I was born and raised in Vernon, BC and been watching/following Junior hockey in Vernon my whole life. My family watched Senior men's hockey in Vernon in the 1950's and has been watching Junior hockey in Vernon since it started in 1961. I have two family members that played Junior hockey in Vernon. I have had season tickets since 1990 missing only 40 home games. Since 2001 I have missed 10 home games. I started and created this blog in November 2008 and have over 3 million viewers. For anyone who couldn't watch or attend tonight's Vipers game, here are my thoughts and views from tonight's hockey game. You may agree or disagree, but we all have our own opinion on the hockey game and see things differently. I try to be professional and give a fare game recap from both sides. Thank you for visiting my blog.
I was at tonight's game between the Vernon Vipers & Brooks Bandits as the Bandits defeated the Vipers 6-3 in front of 2,320 fans at Kal Tire Place.
Starting Goaltenders:
Vernon Vipers: Jari Kykkanen
Brooks Bandits: Mikus Vecvanags
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2nd Period: The Bandits were the better team, had more of the edge in play, more puck possession and zone time. The hometown Snakes did play a much better period, did manage to generate some zone time, opportunities and had several good shifts now and again but overall I thought the Bandits were the better team. It was 6-3 Brooks after 40 minutes of play. Shots were 12-10 Bandits.
3rd Period: With the Bandits leading 6-3, Brooks took there foot off the gas as Vernon had the edge in play, had lots of zone time but didn't generate a whole lot of pucks to the net or create a ton of quality chances. When the Vipers did generate some opportunities, they couldn't capitalize on there chances. Late in the period both teams got a little chippy as several scrums formed after a couple of stoppages. The Brooks Bandits would come away with the 6-3 victory. Shots were 11-10 Vernon.
Vernon Vipers Top Performers:
Corban Almen (1 goal) I thought stood out from time to time, seemed to generate some looks/opportunities
Marko Bilic (21 saves) Replaced starting goaltender Jari Kykkanen after the opening frame and played very well to finish the hockey game. I thought Bilic looked calm, poised and was forced into action almost right away, come up with a couple of big stops to settle into the contest.
Game Thought's: Vernon Vipers
- Tonight's the first game of a four game home stand
- The Vipers & Bandits will meet again January 10th in Brooks
- You take away the Vipers poor 1st period and this is a different hockey game
- The Vipers were wearing there yellow third/alternate jerseys
- Vernon went 0-3 with the power play
- The Snakes have at least a point in five of there last eight home games
- I liked Vernon's start to tonight's game, but it didn't last very long. The Bandits seemed to take control about four or five minutes into the opening period and outplayed the Vipers for the remainder of the period. The Snakes gave up five goals and were outshot 20-7 in a lopsided period. Vernon with several mistakes in there own end, lead to goals
- The Vipers next game is Saturday vs the visiting Cranbrook Bucks
- I heard forward Georgios Stavrianeas has asked for a trade
- I really liked the Snakes PK this evening. The Bandits had a two man advantage in the 1st period and I thought the Snakes did a pretty good job with the PK overall through out the night
- Tonight's attendance was announced at 2,320
- Forward Logan Peskett made his Vipers debut tonight
- The Vipers & Bandits play each other four times during the regular season
- The Snakes have two games remaining before the Christmas holidays
- I thought the Vipers played a little better in the 2nd period and would have more then a few shifts where they carried the play, generated some offence, had some puck possession and zone time and looked good at different stages. Overall I thought Brooks had a little more edge in play in the 2nd period and was the better team
- Forward Kyren Gronick made his Vipers debut tonight
- Starting goaltender Jari Kykkanen was pulled after the 1st period, allowed five goals on twenty Brooks shots
- The Vipers had a couple of early chances to start the game, if they score even once maybe the momentum doesn't spring the other way so quickly and it's a different 1st period
- The Vipers have lost three straight, have lost three of there last five games and lost six of there last ten games
- The Snakes were losing a lot of battles for pucks and along the wall
- The Vipers don't have the talent level or skilled players to compete with skilled teams like Brooks
- I have said this before, with five teams from the Alberta now playing in the BCHL, I'm surprised it's still called the BC Hockey League
- The Vipers home record this season is 3-5-3-0
- I thought Vernon was the better team in the 3rd period but I think it had a lot more to do with not only the score but the Bandits taking there foot off the gas. The Vipers carried the better of the play, had more puck possession, zone time but didn't get a whole lot of pucks to the net or generate a whole lot of chances, for a team down three goals
- Marko Bilic started the 2nd period and played very well in the final two periods, keeping the score from running away on the hometown Vipers
- The Snakes are 2-2-1-0 vs the Alberta teams this season
- It's hard to believe were almost at the Christmas break and the Vipers only have eight wins on the year
- With the loss, Vernon falls to 8-13-4-0 sits 9th in the Interior Conference and 17th overall
Brooks Bandits Top Performers:
Nathan Free (1 assist) I thought stood out, played very well in the victory. Free was engaged in the play, was hard to defend and good with and without the puck
Julian Fantino Was another forward I liked, that I also thought played well
