CTV BC out of Vancouver has a piece on the Vees and their incredible winning streak.

WATCH HERE

Press Release

• Credit James D’Andrea for the effort he turned in on Thursday night. One will look at the boxscore, not think twice and see him picking up his 13th loss-not so. D’Andrea was fully deserving of the first star tonight, regardless of how many did go by him. Looking back at the four Vees goals I can’t single out one he should or would of stopped. It isn’t easy being a goalie, especially on a team that has seen it’s struggles like Trail has but D’Andrea showed up to play tonight and almost stole one.

Katunar stood tall

• His counterpart, Chad Katunar was no slouch either tonight. In the same token some eyebrows might have been raised with him getting a second star with only 19 shots against. Don’t be fooled, Katunar made some quality saves and some crucial ones throughoout the game. Two come to mind off the top of my head, one the breakaway save on Garrett McMullen in the second period and the pad stop on Tanner Clarkson in the third; Clarkson, if he scored would of been the go ahead goal. Katunar is becoming a more confident goaltender and it shows on the ice. Would he of like Clayton McEwan’s late tally back? Sure. However, he is young and developing and those mistakes will be minimized.
• Wade Murphy extended his point streak to 11 games and has points in all but one game as a member of the Penticton Vees; good acquisition.
• The power-play was held off the scoresheet for the second straight game and third in four games. I think the issue isn’t just the Vees are not executing, it goes deeper then that. For one, Penticton’s opportunities have been drastically reduced in the last handful of games. In three of their last five the Vees have only received more than two power-play opportunities twice.
• Staying with the power-play it looked more threatening tonight then I thought it did last weekend versus Vernon and Salmon Arm. In the same token, it still isn’t where it has been. Tonight there were a few instances when, again, the Vees were guilty of trying to make one more pass for the perfect play. Penticton will need to simply keep it simple going into the weekend. Players also have to be more selfish, take the puck and attack the net; take the shot and don’t think twice.
• Tonight’s second period was quite possibly one of the hardest the Vees had this year. For what every reason, the team struggled with their skating and play with the puck. Some players looked disinterested and lazy at times. It was something that I haven’t seen from this team for months. Credit the group for pulling it together for the third period but the second will have them reaching for the delete button.
• I like what I saw from the Smoke Eaters: a hard working, never quit attitude was quite evident throughout the game. They’re not going to dazzle you with skill and finesse  but will bother you with a workmen like effort. Trail was playing the quintessential road game: chipping pucks in deep and pressing hard on the fore-check. That hard work and sheer determination almost broke the streak tonight.
• Twice in three games the Vees won the game in the third period. This team sure knows how to turn it on, so to speak, when it counts.

From Coach’s Corner on Wednesday, Head Coach Fred Harbinson talks about the changes at the top for College Hockey Inc. and if there is a domino effect.

Smoke Eaters 11-34-1-4: Record: Vees 46-3-0-2
Smoke Eaters 4-18-0-2: Away vs. Home: Vees 24-0-0-1
6-4 loss vs. Salmon Arm Feb 17th: Last Game: 4-1 win vs. Salmon Arm Feb 18th
Season Series
Oct 1st 9-1 Vees
October 19th 4-3 Trail
November 11th 7-2 Vees
November 16th 9-3 Vees
November 20th 8-5 Vees
February 23rd @ SOEC
March 6th @ SOEC

Set Up
Its’ been awhile for these two teams, try over three months and ninety-four days since they last played each other; an 8-5 Vees win on November 20th in Trail. The Vees have gone on to win their last twenty-eight games, as part of their impressive thirty-four game win streak. The Smoke Eaters have only won eight games since, fashioning a record of 8-19-0-1.Tonight is the sixth game of the seven game season series and the first game at the SOEC since November 16th when the Vees put up a 9-3 win.

Team Scope
Penticton is coming into tonight with a pair of wins last weekend in completely opposite fashions. On Friday, in front of over twenty-seven hundred fans, the Vees erased two, two-goal deficits against the Vipers for a 6-4 come-from-behind win. The game had it all: goals, emotion, physicality and a great atmosphere.
One night later it wasn’t quite the same, as the Vees put in an efficient sixty minute road effort for a 4-1 triumph in Salmon Arm. The game was void of any real emotion or electricity and the game itself seemed to be determined after Penticton scored three goals in a fifty-eight second span in the first period.

