Vipers Push Tribe To The Brink With 4-1 Win

It was a night of similarities for the Vernon Vipers as once again they carried a lead into the final 20 minutes, but unlike a night before, the team cinched up defensively, got some timely saves from their goaltender and sat on it through the remaining twenty minutes.

The Vernon Vipers nearly scored on their first shift of the game as Michael McNicholas rang a shot from the slot right off the iron.  The Vipers would score first for the third straight game as Colton Sparrow would bang home a loose puck at the side of the net.  Key on that goal was traffic in front of Desautels, the Warrior netminder didn't see it until the last moment and couldn't steer the rebound where he wanted it.  At the 14 minute mark was where some controversy snuck into the game.  I'll speak more about it in my three thoughts, but Andy Desautels was crashed into which resulted in an incidental contact play, where the goal was called off.  Unfortunately for the Warriors, Desautels was shaken up and would leave the game with an upper body injury and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out which injury it truly is.  Cody Porter would come in relief and play very well and be tested early.  Late in the frame the Vipers would get a 2 on 1 rush which Sparrow would successfully finish off to give the Snakes a 2-0 lead after 1 period.

It was a pretty even middle period with both teams getting chances.  The save of the game came from Austin Smith as he somehow kept a wraparound attempt from his belly as he got the blade of his stick on it and kept it on the line.  The Vipers anemic powerplay would get a chance to go to work for the second time and after some nice passing Coughlin put in his first of the playoffs to make it 3-0.  

The Vipers essentially shut it down in the third.  They didn't push too much, but played smart defensively.  The Warriors pushed the pace and worked the boards nicely and eventually it led to a goal as Kylar Hope made a nice play to the middle of the ice and lifted a backhand over Austin Smith.  The Warriors pulled Porter early trying to get back into the game, but TJ Dumonceaux would score into the empty net to make the final score 4-1 and give the Vipers a 3-1 series lead.

My 3 Key Thoughts

1) - Persley, Mulcahy and Sparrow - This line of 20 year olds has been absolutely fantastic.  It was Mulcahy in Game 3, but in game 4 it was Colton Sparrow.  In an emotional playoff series, you look to your veteran guys to lead the charge and not only are they doing it from a leadership standpoint, they are doing it on the scoreboard.  Without question this has been the line that has given the Warriors fits and contributed to getting the Vipers the lead.

2) - Another Injury - I will start by saying depending on who you cheer for will depend on what you thought of the injury to Andy Desautels.  The play had Dexter Dancs driving the net to receive a pass in close, he attempted to pull it backhand and as he was heading thru the crease ran into Desautels as he was tryign to bank the puck in.  There are two ways to view it.  1) - Its Dancs responsibility to avoid a collision at all cost - I would challenge that by saying if ANY player in this league had a chance to score a goal and risk running in the goaltender, not a single one would give up that opportunity.  2) - It was a hockey play with no intent and its just another unfortunate injury - I watched the footage, my feeling is number 2.  Once again I feel some people will see it either of these ways and not be wrong in thinking that.  The important thing is the health of the goalie and I sincerely hope that Desautels isn't out for too long.

3) - Vipers Hope To End It In Game 5 - The sign of a team that wants to make a big run through the post season is putting a team away when they have the chance.  Given the circumstances, the Vipers do not want to play a game 6 at home.  In the playoffs, especially the way its been scheduled, rest will be at a premium and the Vipers will want it as much as possible.  Having said that, they will have to be at their absolute best in what will be a very hostile environment.

Game 5 will go Monday at Royal LePage Place in West Kelowna.  You can hear all the action starting at 6:45 on 107.5 KissFM.

Mulcahy Scores 4 in 6-4 Victory For Vipers

The Vernon Vipers got out to a comfortable lead in game 3 of the Interior Division Semi-Finals, but the end was all but that.  The Warriors scratched and clawed their way to get within a hair of tying the game before an empty net goal would seal the victory for the home team.

The Vipers struck very early as Brett Mulcahy was able to bank home a rebound just 22 seconds into the game.  A few minutes later Demico Hannoun would score on a rebound as well and the Vipers were off and running leading 2-0 after 1.

