Three Stars: GM 5 FPC (2-1 OTL)

Game Story / Boxscore

1)      Home Team Does It Again: It had been a homer series up until game five, as the road team was 0-4 and the Vees were looking to break that trend. They were in good shape, as the “Trench Line” grabbed them a late first period lead.

Travis Blanleil’s tally with just three seconds left in the first looked like it was going to stand up as this game turned into a defensive stalemate. Both teams weren’t giving much of anything and the two teams held each other to single-digit shots in the first two periods.

There wasn’t much time and space in each zone, as both clubs were very good at keeping each other to the outside and no one was really getting to scoring areas in the middle. Each side had moments-flashes of offensive opportunity, but both teams scoring chances were in the single-digits.

The Vees had their moments; Mike Rebry somehow couldn’t get a prone puck in the crease over the goal-line in the second. Vees Assistant Coach Steve Cawley said that Michael Santaguida might have swung his stick back on the puck as he was reaching back in desperation. Also late in the third, John Siemer had an open net after taking the puck way from Santaguida from behind the net. However, as he came out from behind the goal, Siemer had the puck roll off his stick, across the goal-line and out the other side. You can’t make this stuff up.

All these chances for the road team to go up 2-0 or get a late 2-1 lead but nothing would materialize. Credit the Eagles, as they were a pesky bunch, as they kept hanging around and never let themselves get out of striking distance. They had their chances too, a couple bang-bang plays around the Vees net that they just missed on.  The Eagles also pressured the Vees late in the second trying to tie the game but Chad Katunar and the defense turned back the attack.

But, it just seemed like it wasn’t meant to be for the Vees, despite how well they were playing. I might sound like a crazy person, but the game had that feeling that larger forces were at play, some call it “hockey gods” but there was something about this game you can’t quite explain.

Again, credit the Eagles, as they regrouped and found a way to tie the game early in the third and it wasn’t how they drew It up I’m sure. After the puck went behind the net, Chad Katunar was beat to it by Trevor Cameron, who curled out for a wrap-around back on the near –side. Katunar was still hung-up on the other side of the goal as he and his stick was caught up in the net. It was like watching a slow-motion car crash; you knew it was coming but you couldn’t look away.

The goal lifted the Eagles, who honestly looked a little defeated to start the third period. But they got the break they need, boy I’ve said that before in this series, and carried that momentum into overtime. Before Kevan Kilistoff scored the game-winner, Colton Mackie was robbed on the door step by Chad Katunar on redirect; the Eagles were pushing early.

The goal itself was a bit of a snapshot of how this series has gone in Surrey for the Vees. The Eagles had some extended pressure, keeping the Vees inside their zone, but all five were back in the “house” for the Vees; where they should be. But Craig Wyszomirski intentionally threw the puck off the end-wall from the point knowing how lively the boards can be. Kilistoff knew it too, as he charged the net and one-timed the bouncing puck over the glove of Chad Katunar.

In games three and four, with the game tied in third period, the Vees were the team that found a way to come up with a win. Well, Thursday, the home team again found a way to win and keep the trending going. Now this obviously means the Vees will win game six and force a game seven on Monday. But in all seriousness, the Vees can hold their heads high after this one, as they played very well, and more than good enough to come out with a win.

2)      A Game of Bounces & Inches: That’s been the series in a nutshell and that’s been the difference between winning and losing. The Vees know they got a couple bounces go their way at home and  vice versa for Surrey.

It’s such a close series that these little things, a puck bounce  can alter the shape of any game. The Vees got a bounce go their way in game four, when Ryan Gropp got an end-wall bounce of his own after Brian Sinz threw a puck towards the net from the point. The Vees were on the right end of a few close calls too in the dying moments of both game three and four when they were nursing one-goal leads.

When you have two teams that are this good, match-up so well with each other, games are going to be decided by the slightest of margins; an inch here or there. seems like it’s been the home team getting all these breaks too through five games. Does that mean the Vees get back on the right side of the puck-luck game? What if Mike Rebry got more of his stick on that loose puck in the crease or John Siemer got more around that wrap-around late in the third? An inch or bounce and were talking about the Vees leading 3-2 but that’s not the case and that’s hockey. No matter how many times you play this game and no matter how well you play, you can still come away empty-handed and dumbfounded. The Vees will have two days to regroup and focus on a must win situation come Sunday.

3)      Overcoming Adversity: More of a look ahead to Sunday, but the Vees will need to put this heart-wrenching loss behind them soon and get focused for a must win situation on Sunday.