One area that stands out from last weekend would be the Vees special teams. Both the power-play and penalty-kill have been operating at a high level for most of the season, and sooner or later you have to expect a dip and maybe we saw that in the last two wins.
The power-play has hit a dry patch, with only one goal from their last four games (1/16) and they are 3/23 in their last five outings. Even with their recent struggles, the power-play still sits at over thirty-two percent and is still tops in the BCHL. The coaching staff wants the Vees to be more physical on the power-play and that might sound a bit odd. Essentially, the coaches want to see more muscle on the zone entries, when carrying the puck in and be stronger along the boards; put the opposition penalty-kill on their heels.

The riddle that is the Vees penalty-kill was solved, somewhat in the last two contests. Vernon scored two goals on as many opportunities and Salmon Arm put up a power-play goal on Saturday (first this season against Penticton). The last two games combined the PK is 3/6 or just at a fifty percent; not that most flattering of numbers. However, to put it into context, before the Vernon game, the Vees didn’t allow a power-play goal against in forty-two straight opposition opportunities; dates back to January 6th in Chilliwack, a span of twelve games. Penticton still possesses the league’s top PK (85.45%) and has allowed twelve fewer goals than the second best penalty-kill in the BCHL.

Three Keys

This N’ That
• Wade Murphy’s point streak sits at 10 games (9-7-16), the longest active streak in the BCHL. Murphy has also scored in three straight games, which is the second longest active streak.
• Joey Benik pushed his streak to five games (5-5-10) with his assist last Saturday.
• Logan Johnston’s four game point streak came to an end on Saturday.
• Mike Reilly is on pace for an eighty-two point season, which would tie him with Joey Laleggia as the top defensemen in scoring from last season.
• The Smoke Eaters power-play and penalty-kill has better numbers than the Vees in the past five games. Scored more on the man-advantage (4) and allowed fewer goals (2).

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BCHL Regular Season Pennant Winners

With the Vees win last Friday against the Vernon Vipers, the team clinched the BCHL Regular Season Pennant and the Ron Boileau Memorial Trophy.

The result is the top seed in  the Fred Page Cup Playoffs, as the Vees will have home ice advantage throughout their playoff run, however long it may be.

This is the eleventh BCHL Regular Season Pennant for the Penticton BCHL/BCJHL franchise(s) and first under the “Vees” brand when it was reintroduced in 2004-2005. This is the first since 2000-2001 season when, the then Penticton Panthers finished first with ninety-eight points.

A breif recap of Penticton Franchise Regular Season Pennants

Using the 72-73 Broncos Logo

The Penticton Broncos won back-to-back BCJHL Regular Season Pennants in 1967 & 1968. Remember, the league only had a 40 game schedule those two years, so wins and points are somewhat relative.

1966-1967: GP 40 33-7-0 66pts

1967-1968: GP 40  30-8-2 62pts

The Penticton Knights had a stretch of four Regular Season Pennants in just five years; the Abbotsford Flyers were the team sandwiched between the Knights Pennants. The first was in 1982 and after a one year hiatus at the top, the Knights rattled off three straight first place finishes between 1984-1986. The height of the Knights success came in 1986 when they won the Centennial Cup (now Royal Bank Cup) in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. The previous year the Knights lost in the 1985 Centennial Cup Final to the Orillia Travelways.

1981-1982: GP 48 43-5-0 86pts

1983-1984: GP 60 47-13-0 94pts

1984-1985: GP 60 47-5-0 94 pts (Centennial Cup Runner-Up)

1985-1986: GP 60 44-8-0 88pts (Centennial Cup Winners)

The Regular Season Pennants didn’t transfer into post-season success for the Panthers in the late ’90′s and early millennium. The Panthers were BCJHL runners-up in ’98 (Surrey), twice they bowed-out in the league Semi-Finals and once in the first round.

In the 1995 Fred Page Cup Playoffs, the Panthers were toppled by the Powell River Kings in six games (cross-over format). Three years later it was heart-break in the BCJHL Subway Cup Finals; the Panthers losing in five games to Surrey. Fast-forward two years and the Panthers were dealt a short playoff run; the pesky Centennials knocking them out in the opening round in six games. A years later, the Panthers were bested by the Merritt Centennials again, in a four game sweep in the Interior Conference Championships.

1994-1995: GP 60 42-16-2 86pts

1997-1998: GP 45-12-3 93pts

1999-2000: GP 60 42-14-0-4 88pts

2000-2001 GP 60 48-10-0-2 98pts

Winning the league Regular Season Pennant doesn’t always lead to playoff success for Penticton. Only twice has the franchise (Knights) went on to win the league when taking home the Regular Season Pennant (’85 & ’86). It’s not just Penticton who has had troubles, as in the last five years, only twice has the BCHL Regular Season Pennant winners have gone on to win the Fred Page Cup (Vernon ’10, Nanaimo ’07).In the last ten years only other team to both finish 1st overall and win the Fred Page Cup was Vernon in 2003.

