Vipers’ Playoff Hopes Stymied:

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Vipers’ Playoff Hopes Stymied

Saturday, February 25, 2012 - Submitted by Don Klepp

Despite a strong effort in Duncan on Friday, the Vipers’ playoff aspirations suffered a setback with a 6-4 loss to the Cowichan Valley Capitals.

The key play happened early in the third period when the Capitals’ top line of Devin Gannon, Matt Brown, and Brett Knowles created a turnover outside the Viper blue line and stormed the zone. Just 17 seconds into the period, Gannon gave the Capitals a 4-2 lead when a pinballed puck come to him while he was parked to the left of Kirby Halcrow’s crease.

Gannon added to the lead from exactly the same spot during a 5-on-3 power play at 11:34. That lead looked insurmountable, but the Vipers stormed back with goals by Aaron Hadley at 17:35 and by John Knisley at 19:34.

Brett Knowles squeaked in an empty netter with one second remaining.

The Vipers played from behind for most of the contest despite out hitting and out shooting their opportunistic hosts.

Cowichan Valley got on the board first at 3:39 of the opening frame. Jake Charles squirmed free from a Viper defender to deposit a rebound of Troy Paterson’s point shot.

Though stung by the early goal, the Vipers recovered to create chances of their own. However, at 7:29 a refereeing gaffe hurt the Viper cause. Cowichan’s Keyler Bruce drove Patrick McGillis into the boards from behind. Amazingly, he was not penalized for that hit, but an instigator penalty was assessed to Colton Cyr when he challenged Bruce. Cyr and Bruce then engaged in a lengthy, bruising fight.

McGillis was shaken up by the Bruce hit, but returned to action and nearly tied the score at 1-1 when his breakaway attempt at 11:32 beat Derek Dun but not Dun’s left goal post. Meanwhile, the Vipers lost Cyr for 17 minutes because the instigator penalty triggers an automatic misconduct.

Then, the Capitals drew another break when linesman Marko Casavant failed to signal an obvious icing by the Capitals. The play continued into the Viper zone and eventually Brayden Sherbinin’s screened point shot found the Viper net at 19:42. In response to the Vipers’ protests, the two referees and the other linesman admitted that the play should have been blown dead for the icing infraction.

With Cyr sitting for a lengthy spell, the Vipers were down to two centres. Adam Tambellini failed to make the trip because of illness and Ben Gamache’s injured hand flared up after the warmup. So, the Vipers double shifted Darren Nowick and Jedd Soleway.

Soleway responded with perhaps his best game of the season. His constant offensive zone pressure and some spirited rushes sparked the Vipers in the second period. Two of those rushes led to goals by Patrick McGillis and Colton Sparrow that knotted the score at 2-2.

Just when the Vipers had gained momentum, Darren Nowick’s hooking penalty gave the Capitals their fourth of seven power plays and they converted through Sherbinin’s nice backdoor feed to Brett Knowles at 19:00.

The Vipers, who now have played one more game than the Chilliwack Chiefs, remain three points back of the Chiefs in the race for the last playoff spot in the BCHL's Interior Division.