I was born and raised in Vernon, BC and been watching/following Junior hockey in Vernon my whole life. My family watched Senior men's hockey in Vernon in the 1950's and has been watching Junior hockey in Vernon since it started in 1961. I have two family members that played Junior hockey in Vernon. I have had season tickets since 1990 and missed 5 home games since 2004 and 46 home games since 1990. I started and created this blog in November 2008 and have over 2.6 million viewers. For anyone who couldn't watch or attend tonight's Vipers game, here are my thoughts and views from tonight's hockey game. You may agree or disagree, but we all have our own opinion on the hockey game and see things differently. I try to be professional and give a fare game recap from both sides. Thank you for visiting my blog.
I was at tonight's Vernon Vipers-Prince George Spruce Kings game as the Vipers defeated the Spruce Kings 8-0 in front of 2,510 fans at Kal Tire Place.
Starting Goaltenders:
Vernon Vipers: Ethan David
Prince George Spruce Kings: Ryan Sanborn
2nd Period: The Snakes put the game away with four goals in the middle frame. The Vipers were again the better team, had more puck possession, zone time and the better of the scoring chances. The Snakes did get into some penalty trouble, taking four minors. Vernon's penalty kill was very good, keeping the Spruce Kings to the outside and limiting PG's time and space. Owen Kim with a shorthanded breakaway. The Spruce Kings once again struggled with and without the puck. Prince George struggled with the power play and couldn't create/or generate much offence. PG's PP goes 0-4 this period. The Spruce Kings started to get a little chippy towards the end of the period. Both teams were physical. It was 6-0 Vernon after 40 minutes of play. Vernon outshot Prince George 9-7.
3rd Period: This was a chippy/penalty filled period with the Spruce Kings playing on the edge, laying out some questionable hits and trying to get under the Vipers skin between whistles. Vernon was again the better of the two teams. The Snakes didn't back down from the chippy play and stood up for their team mates. The Vipers PK was again very good, blocking shots, getting in the lanes, keeping PG to the outside and taking away time and space. Prince George didn't generate a whole lot of quality chances, didn't get any real sustained pressure in the offensive zone, once again struggled offensively. Isaac Fecteau was taken to the ice by Alexis Cournoyer who got in several punches before the officials broke up the altercation. Fecteau stayed down and needed attention from the trainer. Fecteau was down for several minutes before needing help off the ice. Fecteau looked very woozy and could barely stand up on his own. Fecteau went to the dressing room and didn't return. The Vipers would come away with the 8-0 victory. Shots were 8-8.
Vernon Vipers Top Performers:
Noah Dorey (1 assist) Played very well at both ends of the rink. Dorey was making plays, reads and sees the ice very well. This kid is very good and a very good pick up by the Vipers adding strength, size, skill and experience to the backend.
Georgios Stavrianeas (1 assist) I sound like a broken record, but this kid stands out almost every game. Not the biggest kid but plays big. This kid never stops skating, is quick on his feet, hard to contain, opens up the ice in a hurry and creates opportunities. Played hard, fast and was involved in the play a lot.
Jiri Duda (1 goal & 1 assist) Scored his first career BCHL goal to open the scoring. Duda isn't the biggest kid but has played very well this season and finally rewarded with his first goal as a Viper. I thought had a heck of a hockey game this evening. Another kid who never stops skating, works his tail off every shift, plays hard, fast and competes and always involved in the play.
Adam Csabi Didn't record a point but was involved in the play through out the contest. Used his speed and skill to open the ice and create/generate some offensive opportunities. Fell/lost the puck at the blueline but somehow managed to hold onto the puck, get up off his but and keep the play going as it looked like the Spruce Kings were coming back the other way with an odd man rush.
Owen Kim (1 goal & 1 assist) Here's another kid stands out almost every game. Scored shorthanded on a second period breakaway, plays with a ton of jump/energy, quick on his feet, hard to contain/defend against and always competing. Not the biggest kid but plays big, never backs down from the rough stuff or altercations in between whistles. Was engaged and battled hard tonight.