Nick Peluso (1 goal & 1 assist) Not the biggest kid but played hard, was involved in the play
Jace Letourneau (3 assists) This kid is big, can skate, move the puck, was hard to contain/defend, looked good for the Bandits
Keith McInnis is another kid that has some size, played very well on the backend
Caden Drury (3 goals) Made his Bandits debut this evening, is a very good hockey player. Gave the Vipers all kinds of difficulties, was hard to defend/contain, plays well at both ends of the rink. The Bandits signed Drury December 5th. Drury spent the past three seasons with the SJHL Melville Millionaires. In 132 games with the Millionaires, Drury put up 106 pts
Mikus Vecvanags (25 saves) At times the Bandits goaltender looked a little shaky but did manage to make the big saves when needed
Game Thought's: Brooks Bandits
- I like the Bandits logo/jerseys
- Tonight was the Bandits first ever regular season game played in Vernon at Kal Tire Place. Prior to joining the BC Hockey League, the Bandits played one preseason game in Vernon at Kal Tire Place North. The Vipers come away with the 3-2 overtime victory September 1st 2019
- The Bandits put on a show in the 1st period. It took Brooks about four or five minutes before taking over the period and the play as the Bandits outplayed Vernon in the opening period, scoring five goals. The Bandits were skating circles around the Snakes often, carried the better of the play, had the puck on there stick for most of the period. This team can skate, move the puck and made the Vipers pay on there mistakes
- Brooks went 1-3 with the man advantage
- I spotted two Bandits fans in attendance
- Tonight's the second game of a four game road trip
- The Bandits have lost three of there last five games and and won seven of there last ten games
- With the score 6-3 heading into the 3rd, I think the Bandits took there foot off the gas
- The Brooks Bandits were awarded an expansion team in 1999 joined the Alberta Junior Hockey League in 2000 before joining the BCHL in February 2024. The Bandits won three straight National Championships from 2019-2023
- The Bandits are 10-2-0-0 on the road this year
- Even though Vernon got to within three goals in the 2nd period, I thought Brooks was the better team. Sure the Vipers played a little better and generated some offence but the Bandits still had the better of the play often.
- This team is very quick, has a good transition game, can move the puck at a high rate of speed and has a very strong forecheck
- For two teams playing each other for the first time this season, tonight's game was heated a bit at times with both teams getting a little chippy/under the skin of one another
- The Bandits next game is Saturday in Salmon Arm
- Brooks made the Vipers pay for there mistakes in the 1st period, capitalizing on several Vernon mistakes, that lead to goals
- With a 6-3 score, Brooks took there foot off the gas in the 3rd as the Vipers were the better team, carried the play, had more puck possession and zone time. The Bandits didn't generate a ton of chances or have a whole lot of time in the offensive zone
- Forward Caden Drury made his Bandits debut tonight
- With the win, Brooks improves to 19-3-0-0 sit 2nd in the Interior Conference and 2nd place overall
Scratches:
Vernon Vipers:
Georgios Stavrianeas
Koji Gibson
Sam Ward
Keeghan Dunn
Brooks Bandits:
Josh Wiebe
Jack Rosesteel
Mathis Dufour
Will Lutic
Griffin Wright
Energy Player of the Game:
Landon MacDonald (1 goal)
Three Star's:
1st Star: Caden Drury (3 goals)
2nd Star: Jace Letourneau (3 assists)
3rd Star: Corban Almen (1 goal)
Boxscore-Game Summary,
Game Report,
Text Box Score,
Vernon Junior Hockey History website,
Please feel free to leave comments or suggestions in the comment box below. Please be respectful when leaving comments.
Here are some photo's I took before and during tonight's Vernon Vipers-Brooks Bandits game.
7 comments:
Were you at tonight's game? What did you think of tonight's Vipers/Brooks game? What are your comments/opinion on the game?
That was a terrible game. The Vipers stink so bad! Brooks is the best looking team I’ve seen this year
It wasn’t the blowout I expected. Vipers came out strong for a few minutes. It was good to see the Vipers rally in the second and third period. Brooks scored goals where they clean up the crease, rebound goals and just missed shots. They certainly don’t miss opportunities. I enjoyed watching Brooks play. Reminded me of the Vipers 15 years ago.
Not sure why in your game reports you are surprised the vipers only have 8 wins . Is this really surprising ? Not for me this team is not good and it’s reality this team won’t contend at all this year , every week you have a different roster/ team for games .
Lomicky is doing everything he can to keep his job by shipping players out every week . After he trades Stravianeas you would think this team will be out of roster moves as the whole team has changed . But I would not bet against him releasing or trading the new players he has brought in lol
Hey VDHF I think they should have pulled Kykkanen after the 3rd goal and it might have been a different outcome. Lot's of interference from the Bandits that weren't called. I thought Vipers were the better team in periods 2 & 3 even though they are playing a fast team
I don't agree because the game was already over and the Bandits took their foot off the gas when they saw their old teammate between the pipes. The Vipers were never in this game and were totally outclassed by Brooks. Everything about this team reminds me how it used to be in Vernon before the Glenn's took over. We've gone from the Penthouse to the Outhouse in a short period of time.
You said it Bobby "outclassed". This organization has no class, very sad to see.
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