Vipers Stifle Kings:

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Vipers stifle Kings

by Don Klepp | Added 2011-04-02

Two first period goals provided the Vipers with a springboard to a 3-1 victory in the opening game of the BCHL finals in Powell River.

Dylan Walchuk continued his hot hand, scoring 6:41 into the game. The Viper strike followed a strong penalty kill after Brett Corkey had been penalized at 1:28. That penalty came in the midst of the Kings’ dominating early shifts.

Right off the opening faceoff, the Kings stormed the Viper zone, but goaltender Kirby Halcrow was well-positioned and alert to pucks bouncing around his net.

After surviving the early onslaught, the Vipers started taking play to the Kings. Walchuk’s goal came as a result of swift forechecking by Patrick McGillis and Marcus Basara. Walchuk snapped a one-timer of McGillis’s pass off the inside of Michael Garteig’s right goal post.

In the midst of another forecheck, Bryce Kakoske stole the puck from defenceman Chris Williams and quickly beat Garteig at 18:56. Shock showed on the Kings’ faces and on the faces of many of the 1376 fans in attendance.

Powell River’s players rebounded with another fierce effort to open the second period, but the Vipers weathered that storm as well. The play then settled into exciting end-to-end action, as both teams were adept at turning defensive stops into counter attacks.

Still, determined back checking limited shots on goal to six by the Vipers and five by the Kings.

Powell River finally broke through at 19:02, courtesy of a strong forecheck by the top line of matt Garbowsky, Daniel Schuler, and Chad Niddery. Schuler got the final touch on the puck in the Viper crease for his eighth post season goal.

Mike Zalewski gave the Vipers a two-goal cushion at 5:21 of the third period. In a play that typified the contest’s end-to-end action, Darren Nowick thwarted a King rush deep in the Viper zone and found Zalewski on the left wing.

Nowick and winger John Knisley hustled to join Zalewski whose hard low shot resulted in a loose puck in Garteig’s crease. All three Vipers converged there, and Zalewski apparently finished the play.

After Zalewski’s insurance marker, the Vipers played one of their better defensive periods of the playoffs, according to Coach Mark Ferner: The guys had really good depth in the neutral zone, so the Kings couldn’t beat us with passes. They had to dump it in with little chance to retrieve it.”

With their impressive defensive effort, the Vipers gained home ice advantage in the series, although Coach Ferner cautioned that “that’s a very good team over there and we have a long way to go.”