What will happen this year?

Face-off at Trout Creek Elementary

Last week some of the Vees stopped by Trout Creek Elementary in Summerland ito face the student body in the PEFHL (Penticton Elementary Floor Hockey League).

As you may be well aware, the Vees also have an undefeated streak in this league as well and have had a couple of close calls with some overtime wins this season.

A capacity crowd was on hand to take in the action; the fans divided for whom to cheer for.

The Vees got off to a good start and held on for a close, 4-2 to triumph over a very tough TC squad, backed by strong goaltending.

Bryce Gervais signing for his adoring fans

The winning team and the star goaltender.

On Friday, Okanagan-Coquihalla MP Dan Albas took some time to recognize the Vees success this season, as he spoke during a session of Parliament.

The weekly National Top 20 rankings came out this morning and for the sixth straight week the Vees hold down top spot. The deck was shuffled below the Vees, as the top five has a new look. Penticton and Surrey are the only BCHL teams ranked within the Top 20, with the Powell River Kings receiving an Honourable Mention.

CJHL Site:

“The Canadian Junior Hockey League today announced its Weekly Top 20 rankings. Last week’s rankings and the leagues in which the teams belong to are in parenthesis. The weekly rankings are selected in consultation with NHL Central Scouting and are proudly presented by PlayingUpHockey.com”

1. Penticton Vees (BCHL) (1)
2. Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL) (3)
3. Humboldt Broncos (SJHL) (2)
4. Wisconsin Wilderness (SIJHL) (5)
5. Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL) (6)
6. Woodstock Slammers (MHL) (4)
7. Nepean Raiders (CCHL) (7)
8. Soo Thunderbirds (NOJHL) (8)
9. Dauphin Kings (MJHL) (10)
10. Lloydminster Bobcats (AJHL) (9)
11. Brooks Bandits (AJHL) (11)
12. Newmarket Hurricanes (OJHL) (12)
13. Trenton Golden Hawks (OJHL) (13)
14. Cobourg Cougars (OJHL) (14)
15. Portage Terriers (MJHL) (15)
16. Les Cougars du College Champlain – Sherbrooke (LHJAAAQ) (16)
17. Cornwall Colts (CCHL) (19)
18. Georgetown Raiders (OJHL) (18)
19. Battlefords North Stars (SJHL) (20)
20. Surrey Eagles (BCHL) (HM)

Honourable Mention: Powell River Kings (BCHL), Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL), Soo Eagles (NOJHL), St. Michael’s Buzzers(OJHL), Yarmouth Jr. ‘A’ Mariners (MHL).

Connor Reilly was dangerous all night; Adam Clark was sharp in goal

The Penticton Vees struck for three goals in the first period, and Mario Lucia scored twice as they skated to a 4-1 victory over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks Saturday.

The result bumps the Vees consecutive win streak to thirty-four games and extends their road winning streak to eighteen games.

Fresh off scoring the game tying goal last night, Bryce Gervais scored the game’s first goal on Saturday. Gervais collected a loose puck in front of the Silverbacks net and picked up his thirty-eighth just past the eleven minute mark.

The Vees struck again, on the very next shift, just ten seconds later, as Wade Murphy intercepted a puck behind the Salmon Arm net and tucked in a back-hand past Adam Clark.

Penticton wasn’t down there, scoring their third goal, forty-eight seconds after their second when Mario Lucia found the score-sheet.  Connor Reilly corralled a loose puck behind the Silverbacks net and dished the puck out front to Lucia, who beat Clark over the blocker.

The game settled down in the last two periods, with both teams scoring once in the final forty minutes.

Penticton scored the only goal of the second, again Lucia showing up on the score-sheet and again Connor Reilly the catalyst behind the goal. Reilly made a nice play to push the puck ahead to Travis St. Denis, creating a two-on-one rush. St. Denis centered the puck for Lucia; putting a back-hand past Clark at eight-fifteen of the middle stanza.

The only blemish on the night was Myles McCauley spoiling Mike Garteig’s shutout late in the third period. McCauley intercepted the puck on the left-wall and put a hard shot under the blocker of Garteig with just two minutes and twenty-nine seconds left

FINAL SCORE: 4-1 Vees

Shots: 31-13 Vees

Power-Play: Vees 0/5 ‘Backs 1/4

Three Star’s (EZ Rock broadcast) 1) Mario Lucia 2) Curtis Loik 3)Connor Reilly

Hardest Working Vee: Mario Lucia