The Vipers stretched their lead as TJ Dumonceaux knocked in a rebound early in the second to increase the lead to 3-0.  Three minutes later Mulcahy would get his second of the night off a goalpost rebound to pace the home team to a very comfortable lead.  It seemed like the Vipers were well on their way, but the Warriors had other plans.  Just after a few minutes of powerplay time Reid Simmonds would find a loose puck at the side of the net to break the goose egg and get the Warriors on the board.  It was 4-1 after 2 period.

The third period was essentially all Warriors.  They played with a little desperation and it was effective as Carl Hesler scored less than 90 seconds into the frame.  The Vipers I thought managed the clock pretty well, but were caught playing a little soft and sloppy in their own zone and the Warriors would capitalize as Liam Blackburn would finish off a rebound to make it 4-3.  Brett Mulcahy quickly restored the two goal lead with his second hat trick in as many nights to make it 5-3.  A powerplay goal from Liam Blackburn got the Warriors within one again, but an empty netter from Mulcahy would make the final score 6-4.

My Three Key Thoughts

1) - Momentum Swings - The Vernon Vipers without question were the better team through about 35 minutes.  That momentum would get the team out to a 4-0 lead.  Late in the second, the Warriors would swing that in their favour and they were the better team for the final 25 minutes.  The depleted Warriors roster put everything they could at Austin Smith and continued to climb back into a game that at one point didn't look they had any chance.  Hats off to a team that could have folded when getting down by 4, but their vets rallied the troops and we'll see who gets the momentum in game 4.

2) - Brett Mulcahy - This kid can play.  Known to score, but not known as a sniper, Brett Mulchay has single hand idly led the offensive charge for the Vipers.  With 3 goals in game 2 and 4 in game 3, the Kelowna product is showing why many teams tried to acquire him at the trade deadline.  Its not just his scoring prowess, but his ability to win faceoffs and his stellar hockey IQ in the defensive zone.  Right now on a line with Persley and Sparrow, the veterans are bringing the energy at every turn and are very deserving of the ice time.

3) - Quite Fortunate - At the end of the day, the Vernon Vipers are happy to have the win and a 2-1 series lead, but they will be unhappy of how close the game ended up being.  When you're up 4-0 at any point, with a roster that the Vipers have and the injured roster the Warriors have, you expect to be able to tighten up and finish them off, that wasn't the case whatsoever.  The Vipers admittedly weren't very good in their own end and took their foot off the gas once they were up to a 4-0 lead, but credit has to go to the Warriors who didn't quit and forced the issue.  It'll be interesting to see if the Warriors build off the fact that despite being shorthanded, they gave Vernon all they can handle.  Contrarily, can the Vipers elevate their game beyond the effort of game 3.  Game 4 will be fun.

Speaking of game 4, it all begins at 7 oclock at Kal Tire Place.  If you can't make it to the rink of course you can tune in on 107.5 KissFM starting at 6:45 with the pregame show.

Vipers Rebound To Tie Series After 4-1 Win

The Vernon Vipers did a fantastic job of putting Tuesday nights game behind them.  They rebounded nicely with a complete 60 minute effort that saw them outshoot and outchance a Warrior squad which found themselves banged up at the final buzzer.

The first period saw some nice free flow between teams very reminiscent of the beginning of Tuesdays game as the feeling out process began.  Although unlike the night before I thought the Vipers were skating harder, pressuring more effectively and limiting the quality chances of the Warriors to just a handful.  The Vipers would take advantage of a rare Warrior mistake as a turnover at the right circle was snapped home by Brett Mulcahy past a surprised Andy Desautels to make it 1-0.

The Vipers would get a powerplay early on in the second period and kept the plan of attack really simple.  Shoot and crash the crease.  That philosophy worked to perfection as Brett Mulcahy put home a rebound in the crease after a point shot to make it 2-0 Vernon.  That seemed to spark the Vipers even more as Brendan Persley started and finished a pretty play by blocking a shot and turning it the other way to snap home his first of the post season to make it 3-0.  The Warriors had a few shifts in a row in the offensive zone after the Persley goal and that pressure paid off as Matt Anholt found a rebound and made it 3-1 after 2.

