Vipers Outgun Capitals:

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Vipers outgun Capitals

by Don Klepp | Added 2010-12-09

The Vernon Viper team bus limped into Duncan Wednesday night, but the team was in high gear as they outscored the Cowichan Valley Capitals 5-2.

Defenceman Malcolm Lyles was front and centre in the Viper attack, assisting on four of the Viper goals.

It was his first four-point game since he was 10 years old, when he was playing in a tournament in Toronto.

He had scored three times when the game went into overtime. As he tells it, “I was sitting in the penalty box when my dad came over and said, ‘settle this thing quickly because we have a plane to catch!” As soon as I got back on the ice I scored again; we made it to the plane at the very last moment.”

Three of his assists came in a wild second period. At 4:34 he shot into a crowd in front of Chase Martin’s goal and Marcus Basara shoveled the puck past Martin during a Viper power play.

At 10:07 Lyles’s point shot was neatly tipped by Kyle Murphy. Then, at 15:51 another Lyles hard low point shot came off Martin’s pad and Zach McPhee collected the rebound. McPhee spun and beat Martin on the forehand for his first goal in a Viper uniform.

Lyles kick started the fifth Viper goal in the third period with a precise pass from his zone to John Knisley at the red line. Knisley’s one-touch pass freed Dylan Walchuk, who stepped over the CV blue line and wristed a shot over Martin’s left arm.

Lyles’s performance overshadowed some fine goaltending by Martin and by the Vipers’ Kirby Halcrow. Martin was the busier, stopping 40 of 45 shots. However, Halcrow provided the more spectacular saves among his 31, especially on two Mike Hammond breakaways.

Hammond got his first chance in the opening minute of the second period, with the score 1-1. Hammond, who’s second in the BCHL with 25 goals, moved left and swerved back right. His shot was destined for the top corner, but Halcrow’s glove was there.

Later in the period, Hammond was sprung loose by Nick Wong’s stretch pass through the middle. Hammond tried to fake right and then come back with a backhand, but Halcrow stayed with the crafty veteran.

Hammond finally did beat Halcrow with a one-timer at 19:19 of the second period, after the Vipers had built a 4-1 lead. Halcrow made two fine saves on shots by Clayton Chessa and Jordan Grant, but he had to go to his knees to deny Grant, and Hammond had the whole top of the net open.

The second and third periods were wide open. “That wasn’t a Viper game out there,” said Coach Mark Ferner after the game. “We left the middle open far too many times.”

The game had opened far differently, with the Vipers out shooting the Capitals 20-7 in the first period. Dale Purinton’s squad came out hitting, hard and often. Several Vipers were rocked by hits delivered by the likes of Tyler Matheson, Nick Amies, Jordan Grant, Devin Dambrauskas, and Alex Halloran.

The Vipers, already short on defence, lost Brett Corkey and Max Mowat early in the opening period. Corkey did return, but Mowat was able to get just one shift, after returning from injury.

In sharp contrast to Cowichan Valley’s hitting style, the Vipers focused on skating and puck movement throughout the game. The Capitals switched styles in the second period, and they had some success, out shooting the Vipers 26-25 over the final two stanzas.

Early in the game, the home team set up shop in the Viper zone, and they opened the scoring at 5:49, when Stephen Saretsky’s innocent shot from the left boards ran up Halcrow’s goal stick and into the top corner.

The teams went into the first intermission tied at 1-1. Dylan Walchuk supplied the equalizer. With a man advantage, Adam Thompson slapped a knee high shot that deflected off Walchuk and past a screened Chase Martin at 15:40.

Game Notes:

• Nick Amies returned to the Cowichan Valley lineup after missing a month of action.

• Max Mowat’s return from injury lasted just one shift.

• Zach McPhee’s WHL rights were traded to the Everett Silvertips, but Everett has no immediate plans for recalling the 6’3” Vernon native to the Western Hockey League.