Vipers Snap Losing Streak:

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Vipers snap losing streak

by Don Klepp | Added 2010-11-19

In what amounted to a must-win game for the Vernon Vipers in Coquitlam on Friday, they beat the Express 4-3 early in overtime.

Bryce Kakoske scored the winner after he had knocked down defenceman Cole Gelley in the Express zone. Kakoske then showed patience with the puck before beating Luke Hernandez on the short side.

It was the first shot in overtime, but the Vipers’ 49th of the game. Meanwhile, the Express managed just 19 shots on Blake Voth.

As the shot totals would indicate, Hernandez was the main reason why the Express weren’t blown away in this game. He got stronger and stronger as the game progressed, and was particularly effective during four Viper power plays when the visitors generated a slew of great scoring chances.

The overtime win lifted a load off the young Vipers’ shoulders, snapping a three-game losing streak. In those games, the Vipers surrendered late leads as they lost when they should have won.

They also gave up a third period lead to the Express, when Garrick Perry scored a short handed goal at 10:51. Perry intercepted Bryce Kakoske’s cross ice pass to set up a breakaway. He cleanly beat Blake Voth to tie the game at 3-3.

The Vipers had entered the third period trailing 2-1, but goals by Aaron Hadley and Todd Skirving changed the game dramatically.

Dylan Walchuk set up Hadley’s goal at 4:28. Following an aggressive forecheck by Colton Sparrow, Walchuk made a couple of good moves deep in the Express end and fed Hadley at the goal line.

Skirving’s goal was unassisted as he stole the puck and shot over Hernandez’s glove at 7:19. His goal was one of four unassisted markers in the game as both teams were prone to turnovers in vulnerable areas of the ice.

Mitchell Deacon notched the first of those opportunistic goals, on the first shot of the game at 2:42. Earlier on the same shift, he had intercepted a Brett Corkey pass, but had missed the net. When presented with another gift opportunity, he didn’t miss.

A fine effort by Dylan Walchuk allowed the Vipers to tie the score at 8:25 of the first period. Walchuk won a draw in the Express zone, but lost the puck. Bryce Kakoske won it back and gave it to Walchuk who made several moves before finding David Robinson wide open at the side of the Express net.

However, the Express regained the lead 1:01 later, as Jason Grecica vacuumed a loose puck in the Viper zone and wheeled behind Voth’s net. After Grecica’s unsuccessful shot, the puck lay in the crease before Massimo Lamacchia poked it in.

So, despite being out shot 9-3, the Express led, 2-1.

The scoreless second period featured plenty of Viper chances and very little offensive output by the home team. The Express did generate some limited offense early in the third, on two power plays, but they were unable to beat Blake Voth or to get second chance shots.

Game Notes:

• Playing on the ice surface where he played the majority of his minor hockey, Marcus Basara had a strong game, even though he didn’t figure in the scoring stats.

• Defenceman Elliott Richardson sat out as Philip Patenaude dressed for the Vipers.

• After scoring three goals in his first 21 games in the BCHL, Aaron Hadley has now found the net five times in the last five games.

• Robinson now leads the Vipers in goal scoring, with 12 on the season. The Express leaders are Lamacchia (13) and Perry (12).