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 missing only 40 home games. Since 2001 I have missed 10 home games. I started and created this blog in November 2008 and have over 3 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 game between the Vernon Vipers & West Kelowna Warriors as the Vipers defeated the Warriors 5-2 in front of 2,296 fans at Kal Tire Place.
Starting Goaltenders:
Vernon Vipers: Jari Kykkanen
West Kelowna Warriors: Ayo Ogini
To continue reading, please click the "read more" button below,
2nd Period: This was a fairly even played period with both teams going back and fourth. Neither team had a whole lot of pressure in the offensive zone but both teams had several good opportunities. The Vipers capitalized on there chances on goals from Will Schumacher and Talan Blanck. The Warriors had a chance to tie the game shorthanded, instead rang the shot off the post and the Vipers score very late on the power play, to take a two goal lead. Corban Almen left the game in the dying seconds of the period, didn't return. It was 3-1 Vernon after 40 minutes of play. Shots were 11-9 Vipers.
3rd Period: I thought the Tribe was the better team in the final frame. Down two goals to start the period, WK pushed hard early, got to within a goal at 2:18 but a penalty a minute later, took the momentum away and cost them the game after Talan Blanck with his second of the evening, gave Vernon a 4-2 lead. The visiting Warriors with a good push back, had a couple of quality chances before the Vipers put the game away with a 5-2 lead. This was the end of the night for starting goaltender Ayo Ogini who allowed five goals on twenty shots, was replaced by Bor Glavic. Vernon played better in the second half, but struggled offensively, had troubles getting pucks to the net and generating any opportunities. The Vipers with a rare home win, come away with the 5-2 victory. Shots were 17-5 West Kelowna.
Vernon Vipers Top Performers:
Edvin Nilsson (1 assist) Has really come along way since arriving in Vernon and has really picked up his play as of late and been one of the Snakes top defenders recently. I have really liked this kids play the last three or four games and tonight was another strong performance from the Vipers d-man. With one helper, I thought played a strong game on the backend and at both ends of the rink
Marko Stojkov (2 assists) Hasn't really stood out much this season. He's had a couple of good games but hasn't been very noticable game in and game out but tonight I thought he played very well in the win. Was denied on a 3rd period breakaway.
Luke Bibby (2 assists) Other then a undisciplined spearing penalty in the 2nd period, I thought the veteran forward played hard, played with an edge and what looked like was getting under the skin of several West Kelowna Warriors.
Talan Blanck (2 goals & 2 assists) Playing in just his third game, has been a huge addition to Vernon's roster. Signed by the team December 23rd Blanck has added some skill/offence to the Snakes lineup had a heck of a game this evening. It looked like Blanck went down with a knee/leg injury late in the 1st period, was helped off the ice, going to the dressing room but returned to the game in the 2nd period and finished the hockey game.
Jari Kykkanen (33 saves) The former Kelowna Rockets goaltender played very well in the victory. I thought made a couple of big stops in the 1st and again in the 3rd period. Had some puck luck in the 2nd period after the Warriors hit the post on a shorthanded odd man rush.
Game Thought's: Vernon Vipers
- The Vipers have won three straight games over the Warriors
- Tonight's the first game of a two game home stand
- I thought Vernon played a well disciplined game and stayed out of the penalty box. I didn't like Luke Bibby's spearing penalty but otherwise the Vipers stayed out of the box
- The Snakes are 5-6-4-0 at home this season
- I really liked the Vipers start, I thought Vernon played with lots of energy, had early jump, were skating, moving the puck, getting pucks to the net, creating some opportunities, opened the scoring and then almost stopped playing. I thought the Vipers were the better team in the first half but the Warriors were the better team in the second half. The Vipers coughed up the puck several times in there own end, put the puck right on the other guys stick. Some poor defensive coverage, didn't look like the same team that I saw in the first half. Jari Kykkanen was good between the pipes.
