Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Special Teams Power Viper Victory:

Special teams power Viper victory

by Don Klepp

Nov 11, 2009

Two power play goals and a short-handed tally underwrote a 6-1 Vernon Viper win in Merritt Tuesday evening.

Defencemen Dan Nycholat and Adam Thompson notched second period power play markers and Rob Short scored a fine short handed goal in the third period. The Vipers went two for six with the man advantage, while the Centennials were unable to capitalize on their three power plays. As a result, Vernon now has 10 short-handed goals in 23 games while allowing only nine power play goals by opposition teams.

Despite being out shot 19 to 15 in the first period, Merritt took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission, compliments of a Mitch Jones goal at 16:48. Jones’s shot found its way through a maze of players in front of Viper goalie Graeme Gordon. According to many observers, an offside, went undetected at the Viper line, but the play carried on and a scramble ensued in front of Gordon.

The real story in the first period was the play of Cole Holowenko, who has returned to action after battling the flu for the past couple of weeks. He stopped all 19 shots directed his way, but he was not able to withstand the Viper attack in the second period.

In the middle frame, Dan Nycholat kick-started the Vipers with his second goal of the season at 4:30, and fellow Calgarian Pat McGillis roofed the puck into the net at 5:59 after being set up nicely by Drew George. (On the score sheet, the goal was attributed to Jonathan Milhouse.)

Then, Cory Kane displayed his speed and power in scoring his tenth of the season at 12:31. Adam Thompson completed the second period offense with a boomer from the point at 13:39, and the Vipers took a 4-1 lead into the dressing room.

They added two more in the third period. Pat McGillis, who has been on fire lately, recorded his second of the night and 5th of the season at the three-minute mark. Again, another player was given credit for a McGillis goal this time, Rob Short’s name went on the score sheet. Short did get a goal at 8:01. Killing a penalty, Dylan Walchuk fed Short whose speed beat Jeff Smurchyk en route to the Merritt net, where Short tucked it home.

In the final analysis, Pat McGillis, Drew George, Dan Nycholat, and Dylan Walchuk each had two points for the Vipers, who’ve scored an average of 5.43 goals per game this season while allowing just 1.57 goals per game.

More to the point, the Vipers have won 15 straight and all 14 road games, as they try to stay ahead of the red-hot Penticton Vees. Vernon now has five more points than Penticton, but the Vees have played one less game.

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