Vipers School Rookie-Laden Kings:

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Vipers school rookie-laden Kings

By Graeme Corbett - Vernon Morning Star

Published: February 16, 2010

Compared to Friday’s heavyweight showdown with the Penticton Vees, the Vernon Vipers’ Saturday-night tilt with the Prince George Spruce Kings looked more like a sparring session.

With nine rookies and a short bench, the Kings offered minimal resistance to the Snakes, who looked disinterested at times in earning a 5-2 decision before 1,900 B.C. Hockey League fans at Wesbild Centre.

Vernon (47-6-0-3), who visit the Vees (46-8-0-3) tonight at South Okanagan Events Centre, peppered Sprucies’ netminder Kyle Nielsen with 19 of their 45 shots in the first period. The New Westminster product showed a good glove hand, limiting the Vipers to one goal in the opening 20 minutes.

Nielsen stopped Cory Kane’s backhander on a partial breakaway early on, then had to be sharp get a blocker on Kevin Kraus’s deflected point shot.

Vipers’ forward Connor Jones (35th goal) finally solved the Kings’ keeper when he wheeled up the middle, and pulled a slick toe drag before firing a quick snap shot past Nielsen’s blocker at 12:05.

Vipers’ assistant coach Jason Williamson wasn’t surprised the by lack of intensity.

“They didn’t have a lot of jump either. We want to be more physical, but you can’t because you’ve got the puck the whole time.

“There’s always a little bit of a hangover after a big game, but they’ll get up for it again (against Penticton on Wednesday).

“We were good enough to win, that’s about it.”

The 16-36-1-4 Kings equalized on an early second-period powerplay as super pest Zac Rasmussen set up RJay Berra (15th) for an easy redirect past netminder Blake Voth, who faced just one shot in the opening frame.

That seemed to wake the Vipers up because a minute later, Cole Ikkala (22nd) took a nice neutral-zone feed from Mike Collins to race in alone, unleashing a wicked snapshot past Nielsen.

David Robinson, recorded his 11th goal a few minutes after that, chipping in a loose puck at side of net to make it 3-1 Vipers.

“(Friday) night felt like a playoff game out there and tonight we came out flat,” said Robinson.

“Maybe you can call it a hangover, but we’ve got to play every game the same way. A good team doesn’t take a night off, but we kind of did that tonight. The urgency wasn’t there for us.”

Joe Morgan (15th), one of just three 1989-born players in the Spruce Kings’ lineup, pulled Prince George within a goal at 13:32.

But as the game wore on, the Vipers had their way with Kings in the offensive zone, generating numerous odd-man rushes and generally playing keepaway with the puck for long stretches.

Said Sprucies’ head coach Ed Dempsey: “They’re trying to finish first in their division and the BCHL. Give them credit, they were very business-like and did what they needed to beat us.

“Our goalie was outstanding, and once our forwards got going we did a pretty good job, but our defence didn’t play hard enough.”

With Prince George mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, their remaining games are basically an audition for next season. Coldstream’s Riley Spraggs, who plays with the KIJHL’s Revelstoke Grizzlies, played his fifth game as a call-up with Prince George against the Vipers, and Dempsey liked what he saw.

“He works hard, he’s a good skater, gets involved and bangs around. I was happy with the way he played.

“We’re giving ice time to a lot of young guys...it’s an audition. This is a good chance for us to see them under fire.”

Added Spraggs: “I thought we did a pretty good job of containing them on the powerplay. Our goalie stood on his head tonight with all those shots, but it’s tough to get going against a team that’s this skilled.”

Third-period goals by third star Robbie Short (21st), on a sweet centering pass from Sahir Gill, and first star Kellen Jones (11th), on a shorthanded odd-man rush with Connor, capped the Vipers’ attack.

SNAKE BITES: Voth, who recorded 16 stops, made his seventh straight start, as veteran keeper Graeme Gordon is day-to-day with a lower body injury...Gill has assists in each of his last five games, Kellen has helpers in four, and Connor has goals in four straight.