Vipers Shut Down Kings Scoring Court:

This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Vipers shut down Kings scoring court

They spent 24 hours on a bus, took four ferry rides, listened to rookie Kory Roy chatter non-stop, and watched several movies.
Oh, and the Vernon Vipers arrived home Sunday holding a 2-0 lead over the Powell River Kings in the best-of-seven B.C. Hockey League Fred Page Cup championship series.
Game 3 went Tuesday night at the Wesbild Centre with the fourth game back there tonight. A fifth game, if required, would go Friday night in Powell River.
The Kings stopped at Burnaby Eight Rinks for a practice Monday afternoon before having dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Langley en route to Vernon.
The league’s premier offence went into Game 3 looking for their first goal after losing 3-0 Saturday night at the Powell River Rec Centre.
Viper captain Chris Crowell, who went toe-to-toe with Kings’ tough guy Kyle Leahy one second into the game, winning a decision, was expecting Powell River to play with desperation.
“Obviously, they’re down 2-0 so they’re probably feeling it a bit, but they have some older guys over there that have a lot of pride so they aren’t going to pack it in or nothing,” said Crowell, at practice Monday afternoon. “They were up on Victoria 3-1 and had to face some adversity with Game 7 on the road so they definitely have some character over there so they won’t be shutting it down.”
Kings’ head coach Kent Lewis figures his high-octane forwards just need a lucky bounce here or there to get moving.
“They deserved their luck and we haven’t been deserving of any luck,” said Lewis. “I have a lot of confidence in our group. We took three of four from Victoria on the road and we’ve been a good road team all year.”
Lewis feels the Kings, who had four of the top-10 pointgetters during the regular season, had trouble with the Vipers’ smothering defensive system.
“Vernon is kind of a throwback club, no disrespect to them, and we just haven’t adjusted. We just have to work a little harder. We were a very frustrated and undisciplined group in Game 2.”
Sahir Gill, with a tip-in off a Kellen Jones’ feed at 2:10 of the first period, was the winner before 960 fans. Bryce Kakoske, on a wrister from the top of the faceoff circle, and Braden Pimm, on Carsen Chubak’s doorstep after a pass from Kakoske, finished off the Vernon scoring.
Andrew Hammond registered his fourth shutout in the last six games, making 32 saves to earn Player-of-the-Week for the second straight time.
“Our team is just playing real well defensively, and it all starts with Hammy back there,” said Viper centre Connor Jones. “He’s playing great, he’s the best goalie in the league. It’s a great feeling, nice to come back up two games, but we’ve got two big games coming back.”
Both Jones and d-man Cody Ikkala listed the dark psychological thriller Mr. Brooks as their favourite movie on the trek to the Sunshine Coast. Fitting since it’s about a highly respected man with an alter-ego who hides the secret he’s a serial killer.
The Vipers can portray pretty much any personality they wish, but Ikkala said they kept it simple in Powell River, getting pucks deep and grinding the Kings’ d-men down.
They aren’t about to change their stifling check-till-ya-drop style.
“We just went down there with a purpose,” said Ikkala, a Philadelphia product. “We tried to shut them down defensively because we knew they had some big forwards down there.”
Leahy performed his enforcer role well, challenging a few Vipers during the warm-up.
“It was actually a really good fight,” said Ikkala. “Crowell; the kid’s strong as an ox, you can’t take him down. Props to Leahy, he put in a pretty good fight too.”
Vipers’ head coach Mark Ferner said his Interior Conference champions played near-mistake free hockey, giving up few odd-man rushes and being smart in the offensive zone. He’s not totally sure why the Kings struggled in the opening games.
“Sometimes, it’s tough when you start at home. They are a very talented group up front no question about it,” said Ferner. “Our guys have done a pretty good job limiting their opportunities, probably more so in those second and third opportunities. Our dee and our forwards have done a good job collapsing and getting rid of the rebounds, and obviously Andrew is playing very well as well.”
The Vipers were a loose bunch at practice Monday, and Hammond was rarely beaten in the flow drills.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Ikkala, of Hammond’s playoff performance. “It’s something spectacular. It’s nice having him back of you. He’s always got his game face on in practice.”
The BCHL champion will meet the Alberta League champion Grande Prairie Storm, who swept the No. 1-rated Spruce Grove Saints for the Enerflex Cup, in the regional Doyle Cup series slated to start next Friday night in B.C.
Should the Vipers advance, Games 1 and 2 will be played at Civic Arena due to a logging show at Wesbild Centre. If the teams split the opening games, a third tilt would go in Vernon, back at Wesbild.
Morgan McLean scored at 11:50 of double overtime as the Storm clipped the visiting Saints 4-3 before an overflow 3,208 fans at the Canada Games Arena Saturday night.
Storm head coach/GM Mike Vandekamp, who led Vernon to their last BCHL title (in 2003) said he told his players they won the championship back in September “when they decided they were going to commit to doing it right.”
Added Vandekamp: “I’m proud of them. They sacrificed a lot – physically and socially. We really became a strong team.”
Carter Rowney, a 19-year-old forward out of Sexsmith, Alta, was the AJHL playoff MVP. He pocketed 18 points in 19 games, including three game-winners and seven powerplay goals.