Luke Pakulak Played a hard hitting/physical game, was strong in on the forecheck and stood up for his team mates. I thought played well
Anthony Cliche (2 goals) This kid is having an amazing season! Tied for second in scoring on the Vipers, is playing very well and his best hockey as a Viper. This kid is playing with a ton of confidence right now, blocked at least two or three shots while on the PK and took at least two or three high sticks tonight. Played hard and was involved in the play at both ends of the rink.
Isaac Tremblay (2 assists) Played very well. Was hard to contain/defend against, used his speed and skill to make plays happen and also open up the ice in a hurry.
Ethan David (25 saves-shutout) With Colin Reay out of the lineup with an injury, David will have to carry the load. David has really picked up his play/game since the game in Merritt last weekend. I know the game vs Cranbrook on Wednesday and the game tonight were both blowouts but David was still forced into making some big stops. I didn't think was tested nearly as much as vs Cranbrook but still had a couple of big saves in the win tonight.
Game Thought's: Vernon Vipers
- The Snakes have scored eighteen goals in their last two games
- The Vipers improve to 5-1-0-0 on home ice
- Vernon went 2-5 with the power play
- The Snakes went 1-1-0-1 at home vs Prince George last season
- Has anyone tried the new concessions?
- Vernon was by far the better team
- The Snakes have been one of the more disciplined teams this season, took ten penalties tonight, the most in one game this season
- The Vipers and Spruce Kings will meet seven more times this season
- A large crowd on hand tonight and the biggest crowd of the season. Tonight's attendance was announced at 2,510
- I really liked the Vipers penalty kill. Vernon blocked a lot of shots on the PK, closed the shooting lanes, kept Prince George to the outside and took away time and space, limited the Spruce Kings opportunities
- The Vipers went 3-3-0-1 vs Prince George last season
- The Snakes have won three straight and three of their last five games
- They finally changed up some of the music tonight and played some different tunes
- Vernon looked & played very good tonight, were hard to contain, defend against and play against
- Tonight's the second game of a three game home stand
- One thing I noticed early and from the pre-season was this team plays as a team and competes unlike the past four or five seasons
- Isaac Fecteau was tackled to the ice in the 3rd period by Alexis Cournoyer before being punched several times. Fecteau was slow getting up, needed attention from the trainer and needed help off the ice. Looked very woozy and couldn't stand on his own. Let's hope the kids ok
- Owen Kim scored a shorthanded goal on a 2nd period breakaway
- With Colin Reay out of the lineup due to injury, Kaden Clegg "AP" was the teams backup goaltender
- This is by far the best team the Vipers have put together since new ownership purchased the team in 2018
- Ethan David stopped all 25 shots for his first shutout of the season and seventh shutout overall. David also picks up career win #30
- A great atmosphere inside Kal Tire Place this evening
- Long lineups at the rest rooms with one of the men's rest rooms closed due to maintenance
- The Vipers next game is Friday at home vs Merritt
- The Vipers and Spruce Kings will meet again December 2nd in Vernon
- These are games you need to win. You can't allow teams below you in the standings to beat you in order if you want to try and compete and hang around Penticton & West Kelowna
- The past five or six seasons the Vipers have been an average or below average team with a 500 or so record and not very good. The Vipers are not only good this season but fun and exciting to watch.
