Vipers Control Kings To Take Series Lead:

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Vipers control Kings to take series lead

by Don Klepp | Added 2010-04-08

In another hotly contested game in the Fred Page Cup finals, the Vernon Vipers pulled away from the Powell River Kings in the second and third periods, en route to a decisive 4-2 win.

Heading to Powell River for Saturday’s sixth game, the Vipers lead 3-2 as they have outplayed the Kings by a sizeable margin in the last two games.

The score flattered the Kings in Thursday night’s contest at the Wesbild Centre as they were outshot 41-22. They had just 11 scoring chances compared to 25 by the Vipers. Once again, Josh Watson was solid and frequently acrobatic in the Kings’ goal, especially in the third period when the Vipers threw 17 shots at him.

The Kings went into that third period trailing 2-1, and their recent history would suggest that they would come out with guns blazing. However, they were outplayed at every turn by the Vipers, who went ahead by two goals at 5:58. Rob Short roared down the right wing, blew by a defenceman, and ripped a wrist shot over Watson’s left shoulder.

That goal turned out to the winner because Chad Niddery tipped in a Reid Campbell centering pass at 19:02. Campbell had barrelled his way past two Vipers along the left boards to set up the speedy Niddery. It was the Kings’ first scoring chance of the period.

In the closing seconds, with Watson on the bench, the Kings generated two more chances, but Graeme Gordon stood his ground. Off one of his saves, Gordon drew an assist on Jonathan Milhouse’s empty net goal at 19:42.

The third period drama capped a solid effort by the Vipers. Assistant Coach Jason Williamson called it “the best game this team has played in quite a while. I think we’re hitting our stride.”

The trend was set early in the first period when David Robinson went to an open spot and converted a rebound off a Cory Kane shot at 2:01. Kane had used his strength and shiftiness to dangle past three Kings before unleashing his wrister.

The score could have been 2-0 when Connor Jones was awarded a penalty shot at 14:20. He tried his favourite forehand deke and backhand to the five-hole, but Watson got his right pad down to deny the Vipers’ leading scorer.

With 1:45 remaining in the period, Cody Rainaldi found himself all alone in front of Graeme Gordon, but Gordon flashed his right goal pad to thwart Rainaldi.

Early in the second, the goal light behind Watson signalled a goal after a strong effort the Jones line, but referee Grant Tyson waved the goal off. Tyson, who was well behind the play and not in position to make the call, apparently lost sight of the puck.

Tyson was involved in a controversial non-call just prior to Mat Bodie’s fine individual effort that tied the game at 9:00. Tyson was in the vicinity as Bodie and Kellen Jones went for a loose puck outside the Viper blue line. Before Jones could get to Bodie, he was bowled over by another King.
Bodie took the puck over the Viper line, swerved to his left to beat a defender, and shot back to the right, over Gordon’s catcher and into the top corner.

The Jones line put the Vipers ahead again at 16:31 with a persistent forecheck and scintillating play by Sahir Gill and Kellen Jones. Along the right boards, Gill knocked a King off the puck, made a sweet sweeping move to avoid a defender and slipped the disk to Kellen, who brought Watson to his knees before sliding the puck past the befuddled goaltender.

Cory Kane, who left defenders in his wake all night, and who assisted on both of his line mates’ goals, was named first star. Rob Short’s goal and strong defensive play earned him second star honours, and Chad Niddery, the best King, was named third star.

For the second game, the Kings were held to 22 shots and 15 or fewer scoring chances as the Vipers have started to compete at a level higher than the Kings.

Once again, the Vipers created chances on the power play, but were unable to convert. They now are 2 for 20 with the man advantage in this series. The Kings, who count on the power play for about a third of their goals, were blanked in their one opportunity.