The Vipers did a nice job in the third of nursing the lead without playing a lot of time in the defensive zone.  They didn't necessarily push the pace, but sure didn't sit back on their heels.  There would be a five minute major for kneeing assessed to Dallas Calvin (which I'll speak of later) and that allowed the Warriors to finish the game on the man advantage, but some nice board work from Sparrow kicked the puck to centre and Mulcahy would score his third of the night into an empty net to make it 4-1 and tie the series up at 1.

My 3 Key Thoughts

1) - What a Difference 24 Hours Made - That alone sums up the performance of the Vipers.  They were much better in every zone forechecking more effectively, slowing down the Warrior break out and staying disciplined while playing extremely physical.  All 4 lines were rolling for the Vipers and they seemed in control for a good part of this game.

2) - Injury Bug Strikes Tribe - By the end of the game, the Warriors were without arguably their best defenseman and most consistent forward.  Adam Plant and Seb Lloyd were both injured during the game and neither one were able to skate off on their own.  For Plant it came from a clean check from Colton Sparrow and was just an unfortunate injury.  As for Seb Lloyd, it was one of those freak knee on knee collisions where Dallas Calvin went to throw a body check and as Lloyd tried to get out of the way went knee on knee.  The result was a 5 minute major and Lloyd in a significant amount of pain.  There was no update on either conditions, but I will say there was no intent to injure on the part of Calvin who was just attempting a run of the mill body check.  Its unfortunate to see those players get injured and for the Warriors it only adds to the laundry list of injured players.

3) - Back To Kal Tire - For the Vipers the series split was crucial, they now head back to the friendly confines that only saw them lose 6 times in regulation on home ice.  The Warriors were only able to get two points during the regular season in Kal Tire Place, a 2-2 tie and a 3-2 OT loss.  Jason Williamson said that the team needs to have a short memory for the bad things and the good things, but can't forget what made them successful in Game 2.  The Warriors are banged up, but still have a lot of depth and will do all they can to steal home ice advantage back.

Game 3 goes Friday night from Kal Tire Place starting at 6:45 with the pregame show and puck drop at 7 on 107.5 KissFM.

Vipers Trail Series 1-0 After 5-1 Loss.

For the Vernon Vipers, following game 1 of the Interior Division Semi-Final all that can be done is press delete.  It wasn't the effort the team was looking for and really the only way to go is up.  

The first period started out as a chess match as both teams felt each other out and tried to get the ever valuable momentum.  It swung in the Warriors favour following a boarding penalty and just moments later Carl Hesler would bank it a shot from beside the net to make it 1-0 West K.  Credit West K for keeping the foot on the gas as they put pucks from everywhere to the net.  Austin Smith was busy in the Viper crease and made 16 of 17 saves in the frame.

The second period was more of an even affair as the Vipers and Warriors traded chances and the ice opened up a bit.  It had some nice flow and a lot of physicality and grit.  Once again however, the Vipers would get into penalty trouble late in the period and Adam Plant would increase the lead to two.  Moments later a slashing penalty in the offensive zone would lead to another powerplay goal as Seb Lloyd finished off a beautiful passing play making it 3-0 after 2.

The trend was starting to show, the Warrior powerplay was fantastic and the Viper penalty kill was struggling.  But despite being down by 3, the Vipers came out with a nice start as TJ Dumonceaux banged home a rebound to cut the deficit to 3-1, but as was the case all night penalty trouble would be the Vipers undoing as Adam Plant would score his second goal of the night followed minutes later by another tally from Seb Lloyd also on the man advantage.  That would seal the game with a 5-1 final and a 1-0 series lead for West Kelowna.

My 3 Key Thoughts

1) - One Team Came To Play - I don't want it to seem like I'm calling out the Vipers, but anyone who listened or watched the game saw one team come to play and the other seem lost at times.  The Warriors seemed to have a game plan from the beginning and executed it very well.  The Vipers seemed disjointed and uncomfortable and the top players couldn't get much in the way of sustained pressure.