- Julian Facchinelli returned to the Snakes lineup after missing the past five games due to injury
- Vipers Assistant Coach Lukas Lomicky was an Assistant Coach with the Spruce Kings from 2020-2022
- With the win, Vernon improves to 11-4-0-0 sit 2nd in the Interior Division
Prince George Spruce Kings Top Performers:
Kazumo Sasaki I thought was one of the lone bright spots for the Spruce Kings. Played with a ton of jump/energy, was involved in the play and one of if not the more consistent forwards
Game Thought's: Prince George Spruce Kings
- Tonight's the second game of a three game road trip
- The Spruce Kings were outplayed and outscored this evening
- PG went 0-6 with the man advantage
- The Spruce Kings have lost three straight and three of their last five games
- With the score 6-0 Vernon towards the end of the 2nd period, the Spruce Kings started to get a little chippy and play with a bit of an edge, that continued into the 3rd period
- The Spruce Kings struggled offensively, didn't get a whole lot of zone time/sustained pressure, had trouble creating/generating opportunities
- Prince George's next game is Saturday in Salmon Arm
- The Spruce Kings fall to 1-5-1-0 on the road this season
- The Spruce Kings were missing some veteran players, who weren't playing this evening
- Ryan Sanborn started in goal for PG, was pulled after giving up two goals on eight Vernon shots. Sanborn struggled and gave up several big rebounds
- The Spruce Kings just couldn't seem to get much of anything going from the drop of the puck to the final buzzer. PG didn't look or play that well in the loss
- The Spruce Kings only win on the road this season, was a 5-4 victory October 25th over Powell River in Seattle at the BCHL Showcase
- This was a physical game with both teams playing hard, physical and laying out hits
- The Spruce Kings got away with a couple of questionable hits tonight
- The Spruce Kings struggled through out the hockey game at both ends of the rink
- PG struggled on the power play, had trouble getting pucks to the net and didn't get many quality chances with the man advantage
- With the loss, Prince George falls to 3-6-3-0 sit 7th in the Interior Division
Scratches:
Vernon Vipers:
Jordin Palmer
Hank Cleaves (Injured)
Colin Reay (Injured)
Prince George Spruce Kings:
Markus Yim
Quinn Disher
Noah Laframboise
Ben LeFranc
Markus Lam
Energy Player of the Game:
Bronson Ross (2 assists)
Three Star's:
1st Star: Ethan David (25 saves-shutout)
2nd Star: Anthony Cliche (2 goals)
3rd Star: Isaac Tremblay (2 assists)
Boxscore-Game Summary,
Game Report,
Text Box Score,
Vernon Junior Hockey History website,
Please feel free to leave comments or suggestions in the comment box below. Please be respectful when leaving comments.
5 comments:
I think they will upgrade the penalty on the PG player who injured Isaac Fecteau. I didn't see another blowout coming tonight. Its fun watching the Vipers this year, its like the old days haha Gotta love the big crowd tonight. Good thing the Vipers have a good PK.
Much more entertaining game than Wednesday night's game. Even though it was another blowout the Vipers execution and play was much better than the previous game and PG at least put in an effort.
I believe it all comes down to recruiting, whomever did it for this years team, THANK YOU!
“ - Long lineups at the rest rooms with one of the men's rest rooms closed due to maintenance”
Its not like the City did not know there was going to be a hockey game tonight. There are so many awesome plumbing businesses in town surly one of them could have gotten the washroom operational in time for the biggest Viper crowd of the season, it is absolutely ridiculous and embarrassing for the City and Vipers that it was closed.
Something needs to be done, the Mayor and Council ( of which I have emailed about my concerns about the deterioration of Kal Tire Place ) dont seem to get it. In a few more years, if things continue on this path, we will be in a Civic Arena fiasco.
The email I sent was a long time ago, I listed only a fraction of the issues at Kal Tire Place, nothing absolutely none of those issues has been corrected. Of all whom received the email only the Mayor responded he he passed the buck on to someone else.
There are those whom are seeking to build a new Community Centre worth tens of millions of are tax payers hard earned cash.
It is one thing to build but, if you do not maintain that new building it will just become another Civic Arena.
We have to somehow force the Citys hand to address these concerns.
Please, in the next election DO NOT VOTE FOR THE CURRENT MAYOR OR COUNCIL, THE DO NOT CARE ONE BIT ABOUT OUR JEWEL OF THE CITY KAL TIRE PLACE!
SHAME ON YOU CITY, MAYOR and COUNCIL!!!!!
Tried Samosa Joes concession, flavour was good . But size and cost very off base . $8 for two small triangle Samosa maybe 3/4 bites each Samosa . Paid $16.00 and we were still hungry .will not try Samosa Joes again till size and price is adjusted . Will try the Mexican concession next time .
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