 KissFM.

Vipers Downed By Vees 5-2

Wednesday Night's game between the Vernon Vipers and Penticton Vees was hard to assess and analyze.  It's easy to look at the box score and say the Vees were great and the Vipers were not.  If you were at the game, watched on fast hockey or listened to the radio, the game was fairly even with one exception and it was a big exception: Six minutes in the second period.

The first period was very defensive with neither team generating a whole lot in the way of offense.  It sure didn't start that way though as right off the opening faceoff there was a spirited fight between Liam Coughlin and Patrick Sexton.  I asked Jason Williamson if he liked his top line guy dropping the gloves so early in the game.  His response was mixed.  He liked his player standing up for himself, didn't like having him off the ice of 5 plus minutes to start the game.  The Vees struck first on a bit of a weak goal that I'm sure Austin Smith would want back as Antohny Conti found a hole in the Viper netminder from a sharp angle.

The second period saw the play open up a little bit as teams traded chances.  The Vipers were then charged with an icing and the tired group couldn't get off the ice.  Off the faceoff Cody DePourcq found a loose puck in the slot and as he was falling to the ice snapped it past Smith.  Then the wheels fell of for the Vipers as they gave up a 3 on 2 and Brad McClure would make no mistake to increase the lead to 3-0.  That would be the end of the night for Smith, not his best game, but he wasn't the reason the Vipers were down.  Danny Todosychuk would draw in a be greeted with a nice effort from Max Coatta on a partial break to slip it past the goaltender and it was 4-0.  The Vipers were then sloppy at their own blueline and Travis Blanleil would score to make it 5-0 heading into the break.

It was a much better effort for the Vipers in the third.  They were skating, hitting and generating chances.  Kenny Citron would score his first BCHL goal and Chase McMuprhy would tally his 3rd goal of the season off a scramble in front.  The game would end 5-2.

My 3 Key Thoughts

1) Where Was The Dislike? - Other than the opening scrap four seconds in, there really wasn't much hatred or dislike between these two teams.  Not many scrums after the whistles.  Only five powerplays combined between both teams.  I fully expected an all out war and that was not what we saw.  Clearly it favoured the Vees on this night.

2) Meltdown - If you take 7 minutes of this game out, the Vipers played a very solid game.  Not a great game, but good enough to stay competitive.  Unfortunately those 7 minutes really bit the Vipers, but they'll learn their lessons and I'm confident we'll see a much better Vipers squad on Friday night in Trail.

3) SOEC - That building is hard to play in if you're the road team.  The Vees are very comfortable in their own barn and it showed.  The Vees improved to 9-1-0-1 in 11 games at the SOEC.  Teams have to be near perfect to win in Penticton.

Looking at the positives the team didn't get too down on themselves and played a much better third period.  They didn't allow the top ranked Vees powerplay to get set up in the three opportunities they had.  A big weekend of hockey now faces the Vipers as they travel to Trail on Friday and then host the West Kelowna Warriors Saturday night.

Game 26 Preview - Vipers @ Vees

Tonight will mark the third time these two division rivals have met and if the previous meetings have been any indication of how it will play out, this will be a fantastic game.  Both games have been close, and if you look at the standings it wouldn't be a surprise to see these two teams put it all out there to get the two points.

Here's the matchup:

Season Series - September 25 - Vipers 3 Penticton 1 - Kal Tire Place
                      - October 25 - Penticton 6 Vipers 5 2OT - SOEC

Vernon Vipers 

Record - 13-6-2-4 - 1st place in the Interior Division

Home Record - 6-2-2-3             Away Record - 7-4-0-1

Leaders - Goals - Mason Blacklock (15)
             - Assists - Michael McNicholas/Dexter Dancs (19)
             - Points - Michael McNicholas (31)

Goaltending - Danny Todosychuk - 13 GP 8-4-0-1, 2.98 GAA, .902Sv%
                   - Austin Smith - 10 GP 4-1-2-2, 2.84 GAA, .906Sv%

Special Teams - Powerplay - 16th in the league - 15 for 105 - 14.29%
                       - Penalty Kill - 9th in the league - 83 of 101 - 82.18%

Penticton Vees 

Record - 14-5-1-2 - 3rd place in the Interior Division

Home Record - 8-1-0-1              Away Record - 6-4-1-1

Leaders - Goals - Brad McClure (16)
             - Assists - Brett Beauvais (25)
             - Points - Brad McClure (32)

Goaltending - Olivier Mantha - 11 GP 8-3-0-0, 2.44 GAA, 902Sv%
                   - Hunter Miska - 11 GP 6-2-1-2, 2.18 GAA, .922Sv%

Special Teams - Powerplay - 1st in the league - 22 for 91 - 24.18%
                       - Penalty Kill - 4th in the league - 77 of 91 - 84.62%

The Interior division has been a lot like Snakes and Ladders game.  Teams go up and teams go down.  With the Vees having 3 games in hand on the Vipers so its absolutely imperative the Snakes give them their all.  Tonights broadcast will be on 107.5 KissFM starting at 6:45.