2) - Warrior Powerplay Clutch - Officially the West Kelowna powerplay was 5 for 6, but it really should've been 5 for 5 on the night.  When a team takes penalties you always hope to be able to make them pay for the lack of discipline and the Warrirors did exactly that.  Smart passes, getting pucks to the net from all angles and winning key faceoffs directly effected the man advantage.  The Vipers will have to either stay out of the box more in game 2 or make some major adjustments to a PK that ended the season 9th overall.

3) - Tomorrow's Another Day - Thank goodness for quick turnarounds.  The Vipers will get a chance at redemption less than 24 hours after the loss.  They'll watch film and make adjustments, but the key thing the Vipers will have to do is stay mentally focused.  When they all seem to be focused on the task, this team is nearly unbeatable, but when they stray from their game they get burned.  The playoffs can be a grind and one loss doesn't mean the end of the world, but after game 1, the Vipers are needing a much better effort.

All the action of game 2 starts at 6:45 with the pregame show and 7 oclock puck drop on 107.5 KissFM.

Vipers First Round Preview

The Vernon Vipers will square off with the West Kelowna Warriors tonight for the first game of a best of seven series for the Interior Division Semi-Finals.

Vernon Vipers

The Vipers come in having finished the regular season with a 30-18-4-6 record good for third place in the Interior Division.  Overall the Snakes had a nice bounce back from last season and will make their first post season appearance in three seasons.

Coming into a season that sees the team hosting the RBC Cup, the mentality around the team was going about their business the right way.  This team wants to win their way into the RBC Cup and not just rely on the status of tournament host.  They accomplished the first part of their goal by clinching a playoff spot and look to build upon that.

Offensively the Vipers were led by first year Viper Michael McNicholas.  The Manhattan Beach, California product had 23 goals and 46 assists finishing 6th in league scoring. His linemate Dexter Dancs finished right behind him in 7th thanks to a torrid finish to the season.

Defense could be where this team is at its most dangerous.  They are towering and physical defensemen who never shy away from physicality.  At times they may need to focus on restraint to keep that physicality within the rules, but the wear down and grinding style of hockey could be the perfect fit for the playoff format that sees 7 games played in 9 nights.

In goal, both Austin Smith and Danny Todosychuk had very solid campaigns and were steadying forces for the team.  Coming into the season it was going to be interesting to see how the coaching staff would manage the starts between two guys who could be starters on any other team in the league.  Had it not been for a handful of injuries at different times I thought they were going to split 50/50.  In the end Austin Smith got 10 more games played.  Being able to put either of the guys in there will only serve this team well and it remains to be seen who will be the guy by the time 7 oclock rolls around.

Special teams have been a Jekyll and Hyde scenario where the powerplay sputtered all year long, while the PK has had flashes of brilliance and sections of struggles.  Their PP would end the season last in the BCHL, while the PK was 9th.  The one thing the Vipers will look at is there is no where to go but up when it comes to the man advantage.  They will put it behind them and look to have it make an impact.

West Kelowna Warriors

The West Kelowna Warriors came within a hair of their first division title.  They had a record of 35-15-3-5 which was tied for top spot in the division with the Vees having one more win as the tie breaker.  It was a steady improvement for the Tribe who increased their wins by 5 and point total by 5.

Despite not having the pressure of hosting the RBC Cup, there was definitely pressure for the Tribe to build on the success they had a year before.  Losing guys like Max French, Tyler Briggs and Shawn Hochhausen left the team with holes to fill and credit to the managment staff they were able to replenish the stock as well as have them fit in nicely with the returning players.  Rylan Ferster has told me all he wants to do is make the playoffs, although I think part of that was just being humble and politically correct because he had to know how talented his team really was.  They were able to do that quite early and give Penticton a constant run for their money for the division and despite coming up just a bit short, this team is poised and ready for a long playoff run.

From an offensive standpoint there are many triggermen on this team and were led by Harvard commit and third year Warrior, Seb Lloyd.  The Prince George product was the only Warrior to post over 60 points and is a set up man to the other offensive guys on this team.  Newcomers Carl Hesler and Jason Cotton had impressive first seasons in the BCHL with 59 and 58 points respectively.  There is no doubt this team can score and if given the opportunities can be very lethal.

