Moore Blanks Vipers:

This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Moore blanks Vipers

By Graeme Corbett - Vernon Morning Star

Published: January 25, 2011

It seems all the top teams in the B.C. Hockey League’s Interior Conference have an Achilles heel.

The Westside Warriors can’t seem to beat the Merritt Centennials (Cents lead season series 5-0); neither the Salmon Arm SilverBacks nor the Trail Smoke Eaters have had much success against the Warriors (Westside leads those series 4-1 and 4-0 respectively) and the Penticton Vees can’t catch a break against the Vernon Vipers (Snakes have 4-0-1 edge)

And following Tuesday night’s 3-0 home shutout loss to the SilverBacks, Vernon have to be wondering what it will take to get two points off the Gorillas.

The Snakes fired 45 shots at first star netminder Kris Moore, who backstopped Salmon Arm to a 6-1 season series advantage and the club’s first shutout before 1,600 fans at Wesbild Centre. It is also the first time Vernon has been shut out this season.

Moore, a Calgary native, has stopped 164 of the 173 shots in five appearances against the Vipers this season, good enough for a shining .948 save percentage (his season average is .912).

“Teams have their number for other teams. Ours happens to be Vernon,” smiled Moore, standing outside a jubilant Salmon Arm dressing room.

“It’s nice to get those (shutouts) against a top team like Vernon. I just tried to track (shots) on the way in. I had some help from the d-men on the ones that were tougher.”

After surviving three consecutive penalties, including a two-minute 5-on-3 disadvantage midway through the first period, the SilverBacks’ Brett Knowles opened the scoring at 11:51. He notched his 23rd goal, a shot from the high slot that appeared to deflect off a Viper defenceman, fooling Viper netminder Kirby Halcrow (27 saves) low stick side.

Salmon Arm head coach Tim Kehler, who earned the bench minor that led to the 5-on-3, said surviving those early penalties provided a huge momentum swing.

“Not that I want to take credit for putting our team down two men, but it was really that (penalty kill) that got us engaged in the game,” he said.

“It was all Vernon until that point. We weren’t engaged in the defensive zone, we were turning off of pucks, we just didn’t look into it.

“To have a full two minutes (of 5-on-3) and kill it off, it got our goaltender in the game and really buoyed the spirits of our group.”

It was the second straight game in which Moore anchored his team against a first-period barrage by the Vipers. Vernon outshot the visitors 19-7 heading into the first intermission Tuesday.

“He has typically out-dueled whoever he’s faced in this rink and it has allowed our group to find our legs and really establish our team game,” said Kehler

The Vipers did get possession in the offensive zone, but the majority of their shots came from the perimeter as SilverBack blueliners Jayson Reardon, Josh Manson, Charlie Vasaturo and third star Clinton Atkinson hustled to contain Vernon’s forwards.

Pat McGillis, the Vipers’ main scoring threat on the night, had two prime opportunities in the first period and another great chance on a one-timer in the third, but was denied by Moore.

Despite the high shot count, Vipers’ head coach Mark Ferner was less than thrilled with his team’s effort, from the net outwards.

“We weren’t fully invested in the game. We had some guys who were looking for an easy way to play,” said Ferner. “I can accept losses, but that’s not the point. The process was disappointing.

“A goalie comes into our building and gets first star. We need that from our goaltending too.”

Defenceman Stevie Weinstein, a three-year veteran with the Snakes, said it was just a matter of bearing down.

“We had a lot of powerplays right off the bat and we were getting chances, we just didn’t bury them,” said the Los Angeles product.

“Our first period was good, but we needed to feed off that and keep our energy, and we just didn’t. The effort wasn’t good enough.”

The SilverBacks’ David Killip (19th) made it 2-0 at 7:18 of the second period after he fought off a check behind the net and beat Halcrow with a backhand wraparound.

Jarryd Ten Vaanholt (17th) pounced on a turnover in the slot, ripping a slap shot past the Vernon netminder at 11:14 to complete the scoring.

The Vipers, who lead the Interior at 28-10-4-8, entertain the last-place Prince George Spruce Kings (11-35-0-3) Friday night at Wesbild. They visit the Trail Smoke Eaters (28-19-2-1) Saturday at Cominco Arena.

The SilverBacks, third in the Interior Conference at 29-17-2-0, host Vernon in their final regular-season meeting Feb. 9 at the Sunwave Centre.

SNAKE BITES: Former Viper Todd Skirving collected the winner 15 seconds into double overtime as the Spruce Kings trimmed the Westside Warriors 5-4 Tuesday night at Royal LePage Place. Skirving, who netted 2+1 to earn first star, returns to Wesbild tonight for the first time since being dealt to the Sprucies at the BCHL trade deadline...In other Tuesday action, the host Powell River Kings used a goal and assist each from Matt Garbowsky and Chad Niddery to brush back the Penticton Vees 4-1 at Hap Parker Arena. The Kings lead the BCHL at 36-8-3-2, while the Vees (31-14-2-1) trail Vernon by three points in the Interior but have two games in hand.