One would think the two days off might be a good thing for the Vees, a mental break from Thursday’s loss. However, as Steve Cawley pointed out, they would rather want to be playing tomorrow, as the Eagles have had some players eating up significant minutes. It’s a good point, as key members on their blue-line especially have played a high amount minutes in this series and Thursday was no different.

However, that’s not the case, and the Vees can use the two days in a positive manner. Friday will be a chance to decompress, get the loss out their heads and turn the page to an extent. Many on the team, including myself, won’t be getting much sleep after Thursday’s overtime loss. That’s the thing about overtime, as it bring the highest of highs and lowest of lows. The Vees will feel gutted for the next few hours but that will eventually go away and it will be time again to focus on the next game.

This team has already come back from a 2-0 hole in this series and a whole host of obstacles. There’s no reason why they can’t win another two in a row and defend their BCHL championship.

I Believe. Do you?

FPC GM 5: Breaking Trends

 

GM 1 RECAP /GM 2 RECAP

GM 3 RECAP /GM 4 RECAP

Season Series
Jan 5^th 3-2 (2 OT) Vees (SOEC)
Jan 11^th 2-1 Eagles (SSA)

Fred Page Cup Schedule
Game 1 5-2 Eagles  (SSA)
Game 2 2-0 Eagles (SSA)
Game 3 3-2 Vees (SOEC)
Game 4 3-2 Vees (SOEC)
Game 5 Thursday, April 18^th (SSA)
Game 6  Sunday, April 21^st (SOEC)
Game 7** Monday, April 22nd (SSA)

** If necessary
Games in Surrey are at 7:15pm
 Game Six is at 5pm

 

Vees power-play: 13-53 (24.53%) Road: 5-24 (20.83%) Series: 2-11 (1 SHGA)

Vees penalty-kill: 38-44 (86.36%) Road: 19-23 (82..61%) Series: 8-11 (1 SHG)

Eagles’ power-play: 13-69 (18.84%) Home: 6-37 (16.22%)

Eagles’ penalty-kill: 42-48 (87.50%)  Home: 26-27 (96.30%)

Vees Road Playoff Record: 3-2-0-1 GF: 19 GA: 18 (To date: 19-9-0-3)

Eagles Home Playoff Record: 7-1-0 GF: 22 GA: 9 (To date: 26-6-2-2)

The Fred Page Cup Final resumes for game five in Surrey after an off-day Wednesday. Like the Eagles, the Vees held serve on home ice, winning both game three and four by 3-2 margins and in doing so evening this series at two games apiece. Now it’s a best-of-three but the Vees will be on the road for two, if necessary and will need to find a way to pick up a win away from the SOEC.

It’s been a homer series thus far and maybe that’s not much of a surprise if you look at the two teams records on home ice. Including the regular season, the Vees are 26-7-0-2 at the SOEC and the Eagles are 26-6-2-2 at the South Surrey Arena. The Eagles haven’t dropped a home game in the playoff since game two of round one versus Langley; since then the Birds have rattled off five consecutive wins. The Vees have dropped their last three road game after starting a perfect 3-0-0 away from the SOEC in the post-season. They were close in game four against West Kelowna, losing in OT and in game two against Surrey.

Both teams want this game badly, the Vees with a win can set themselves up for a chance to win the series on home ice Sunday. The Eagles win and their back in the driver’s seat and at worse play a game seven back at home.

The Vees took care of business at home and have made the series a best-of-three finish. I would say the Vees got some confidence back in their game after the two home wins but did they ever lose it? The reason why this team has battled back is due to them sticking with the process. Not much changed from games one to four, except their line combinations and that’s helped generate six goals in two games; just two in the previous two.

Special teams have been a major focal point in the series and was a factor again in game four, as the Vees scored the only power-play goal of the game (on their only opportunity) and killed-off three Eagles power-plays, including two in the final ten minutes. It’s encouraging to see the man-advantage come up with goals at key times after they just couldn’t muster much in Surrey. The effort has been there, as they have had their moments but it didn’t all come to together until the series shifted back to Penticton.

Positive vibes aside with the power-play, the Vees main focus should be at even strength. This is where the Vees have had a lot of success in the series and that needs to continue in game five. Staying out of the box is paramount, especially in Surrey, where the Eagles have more ice to work with on the power-play. The Eagles looked dangerous at home with the man-advantage in the first two games of the series. The biggest thing from the first two games was the Vees discipline issues, yes, there were some marginal calls but for the most part it was bone-head type penalties that hurt the Vees. Keeping this game five-on-five is at the top of the list for the Vees. They like their depth and the match-up when playing at even strength.