- Prior to tonight, the Warriors had won fourteen of the last nineteen games vs the Vipers
- Vernon went 3-4 with the man advantage
- The Vipers next game is Saturday vs the visiting Sherwood Park Crusaders
- The Snakes have lost six of there last eight games
- Vipers scored some timely goals tonight
- Tonight's attendance was announced at 2,296
- A lengthy delay with about eight and a half minutes remaining in the opening frame. A problem with the scoreboard took at least ten minutes to fix
- I liked Vernon's 2nd period, a period where both teams were fairly even. Both teams didn't get a whole lot of pressure in the offensive zone but the Snakes managed to break a 1-1 score, with two second period goals to take a two goal lead into the 3rd. I thought the Vipers PP struggled this period, even though they scored late on the PP. Vernon played with lots of jump in an entertaining period
- The Vipers play three of there next five games at home
- Forward Corban Almen left the game late in the 2nd period, went to the dressing room and didn't return
- The Snakes scored three PP goals in the win, but I thought Vernon struggled with the man advantage. The Vipers have nobody going to the net, don't get enough shots off from the point and seemed to not know what there doing with the puck
- The Vipers are 3-1-1-0 vs West Kelowna this season
- I really liked Vernon's penalty kill
- The Vipers have lost three of there last five games and lost six of there last ten games
- Forward Talan Blanck was helped off the ice in the 1st period with what looked like a knee/or leg injury but returned in the 2nd period and played the remainder of the hockey game
- With a two goal lead, I didn't like Vernon's 3rd period. The Vipers were outplayed early and often off the opening faceoff, gave up an early goal as the Warriors got to within a goal. The Vipers struggled getting the puck out of there own end, were turning over pucks often, were lucky it didn't end up in the back of there net. After most of the play was in the Vipers end, the Vipers catch a couple of breaks and come down the ice and score twice on three shots to take a 5-2 lead. Vernon gets some big stops from Jari Kykkanen with the Warriors pressing
- The Vipers & Warriors play once more, February 8th in West Kelowna
- The Snakes with a rare win on home ice
- With so many roster/player moves, you have to feel for the players and wonder how hard it is to gel together and get to know one another not only on the ice but off the ice. It has to be difficult coming to the rink, with a new player in the lineup every week
- Vernon's defence continues to struggle with turning over pucks. Through out the game but especially in the 3rd period, the Vipers coughed up the puck way too many times in there own end
- This game had a little edge to it with some chippy play coming from both teams. Lots of pushing and shoving/altercations after the whistle
- With the win, Vernon improves to 10-15-5-0 sit 10th in the Interior Conference and 18th overall in league standings
West Kelowna Warriors Top Performers:
Nathan Drapeau (1 assist) I thought saw a lot of ice, was one of the better Warriors in the loss
Sam LeDrew (1 goal) Opened the scoring for WK, played well. I like the looks of this kid, seems to play well vs Vernon this season
Jackson Krykostas (1 assist) Also played well in the loss. This kid is skilled, very shifty with and without the puck, was hard to contain/defend
Game Thought's: West Kelowna Warriors
- Tonight was the Warriors third and final regular season visit to Vernon
- I didn't see any Warriors fans in attendance tonight
- West Kelowna is 1-2 in Vernon this season
- The Warriors lineup/roster sheet had several mistakes. Four players were listed on the Warriors roster who don't even play with them anymore
- The Warriors have lost eleven of there last fifteen games
- Tonight was the final game of a three game road trip
- I didn't think the Tribe got off to a great start, looked a little sluggish but got better as the period went on. I thought WK got there game going and were the better team in the second half of the opening period. West Kelowna had trouble with Vernon's speed, gave up too many opportunities early, but settled down and played better in the second half
- The Warriors have lost five of there last six road games
- West Kelowna went 0-3 with the power play
- The Warriors bench was fired up this evening with both Simon Ferguson and Wyatt Head giving it to the officials through out the hockey game
