Snakes Regroup To Square Series:

This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Snakes regroup to square series

By Graeme Corbett - Vernon Morning Star

Published: April 08, 2010

First goal in a road game, a quick counterattack after an opposition tally, and a clutch goal in the dying seconds of a period. The Vernon Vipers have rediscovered their knack for timely scoring.

Sahir Gill’s goal with 31 seconds left in the second period stood as the winner as the Vernon Vipers doubled the host Powell River Kings 4-2 in Game 4 of the B.C. Hockey League Fred Page Cup Tuesday night at Hap Parker Arena.

After subpar performances in Games 2 and 3, the Vipers got back to basics to even the best-of-seven series at two apiece in front of 1,231 fans. Game 5 went Thursday night at Wesbild Centre, with Game 6 heading back to the Sunshine Coast Saturday night. If necessary, Game 7 would go Monday at Wesbild.

“We were simple – we moved the puck and we competed. We tried to do too much with the puck in the first three games and we just tried to simplify the game,” said Vernon head coach Mark Ferner.

The Vipers’ Cory Kane opened the scoring at 5:33 of the first period. Going in on the rush with Robbie Short and David Robinson, Kane fired five-hole to beat netminder Josh Watson for his second goal of the playoffs.

A look at the boxscore shows the Viper penalty kill allowing two goals on six powerplays, but Ferner says that doesn’t really tell the story. The Vipers played pretty much shorthanded the second half of the first period, and early in the second (including a minute of 5-on-3 hockey), as referee Colby Smith handed the Vipers five straight minors.

“Fortunately for us, we did a pretty good job of it,” said Ferner. “The game could have been over (had they scored again).”

The Vipers’ powerplay is limping along at 2-for-15 (13.33 per cent) so far in the series, while the Kings are clicking at 6-for-19 (31.58 per cent).

The Kings finally cracked the Viper penalty kill at 3:35 of the second period, as Daniel Carr pocketed his 14th goal of the post-season, assisted by towering defenceman Justin Dasilva and speedy Matt Garbowsky.

Vernon replied just 21 seconds later as Connor Jones (first star) netted his team-leading ninth goal after a cycle play with Gill (third star) and Kellen Jones.

Connor, who leads all Vipers with 16 points in 16 games, earned BCHL Player-of-the-Week honours.

Gill’s late second-period marker, assisted by Connor and defenceman Adam Thompson, kept the momentum in Vernon’s favour heading into the third period.

Said Vipers’ defensive stalwart Garrett Noonan: “We did all the right things and we need to keep doing that in Game 5. We all just came out with the mind set that nothing is going to stop us from getting home-ice advantage back.

“I don’t think we ever got down on one another. They’re a good team and it’s not going to be easy. They took a couple games, but it’s a seven-game series and we’re prepared for it to go a full seven games.”

The Kings’ Chad Niddery (second star), arguably Powell River’s best player in this series, tried to stage a third-period comeback by firing a backhander shortside on netminder Graeme Gordon on the powerplay at 14:23.

However, the Kings were unable to generate much as they spent most of the third period in the penalty box, with Smith dishing out four minors to the Kings in the final frame.

Kings’ head coach Kent Lewis summed the game up like this: “We took seven penalties, five of them in the offensive zone away from our net. Not a smart effort. For whatever reason, we had a brain cramp for most of the game.”

The Kings finally got some pressure in the final minute, but Viper captain Kevin Kraus hit the relief valve by launching a 173-foot empty-netter (Kiss-FM colour man Don Klepp used the ol’ eye-ometer to guess that one), collecting his first goal of the playoffs.

Gordon posted 20 saves for the win, while Watson recorded 23 saves for the Kings.

Like Ferner, Lewis has his squad conditioned, mentally and physically, for a seven-game series. The Kings showed that in the Coastal Conference final when they rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to ice the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.

“We’ve done it before,” said Lewis. “It shouldn’t be too hard (to regroup); we’ve been playing this way for a while now. We just have to execute better.”

Meanwhile, the host Fort McMurray Oil Barons evened their best-of-seven AJHL Enerflex Cup final series at 2-2 by stuffing the Spruce Grove Saints 4-1 Tuesday night.

The AJHL and BCHL winners will meet in the Doyle Cup Championship, which starts Friday, April 16 in Alberta.