McGillis Pumps Up Vipers:

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McGillis pumps up Vipers

By Kevin Mitchell - Vernon Morning Star

Published: January 24, 2011

Patrick McGillis is one of those intangibles that all championship teams possess. He brings it every shift and can pretty much do it all. Check, shoot, score, hit, kill penalties.

You may not notice him some nights as the Dylan Walchuks and David Robinsons strutt their stuff with the Vernon Vipers, but McGillis is a solid and dependable teammate.

The 19-year-old Calgary product got plenty of notice Saturday night, scoring twice and missing at least three other chances, drawing one assist and taking first star honours as the Snakes held off the dogmatic Coquitlam Express 6-4.

McGillis, who compiled seven goals and 21 points while seeing limited duty in 39 games last season, reached the 10-goal plateau with a pair of unassisted tallies in the second period before 1,700 B.C. Hockey League fans at Wesbild Centre.

“The pucks were just going in,” smiled McGillis. “I had about 20 shots the last three games and tonight’s the first time they went in so it’s nice.”

Playing on Vernon’s second line with John Knisley and Aaron Hadley, McGillis did a splendid job penalty killing as the high-scoring Express went 1-for-5 with the man advantage.

“It’s nice to play special teams and penalty killing,” said McGillis. “It’s a huge part of the game and obviously, it’s that a momentum changer if you can kill off a penalty and it’s nice to get the boys going.”

McGillis beat Coquitlam rookie goalie Khaleed Devji with a low shot to make it 3-1 Vernon and then five minutes later, zig-zagged from his own zone and wired a wrister over Devji’s shoulder.

McGillis and Ryan Renz drew assists on Darren Nowick’s powerplay goal to start the second-period offence after the teams traded first-period goals.

Michael Krgovich, who has 96 WHL games on his resume, scored for the Express after he picked off an errant Viper clearing attempt. Rookie Colton Sparrow went hard to the Express net for his first BCHL snipe for the Vipers five minutes later. Trevor Fitzgerald and Brett Corkey earned the assists.

The Vipers, who challenged the monster Powell River Kings in perhaps the best game played at Wesbild in years Friday night, were somewhat off against the Express, who give up an average of almost four goals a game.

“Last night’s game was a playoff-mode game, but tonight was a bit of a struggle for us,” said McGillis. “We just weren’t moving the same as last night but it was nice to get the win but the process wasn’t there.”

The Express, who stunned the Vees Friday night in Penticton and then bowed 5-0 to the Trail Smoke Eaters on their way home Sunday, stuck around long enough to get two late goals from sniper Massimo Lamacchia (25th, 26th).

Both Lamacchia and former Portland Winterhawk Jason Grecica used trick billiards-like shots for goals that fooled Viper goalie Blake Voth.

Robinson scored the winner on a late second-period powerplay, from Kyle Murphy and Corkey, added an empty-netter for his career-high 25th of the year with 36 seconds to play.

The 17-21-1-9 Express, who outshot the Vipers 33-27, sorely missed their captain Garrick Perry, who went down early in the game with an apparent shoulder or arm injury.

Krgovich, who netted his 17th of the season, was impressed with the Interior Conference’s heavy hitters in Vernon and Penticton.

“To be honest with you, they’re good skilled teams, good skating, and they play their systems very soundly and they make very little mistakes and they’re good teams.

“We got a skeleton roster tonight and I think the guys were a bit tired, but no excuses, a couple of mental breakdowns cost us the game.”

Krgovich, a Coquitlam native who turns 21 this Saturday, exchanged hellos with Robinson, a former teammate with the WHL Chilliwack Bruins.

“Robbie’s a great player and he’s a good guy too so it’s good to see him out here.”

And while the 28-9-4-8 Vipers make a push to claim another Interior banner, Krgovich said the Express are focussed on making the playoffs out of the Coastal Conference.

“We’re right in the mix. We didn’t make a lot of moves at the deadline. We didn’t sell the farm. We’re making a push for it and it’s gonna be interesting.”

SNAKE BITES: The Vipers entertained the Salmon Arm Silverbacks Tuesday night. Vernon has 10 games left, including a Friday night tilt against the Prince George Spruce Kings...D-man Malcolm Lyles sat out game two of his two-game suspension Tuesday night, for a blow to the head penalty against the Kings...Vernon’s Tyler Steel made 24 saves and Evan Stack scored at 1.29 of overtime as the Merritt Centennials clipped Prince George 1-0 Saturday night.