Defensively, this team is quite the opposite of the Vipers core.  They have smaller, less physical, but extremely offensive and intelligent defensemen.  The acquisition of Ryan Fraser-Lee was crucial as he plays more of a hard nose style, but Braden Pears and Taki Pantziris were brought in to help the offense production from the blue line and have done that.  The Viper forwards may not be banged around as much, but they will be in tough against guys who are smart with the puck, in their own zone and jumping up in the play.

Goaltending was an interesting factor to watch as the season began.  Andy Desautels was brought in from the Prince Albert Raiders to split time with Steven Myland.  Early in the year Myland would depart leaving Desautels the reigns to the team.  He definitely didn't disappoint and quickly dispelled any possibilities of goaltending being a weak spot on this team.  Desautels was a workhorse all year long finishing second in games played.  He ranked first in wins and in the top 10 for GAA and Save Percentage.  There is no doubt he will be the guy for the Warriors in the playoffs and will look to elevate his game to an even higher level.

The Warrior powerplay was at one time during the season near the bottom of the league, but once the calendar flipped over they went on a tear and finished 5th with 49 goals while up a man.  Their PK on the other hand finished near the bottom.  Special teams will always be a key factor to post season play and will be interesting to see if the PK irons it out against a PP of the Vipers who were in tough all season.

I could go on and on about statistics and trends, but at the end of the day this series will be an absolute war.  If you're a fan of junior hockey this will be a treat.  Both teams have their strengths and weaknesses and either team could come out of this series and it wouldn't be an upset.  These two teams stack up extremely even and it all gets started tonight.

The series begins in West Kelowna for games 1 and 2, both games will be on 1075 KissFM with the pregame show starting at 6:45 and puck drop at 7!

Vipers Lose 5-1 In Season Finale

Once again in a game that didn't mean anything the Vernon Vipers started quick but faded over the course of 60 minutes to lose their second straight game heading into the playoffs.  Read into it as you like, but the jury is still out on whether its better to go into the post season riding a high or coming in needing to work on a few things.  No matter the answer, we will find out just a few days from now.

It was a very nice start to the game for both teams as they traded chances and kept the whistles to a minimum.  The best chance of the first ten minutes was a 2 on 1 rush for the Vipers that was thwarted by a spectacular sprawling pad save from Jarrod Schamerhorn who was outstanding all night especially early.  The Vipers would draw first blood as Brett Mulcahy would put home his own rebound to make it 1-0.  The Cents would tie the game late on a weird one as the puck found its way to the side of the Viper goal only to somehow squirt across the line.  The back of the net had come up and some thought the puck had gone under but after a discussion from the officials it was deemed a good goal credited to Diego Cuglietta.

The momentum would sway in the favour of the Cents in the middle frame thanks again to a handful of nice saves from Schamerhorn.  Sam Johnson would score at 7:42 to give the home team a 2-1 lead.  Less than 5 minutes later a beautiful centering pass from Cuglietta found Payton Schaefer and he would increase the lead to 3-1.  Things went from bad to worse for the Vipers as Jared Wilson would be penalized for a check to the head of Diego Cuglietta and ejected from the game.  The Cents would score quickly on the major powerplay as Scotty Patterson would get his first of two on the night.

The third was a rather uneventful period, but early in it the Cents put the game away as Patterson would add another to make it 5-1.  The game settled down, but no more goals would be scored and 5-1 would be the final.

My 3 Key Thoughts

1) - Playoff Primer - Depending on how you look at it, these last two games have been warmups for the playoffs, if thats the case then it was the opposite of how the Vipers wanted to prepare.  They were outscored 11-6 and just seemed to lack focus and intensity, two very important factors in post season play.  I am very confident however, that the Vipers team that finished the season will not be the same one that begins the post season on Tuesday.  The team always brings their best effort against West Kelowna and I wouldn't expect any less.

2) - Goaltending Swap - It was a tough night for Danny Todosychuk who wasn't anticipating getting any action, but after the first period Austin Smith would come down with a sickness and be forced from the game.  The NVMA isn't an easy place to play when you're warm and ready to go, let alone when cold and off the bench.  I thought Danny played solid, but couldn't outperform Schamerhorn who was lights out.  Once again goaltending will have play a big role in the playoffs and no matter who starts for the Vipers they will bring their A game.

