Snakes Pull Even With ‘Backs:

This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Snakes pull even with ‘Backs

It’s a slogan veteran centre Connor Jones says the Vernon Vipers feel best represents what they are all about.
“23 beats...one heart.” They wear T-shirts with the phrase. They have it posted on Facebook for the whole planet to view.
And the team-first attitude and amped-up pulse was surely on display Saturday night as the Vipers smothered the Salmon Arm SilverBacks 5-1 in B.C. Hockey League playoff action before 2,454 fans at Wesbild Centre.
The best-of-seven Interior Conference championship series resumed Tuesday night at the Sunwave Centre even at 1-1, with Game 4 back there tonight. The fifth game goes Friday night in Vernon.
The Viper coaches asked the Vipers to clog up the neutral zone and forecheck better than they did in the Game 1 loss. They asked for straight-line, third-effort hockey, and their wishes were granted.
Captain Chris Crowell and Mike Collins fired powerplay goals 2:10 apart midway through the first period before Keenan Desmet replied for the Gorillas two minutes after Collins’ goal. After that, it was pretty much all Snakes.
The second period was scoreless, but the Vipers did put on a free penalty killing clinic, bailing out d-man Kyle Bigos, who took a double minor 18 seconds after Ryan Santana took a tripping penalty. Jones and d-men Cameron Brodie and Mike Leidl did a fabulous job killing 91 seconds of a 5-on-3 as the SilverBacks hemmed in the Snakes.
“The key kill there 5-on-3 certainly gave our guys a boost,” said Viper head coach Mark Ferner. “I’m not sure how many shots we blocked, but they sure sacrificed their body for the better of the team and that’s what we need. That’s playoff hockey and they should be proud of their efforts. It was a real gutsy effort by our guys.”
Ferner fully expected to see a better performance after the Vipers were badly outshot in the series opener.
“They like each other, they like being around each other, they like playing for each other,” said Ferner. “Every once in a while, that message has to get sent again and let them know why we’re actually here. We know it’s not going to be easy. They’re a very good hockey team over there, but we also knew that this was a big game for us and we had 20 guys determined for one common goal and that was trying to get a victory tonight.”
Jones, who scored a pair of gorgeous goals six minutes apart in the third period off identical two-on-one feeds by his twin, Kellen, rated first star ahead of Collins and Braden Pimm (also a clutch penalty killer who drew assists on the first two goals).
“This game was a big confidence booster,” said Connor, who like his brother, was bodied hard but bounced up like he had been struck by a SmartCar.
“Yesterday, we were a little bit nervous. I don’t know what it was, it wasn’t our team and tonight, all the guys were playing well.”
On his penalty kill assignments, Connor added: “Pimmer went out there and he blocked many shots and I saw it so I went out there to block as many shots as I could. Our best penalty killer was Hammy (goalie Andrew Hammond). He made some unreal saves. Hammy got the job done.”
James Kerr, who took injured Rob Short’s spot on a line with Cory Kane and Bryce Kakoske, supplied the other Viper goal, diving to punch in a loose puck in front of SilverBack goalie Bryan Gillis, making it 3-1 Vernon early in the third.
SilverBack veteran winger Colin Lidster wasn’t going to lose sleep over the loss.
“We gotta take it in stride I guess. We weren’t really happy with our effort we put forth tonight, but we have to look past it; tomorrow’s a new day.”
Lidster, the son of former NHLer Doug Lidster, felt the Gorillas had to be more disciplined back on home ice. Vernon went 3-for-9 on the powerplay Saturday.
“It’s tough when it’s a game like that. We have a fast-skating team and it’s tough to get the forecheck going. You kind of take what you can from it, but I think part of it was on our part. I don’t necessarily agree with all the calls, but part of that was us so we have to be accountable for that for sure.”
The Kamloops product felt the scrum at the buzzer, after Zac Rasmussen chased Collins, who had ragged the puck out of the SilverBack zone with a few seconds remaining, will only heat up the rivarly.
“Get the fans going I guess. It’s playoff hockey, right? We’re supposed to hate each other so it’s good.”
Lidster said the SilverBacks will maintain their close coverage of the Jones duo.
“The Jonesies are both really skilled players. They’re very noticeable and I think that’s why they got those scholarships to Quinnipiac. They’re both very dangerous when they’re out there so we have to watch out for them.”
SilverBack head coach Rylan Ferster was somewhat disappointed his team couldn’t snag a series lead, but admitted the Vipers were the better club.
“They’re a team that played pretty desperate tonight. They certainly don’t want to go down two-oh and I think you seen it in their play. It was probably exactly like they designed it. We took some very undisciplined penalties and they capitalized. Full marks to them. They were a good team tonight and I thought we had some passengers tonight.”

SNAKE BITES: Short, who banged up his knee in Game 1, was expected to play Tuesday...Santana blew out his shoulder in a collision with Gillis, and will be sidelined indefinitely...A sixth game, if necessary, would go Saturday in Salmon Arm. A Game 7 would be played Tuesday night in Vernon.