Vipers Skate Past Spruce Kings:

This is posted on the Vipers website:

Vipers skate past Spruce Kings

by Don Klepp | Added 2010-02-13

In a game that lacked last night’s intensity between the Vipers and the Penticton Vees, the host Vernon team did just enough to defeat the Prince George Spruce Kings, 5-2.

Despite out shooting the Spruce Kings 19-1 in the first period, the Vipers skated off with just a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes, compliments of a Connor Jones individual effort. He took a pass from Kevin Kraus at the Viper line and skated through the Prince George team. Connor’s wicked wrist shot sailed over Kyle Nielsen’s right shoulder.

Vernon’s three power plays in the opening frame lacked the urgency from the previous evening, when the Vipers went 3 for 6 versus Penticton. Except for a Dan Nycholat point shot that hit Nielsen’s goal post, the Vipers rarely threatened on their five man advantages in the game. They controlled play, but kept looking for the perfect tip in play instead of going hard to the net.

By contrast, Prince George scored on its first power play when RJ Berra got position at the Viper goal mouth and tipped in Zac Rasmussen’s slap pass at 3:20 of the second period. At that point, the northerners were outworking the Vipers and they outshot their hosts 9-8 in the period.

Nonetheless, the Vipers took a 3-1 lead on goals by Cole Ikkala and David Robinson. Ikkala’s goal, an unstoppable wrist shot from the left faceoff circle, came just a minute and 9 seconds after the Prince George goal. Robinson’s goal, his 11th in 16 games with the Vipers, came as he stationed himself just outside Nielsen’s crease. Dan Nycholat’s high point shot caromed off a body in front, went off the back glass, and right to Robinson, who batted it out of the air.

The goal did not take the air out of the Spruce Kings’ balloon, however. They drew within one goal of the Vipers after a strong forecheck by Jeff Earnest, Joe Morgan, and Lyndon Martell. Morgan picked up a loose puck along the right boards in the Viper zone and fired over Blake Voth’s left shoulder from about 25 feet.

So, despite being outshot by 27-10 going into the third period, the Spruce Kings were down by only one goal.

Realizing that the game was still on a knife edge, the Vipers emerged with more purpose in the third period when they outshot the visitors 18-8. Prince George also stepped up its game and Blake Voth had to be very sharp to deny Rasmussen and Earnest on a Spruce King power play.

On that same power play, Kellen Jones iced the game with a short handed goal at 9:55. He and Connor went in on a patented two-on-one rush and Connor’s pass arrived in the crease as the same time as Kellen’s stick.

Earlier, at 6:59, another hard net drive by Rob Short had given the Vipers a 4-2 lead. Steaming in from the right side, Short deflected Sahir Gill’s perfect slap pass from the PG blue line.

Game Notes:

• The Rasmussen/Berra/Muchalla line, which has scored 14 of the last 17 Prince George goals, generated the bulk of the Prince George scoring chances in this game.

• Cole Ikkala continued his strong play, scoring his 9th goal in the last 11 games.

• The Vipers stayed on course to score 300 goals this season, a feat that has not been accomplished since the Salmon Arm Silverbacks had an even 300 in 2003-2004. (The last Viper team to score that often, the 1998-99 Royal Bank champions, lit the red light 305 times in 60 games.)

• By the way, the 1984-85 Penticton Knights had an incredible 485 goals! Apparently defensive play wasn’t allowed back then. Brett Hull alone had 105 goals in 1983-84.

• Dan Nycholat’s two assists gave him 6 points in the last 4 games. Kevin Kraus, Garrett Noonan, and Adam Thompson were bthe other Viper defenceman to draw assists.

• Blake Voth’s assist on the Connor Jones goal was the rookie goalie’s first BCHL point.

• The win allowed the Vipers to stay four points ahead of the Penticton Vees, who overwhelmed the Merritt Centennials 9-3 Saturday.