Game Preview: Vees at Salmon Arm Silverbacks (Game Four)

[Photo: Chris Fowler]

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Game Time: 6:00 pm PST

Location: Shaw Centre, Salmon Arm

Radio: Bounce 800 AM

Webcast: Flo Hockey 

Penticton Vees

President, GM & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson

Regular Season Record: GP 54 38-10-3-3, 1^st in the Interior Conference

Playoff Record: 10-2

Last Game: 4-1 win at Salmon Arm (May 6)

Home: 6-1

Away: 4-1

GF: 35

GA: 16

Power Play: (4/25) 16.0%

Penalty Kill: (2/24) 91.7%

Scoring Leader: Callum Arnott (6-5-11)

The Penticton Vees look for a commanding 3-1 series lead with a win in Game Four tonight in Salmon Arm.

Penticton won Game Three 4-1 back on Monday night at the Shaw Centre. A three-goal third period was the difference to break a 1-1 deadlock.  Callum Arnott, Connor MacPherson, and Billy Renfrew scored in the final frame. Cade Littler scored in the first period.

Monday was a very strong road performance from the Vees, as they shook off an early goal against from the Silverbacks, tying the game not even two minutes later in the first period, when Littler scored his first of the postseason. Penticton outshot Salmon Arm 17-7 in the first but were tied 1-1 all the way through until the midway mark of the third. They then scored twice in less than two and a half minutes to take a 3-1 lead. The Vees are now 4-0 in the postseason when tied going into the third period. Talk about stepping up in clutch moments.

The Vees have a 4-1 road record heading into tonight’s Game Four and the one loss came in overtime. They have shown they can handle the toughest of environments, which includes the Shaw Centre.

Pre-game Monday, Fred Harbinson talked about the importance of someone stepping up and supplying offence and Cade Littler certainly answered the call. Littler’s first period goal was his first since February 17^th; his first point of the playoffs. Not easy to miss 15 games and jump back into the thick of the playoffs, but he can heat up offensively, look out. Littler is a big body who can be a force down low and around the Salmon Arm net.

Don’t expect any lineup changes from Penticton ahead of Game Four. Will Ingemann is the projected starter. In this series he is 2-0 with a 0.80 goals-against average and .967 save percentage. He’s equally impressive on the road, posting a 3-0 record, a 1.00 GAA, and .960 SV%. He’s only allowed three goals against on 75 shots in three road games.

Salmon Arm will be desperate to not go down 3-1 with Game Five in Penticton on Friday. Can the Vees manufacture that same desperation and take a 3-1 series lead?

Salmon Arm Silverbacks

General Manager: Brooks Christensen

Head Coach: Tyler Shattock

Regular Season Record: GP 54 34-17-0-3, 3^rd in the Interior Conference

Playoff Record: 9-5

Last Game: 4-1 loss vs. Penticton (May 6)

Home: 4-2

Away: 5-3

GF: 43

GA: 29

Power Play: (6/38) 15.8%

Penalty Kill: (4/34) 87.9%

Scoring Leader: Cole Cooksey (8-6-14)

Salmon Arm knows what is at stake tonight. No, their season isn’t on the line, but they certainly don’t want to go down 3-1 heading back to Penticton for a Game Five.

The Silverbacks can look back at their start and be happy with it in Game Three. Yes, they were outshot 17-7 in the first, but in the opening five, six minutes they had some good looks. Cole Cooksey scored six and a half minutes in to put them ahead 1-0, then Casey Laylin was inches wide on a breakaway of making it 2-1 after Littler had tied it.

Salmon Arm has struggled to produce offence at times in this series. The Silverbacks have scored just four goals in the first three games. Penticton has a large say in that in how well they have played defensively. Both teams have played well defensively in fact, as the Vees only have eight goals through three games. Judging by the power plays handed out so far in the series (just six combined in three games), they will have to do try and manufacture some offence at even strength.

The Silverbacks haven’t lost back-to-back home games yet in the BCHL Playoffs and only lost back-to-back home games once in the regular season.