3) - End Of a Solid Season - The Vernon Vipers came into the season knowing it was an important one.  Being RBC Cup hosts puts an immense pressure on a team to perform at the highest of levels.  It was a season that had ups and downs, although more the former than the latter.  They finished the season with 30 wins which is 9 better than the season before and finished with 18 more points.  They scored 36 more goals and gave up 5 more.  That number is skewed a bit as this season had 2 more regular season games than last, but the improvements were there.  The only blemish for this team is the powerplay and as I spoke with Riley Guenther last night, those statistics are wiped out for the second season and will be quickly forgotten if this team's PP gets off to a quick start.

The playoffs will start on Tuesday as the Vipers get set to square off with the West Kelowna Warriors.  All the action starts at 6:45 with the pregame show and can be heard on 107.5 KissFM.

Vipers Streak Snapped By Smokies

The game meant nothing in the grand scheme of things, but for the Vernon Vipers the way Wednesday nights game went down, there is clearly room for improvement.  They got out to a huge lead and slowly saw it slip away as the Trail Smoke Eaters mounted an impressive comeback and defeat the Vipers 6-5 at Cominco Arena.

It was a quick start for the Vipers as Michael Statchuk would score just 2 minutes in.  75 seconds later Dexter Dancs would tally.  Just 21 seconds after that Liam Coughlin converted to make it 3-0.  Bryan Basilico scored to make it 3-1 just under a minute later before Logan Mick would end the flurry of goals with his 7th of the season to make it 4-1 just 5 minutes into the game.  Michael McNicholas would add one towards the end of the period and the Vipers had a very comfortable lead after 20 minutes.  

The second was a period of trading chances, as both goaltenders were solid.  The game started to sway in the Smokies favour late as 2 powerplay goals from Bryan Basilico and Scott Davidson made it 5-3 after 2.

The momentum was fully on the Smokies side to start the third as Zane Schartz would make it 5-4.  The Vipers seemed to playing well enough defensively to maybe get the game finished up by a goal, but a late powerplay that was extremely effective for Trail converted for the third time as Scott Davidson got the game even.  After that the ice was tilted and just 70 seconds later Nathan Browne found a rebound and finished the impressive comeback to end the 12 game losing streak of the Smokies and the 5 game winning streak of the Vipers.

My 3 Key Thoughts

1) - Foot Off The Gas - It was a very tough game to analyze.  It was the perfect start with a 5-1 lead after 1, but it seemed like the team didn't want to run up the score and maybe took their foot off the gas.  The problem with that was the Smokies refused to lay down.  They switched goalies and that seemed to settle them down and with nothing left to lose competed hard.  They chipped away and thanks to their powerplay were able to swing the momentum to a full 180 degrees.  At that point, the Vipers just couldn't regain the energy they had to start the game.  

2) - Fatigue - Once again this is purely a theory, but I think the Vipers just ran out of steam.  This was the first time all season they played with 3 fewer players than a full roster.  Now I know you're probably thinking at this point in the season they should be well conditioned, but there were players getting even more ice time than they were used to.  Playing with fewer players has been commonplace for the Smokies down the stretch and they just seemed to get more energy as it continued.  

3) - No Panic - I noticed a few tweets that were sent out after the final buzzer of fans that were in complete shock at the 6-5 loss.  Fans are entitled to feel however they would like and express it the way they feel like, but I look at the results and look at the game in this angle.  In the grandest scheme of things, this game meant absolutely nothing.  That isn't to sugar coat the disappointment of losing and there are plenty of things to work and improve on.  Lets not forget however, the team had 5 wins in a row with 4 of those coming against the top teams in the Interior Division.  Two wins over Penticton, a win over West Kelowna and Salmon Arm.  They have locked up 3rd place in the division and are a team that no one wants to face in the first round of the playoffs.  The effort that was seen during the win streak and Wednesday night weren't even close.  I fully expect the former to overcome the latter on Saturday and into the post season.

The Vipers will finish the regular season on Saturday night in Merritt against the Cents.  The Cents just secured the final playoff spot and like the Vipers will wait to see who they will play.  You can catch all the action on KissFM starting at 7:15 with the pregame show and 7:30 puck drop.