- The Warriors have one win in there last six games
- Ayo Ogini was pulled in the 3rd period after giving up five goals on twenty shots
- I thought the Warriors played more of a full twenty minutes in the 2nd period in a period that saw both teams go back and fourth. The Tribe had some quality chances but couldn't find the back of the net in a 1-1 tie, gave up two goals to trail 3-1 heading into the 3rd. West Kelowna with a great opportunity to tie the game, hit the post shorthanded, then ended up giving up a late PP goal, to trail 3-1
- The Warriors are 5-9-4-1 on the road this season
- The Warriors were wearing there home white jerseys tonight as teams across the league switch home and away jerseys after the holidays. Home teams wear there away or alternate jerseys, while the visitors wear there home jerseys
- I didn't think West Kelowna looked good with the man advantage. I actually thought both teams struggled with the power play
- The Tribe tried to claw there way back into the hockey game, gave up some bad timely goals. Down 2-1 in the 2nd period, the Warriors give up a late PP goal in the dying seconds of the PP and then down 3-2 early in the 3rd, give up back to back goals three minutes apart
- West Kelowna has lost four of there last five games and lost eight of there last ten games
- Down 3-1 in the 3rd WK jumped on the hometown Vipers early and often, got to within a goal a couple of minutes into the period. The Warriors then gave up the next two goals, three minutes apart. WK peppered seventeen shots towards the Vipers net but Jari Kykkanen was sharp. I liked the Warriors final period and thought the showed some character by battling back and playing hard to finish the game
- I wouldn't blame any of the five goals on Ayo Ogini but when your team gets to within a goal, you need to make a save and not allow Vernon to score back to back goals three minutes apart to fall down 5-2 on the road
- With the loss, West Kelowna falls to 10-15-5-2 sits 9th in the Interior Conference and 16th overall in league standings
Scratches:
Vernon Vipers:
Dennis Lominac
Keeghan Dunn
West Kelowna Warriors
Axel Lofgren
Logan Flint
Dawson Labre
Energy Player of the Game:
Edvin Nilsson (1 assist)
Three Star's:
1st Star: Talan Blanck (2 goals & 2 assists)
2nd Star: Jari Kykkanen (33 saves)
3rd Star: Marko Stojkov (2 assists)
Boxscore-Game Summary,
West Kelowna Warriors @ Vernon Vipers Friday, January 03, 2025 | BCHL League Site
Here are some photo's I took before and during tonight's Vernon Vipers-West Kelowna Warriors game.
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.
6 comments:
Were you at tonight's game? What did you think of tonight's Vipers/Warriors game? What are your comments/opinion on the game?
The vipers played very well tonight. There penalty kill was very good. The goaltender was excellent. The team played like warriors as a team putting aside that I am a superstar attitude. As warriors your mental attitude was as a team we must win at all costs. When you go into a war zone to come out alive there is only one way and that is put your egos aside and but work together but for one goal. Vipers you did that tonight in all three periods and I am very proud of you. Vipers continue to play as warriors and you will succeed. GO.VIPER,GO.
It was a relatively entertaining game to watch. I was, however, very disappointed with the officiating, not so much by the calls made but the ridiculous number of huddles & discussions. Is it now mandatory in the BCHL to have 2 - 3 video review sessions each game? It is a fast game but with 4 pairs of eyes on the ice just make a call and be confident it is correct. This is getting a bit too much, the referees are trying to be the show. Please let the players play!!!
I would have like to see one more huddle, with a video review, of the play when Blanck was injured. No other players near him, yet he somehow got spun around as he passed by the WK bench.
I was too tired to make the drive from Kelowna to watch my Warriors after a long hike yesterday. I was just looking at the boxscore from the game last night. The Vipers were outshot by a lot as it looks like the X Rockets goalie played good.
The Vipers played a very good game considering the revolving door of players leaving and new line mates. They have adjusted well with all the changes. It’s in adversity that every one has the opportunity of being better than who they were yesterday.
Post a Comment