Déjà Vu All Over Again:

This is posted on the Vipers website:

Déjà vu all over again

by Don Klepp | Added 2011-11-27

On Saturday, for the second straight night, the Salmon Silverbacks won 3-2 in overtime versus the Vernon Vipers.

Again, defenceman Sean Flanagan played a major role, scoring the winner at 1:34 of the first overtime during a 4-on-3 power play. Morgan Zulinick won a faceoff and the ‘Backs controlled the puck in the Viper zone. With one of the three Viper defenders down and out, Flanagan had time in the slot to pick the low corner to Kirby Halcrow’s right with a whistling wrist shot.

Aaron Hadley had tied the game at 11:56 of the third period, also on the power play. Hadley, who was parked in front of Kurt Williams, swept in Mike Zalewski’s centering pass. (The score sheet mistakenly credits Darren Nowick with the assist.) The goal came during the first half of a double minor for high sticking assessed to Shane Hanna. The Vipers were unable to beat Kurt Williams during Hanna’s continued visit to the penalty box.

Williams was the difference in the third as a hard-working, desperate Viper squad pressed for the equalizer. They had 9 scoring chances in the period and 22 overall.

Coach Jason Williamson was pleased with his players’ overall effort, “even though we didn’t get the result we deserved. But that’s the way things go when you’re on a losing streak.”

In part he was referring to a pair of Salmon Arm goals about two minutes apart in the second period. The Vipers were leading 1-0 courtesy of an Adam Tambellini wraparound goal when a Viper giveaway at the Silverback blue line led to a 3-on-1 Silverback break. Shane Hanna finished the play at 11:35 with a nifty backhand.

At 13:24 Garrett Hendrickson shovelled in Kody Dhaliwal rebound and the tide had officially turned. Before the Hanna marker, the Vipers had dominated the second period, but the Silverbacks took heart from their first goal and they took the play to the Vipers for most of the remaining seven minutes of the second period.

However, the Vipers came out flying in the third period and could have had four or five goals on their 10 scoring chances. Again, Kurt Williams was solid between the pipes and the ‘Backs collapsed to the net to prevent second chance goals.

Once again, the Silverbacks were missing five injured regulars, including defencemen James Friedel and Matt Brown. Sean Flanagan made up for their absence by playing well in excess of 30 minutes and making play after play.

The Vipers added Colton Sparrow to their list of walking wounded, so they had four regulars sitting in the stands. Defenceman John Saunders, a call-up from the North Okanagan Knights, played well in his second game with the Vipers. Brendan Persley had another strong game as he filled in for Sparrow on the Tambellini/Hadley line.

The Viper losing streak has now stretched to six games despite what Coach Williamson called a “gutsy, determined effort.”