The Penticton Vees improved to 5-0 after a 4-0 pre-season victory over the visiting Vernon Vipers at the Okanagan Cup tournament. Five different goal scorers for the Vees, while Kaeden Lane stops all 18 shots for the win/shutout as Penticton outshot Vernon 38-18. The Vipers fall to 0-3 these two teams will meet again Saturday in Vernon.
Boxscore-Game Summary,
https://bchl.ca/stats/game-center/9836
Game Report,
https://lscluster.hockeytech.com/game_reports/official-game-report.php?lang_id=1&client_code=bchl&game_id=9836
Text Box Score,
https://lscluster.hockeytech.com/game_reports/text-game-report.php?lang_id=1&client_code=bchl&game_id=9836
I watched the Vipers game tonight on Hockey TV. I thought the Vipers played fairly well and held there own for at least half of the 1st period. The Vees took over and I thought were by far the better of the two teams in the 2nd period. Penticton with two big goals in the middle frame gave them a 3-0 lead heading into the 3rd. The hometown Vees carried the better of the play in the 2nd & 3rd periods. Rookie goaltender Roan Clarke was stellar in the loss, making several highlight reel saves. This kid is the real deal and I think should be given the #1 job from what I have seen in his two games. If it wasn't for Clarke this could have easily been a 9-0 final. Clarke was the difference and Vernon's best player this evening. Liam Malmquist (2 assists), Devlin O'Brien (1 goal & 1 assist), Finlay Williams (1 goal), Tyler Ho, Quinn Hutson (1 goal & 1 assist) & Matteo Costanini (1 goal & 1 assists) stood out for me from the Vees side.
ReplyDeleteJason McKee said in the pre game show the Snakes were without seven players due to injury. Sam Duerr went down in the 2nd period and didn't return. Kaeden Lane stopped all 18 shots for the win/shutout was forced to make a few big stops but wasn't tested much through out the game. The Vipers with only one shot in the 3rd period had trouble containing Penticton's speed and skilled forwards. Vernon made too many defensive turnovers vs a very good Vees team. The younger Vipers were either being hit, taken off the puck, lost battles or couldn't defend against a veteran Penticton team.
I have been saying all summer why did Jason McKee and the Vipers go with such a young inexperienced team? Penticton is loaded with junior hockey experience and it showed tonight. Every team has been very active this summer and fall acquiring or signing new players & making trades to try and better there lineup. What has Jason McKee and the Vipers done? Nothing! The Vipers have played hard in all three pre-season games but with no skill/or much talent, a younger roster and no scoring, this is what's going to happen. The Vipers go into a new season with no scoring. I said after the season was cancelled in March, the Vipers are going to have to try and replace players like Matt Kowalski, Dawson Holt and Connor Marritt and they didn't. Vernon lacks scoring, has scored two goals in three exhibition games.
With a young team this is where the veterans should step up and show the way and I haven't seen that yet in the three games. I have seen a few good shifts here and there but not one veteran player as taken the bull by the horns and run with it.
The Vipers fall to 0-3 and could be 0-4 after this weekend after facing the Vees again Saturday. I know it's early but I don't like what I see so far. This could be a long season for Vipers fans.
Junior A hockey is all about recruiting. The successful teams do it better. This past summer saw an outstanding local Midget defenseman, Cameron Moger, leave town to play for Trail. Check out his numbers on Elite Prospects. And watch a Trail game if you have HockeyTV. He was a big fish who got away. We don't have to go into the reasons, but he left.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've seen so far it looks like Penticton first followed by Trail and West Kelowna. Then Cranbrook. Then Vernon fighting it out with Salmon Arm and then Merritt.
Graham Turnbull had Fred Harbinson on as a 2nd period interview during the game last night and Fred said West Kelowna has assembled the best Warriors team on paper so far since they arrived in West Kelowna. Fred also went on to say Salmon Arm looks good and will be good this season.
ReplyDeleteVernon needs strong recruiters who understand BCHL Junior hockey. I am confused about why the Glen brothers chose such a young team for this year.
ReplyDeletePrior to the last few seasons, Vernon had a strong history of winning and finishing higher than fans expected and that could have been used in recruiting, but now, we have lost that advantage and struggle to get a good/great team together.
Maybe this young team will develop into the type of team Vernon has had under the direction of Wray/Ferner. Maybe it will take most of this season for that to happen, who knows.
Most of us fans want Wray/Ferner back, but that isn't going to happen and we need to move on.
With no fans in the seats yet, it will be interesting to see what the season shapes up to be.
Anonymous says we need strong recruiting. Wake up I say because no one wants to play here anymore because of the GM and Coach plain and simple. Mark Ferner had connections in the hockey world all over North America and was able to recruit quality players year after year because of his relationships and reputation that he and Duncan Wray brought to the Vipers. Listen to the interviews that Graham Turnbull has been doing because that's all you hear is positive comments about the organization. In years past we had probably 5 to 10 scouts at every game watching players and last year you were lucky if were any. So poor recruiting comes down to Ownership and the GM and coach who are making up this team. Unfortunately for hockey fans in Vernon the Vipers will be 0 and 4 after this weekend
ReplyDeleteBobby C , or whomever you are, seems like you have all the answers, not sure why you didn’t buy the Vipers, kept Ferner, and sail happily into the sunset ? Oh that’s right, then you would have nothing to whine and bitch about...your negativity is growing old, you should be happy that there is hockey of any sort....Troll on Bobby, Troll on !
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong anonymous afraid of the truth? Get your head out of the sand! Facts are facts 0-3 2 goals in 3 games are you blind or brainwashed?
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree we should let Bobby C. sell his house and use what other monies he may have to save the Vernon Vipers because I believe Bobby C. is the only one who can do it. I mean he seems to have all the answers and solutions to every single problem the vipers have. Bobby C. SHOULD BE OWNER AND PRESIDENT. I am sure under his marvelous direction we will be number one again. So go ahead Bobby C. make an offer to the owners and buy the team because we need you. GO,VIPERS,GO.
ReplyDeleteWell sorry I can't afford to sell my house and buy the Vipers..Im smarter than that but I'm not sorry for giving Mr Anonymous an honest opinion on what I think. John Glenn can be a great owner but as a good scout and recruiter he is not. Our GM and coach only has this job because of his relationship with the owner. He has road the coattails of others in the AJHL was a failure in the WHL and now he is here in the BCHL and well on his way to a second lackluster year. You can defend him all you want but this team will go no where with him around. Go Vipers someday!
ReplyDeleteGood point Bobby C about the relationship between John Glenn and the GM/Coach but at the end of the day business is business which is something John Glenn knows and if you are not producing regardless of ones relationship things do change. So let us just wait and see. Have a nice day. GO, VIPERS, GO.
ReplyDeleteTeehee! The wheels are falling off already and the regular season hasn't even started yet! I told you so!
ReplyDeleteGo Warriors Go!