A good push-off the start will be another key as well and that doesn’t necessarily scoring first. The Eagles will be fired up in front of their home crowd and probably a little ticked off about the last two games. CLICHE ALERT, if the Vees can handle the Eagles push of the start, get through the first five-ten minutes unscathed, they will be in good shape. Obviously the Vees won’t mind an early goal or two but a score-less start wouldn’t be a bad thing either.

Michael Santaguida has stolen a game for the Eagles in this series, and usually in the playoffs your goalie needs to do so at least once. Chad Katunar has been solid throughout the Vees playoff run this year but if there was a night to have a big game performance it’s tonight. He was sound late in game three and four when the Eagles were pressing to tie. He also had some great moments through game two but I’m still waiting for the sixty-minute performance that can be a difference. He’s been very good so far, time to be great tonight.

Just like the Vees heading into game three, the Eagles won’t be panicking ahead of game five. They knew this series was not going to end in four and knew the Vees were a pretty darn good hockey team.

The Eagles are a great home team as stated and will be a confident bunch when they hit the ice tonight. Just look at their numbers, they’ve scored 22 goals in eight games and have only coughed up nine. They had a good push in both games one and two, using the power-play to get out ahead. They certainly won’t rely on getting power-plays but now have confidence in that area which they have lacked earlier in the post-season.

The Vees “trench line” have done a good job in keeping the Eagles top scorers relatively in check, as the likes of Shaw, Tambellini and Stenerson didn’t find the score-sheet in game four. Nic Pierog is another story though, as he’s been the best Eagles forward. Pierog has scored in every single game and more impressive is all of his goals have come at even strength, minus the empty-netter in game two. He scored a clutch goal in game four, tying the game at two’s with a great deke on a partial breakaway. Pierog was moved up and down the first three lines on Tuesday and I would bet we see him in a top-six position tonight.

As we are on the bus, heading to Surrey and being the road team, I don’t get access to the Eagles line-up prior to arrival. They’ve had a different look to their roster in each of the four games. The most tinkering has come on their fourth line, as Stefan Burzan, Joel Gaudet and Anthony Brito all have rotated in with centerman Drew Best. Also Tommy Stipancik didn’t dress in game four, as AP Matt Dawson filled his spot. It will be interesting to see who plays on the fourth line and on the back-end.

 

Three Stars: FPC GM 4 (3-2 W)

Game Story / Boxscore / Game Photos

1) Comeback Kids..Again: The Vees found a way again to come back after trailing heading into the third period. Tonight was their fourth win when trailing after two periods in the playoffs (4-2). The playoff turnaround is pretty remarkable considering they were just 3-14-0-1 in the regular season in the same situation. Think about it for a moment, they’ve only lost two of their six games when they were down a goal or more after two periods; that’s a .667 winning percentage; impressive.

They didn’t necessarily have going early, and really both teams weren’t doing much offensively in the first period. It was more of a chess match in the opening twenty and even the first forty-minutes. These two teams are here for a reason and both are very good in their respective zones.

The Vees weren’t firing on all cylinders off the start but weren’t dragging their butts either. There was lots of play between the blue-lines in that first period as both teams did a very good job in sealing off the middle of the ice. Both teams had a tough time establishing an offensive rhythm early. Hey, these two combatants know how to play D and that was obvious by watching the first two periods.  Every inch of ice was contested, as the game had a heavy diet of play along the walls and featured numerous puck battles.

The second was much of the same, as the transition game wasn’t off to a flying start but they didn’t get deterred or down on themselves. Like many times before this season, the Vees stuck to their guns so to speak and kept fighting. Looking back at it, with all things considered, the first two periods weren’t an issue. The Vees out-shot the Eagles 25-24 but trailed by one. It could have been very easily to let frustration seep in, after grinding away and not have a goal to show for the effort, and actually be down by a goal.

But just like Game Five of the Interior Final, a game that was very similar, the Vees summoned their best effort for when they needed it most. Whatever was said between periods obviously worked and the team had a  noticeable spark. The power-play goal by Wade Murphy was big, not only tying the game but giving the Vees winger a boost; signs of bigger things?  Ryan Gropp’s goal was all about hustle and so to with the game-winner by Jedd Soleway.

So what started as a 1-0 deficit after two, quickly turned to a 3-2 lead and a crucial win; the Vees three goals came less than eight minutes into the period. Ryan Gropp’s goal was not only important by putting the Vees up but also was a result of getting some puck luck to go their way. The Vees have been on the wrong end of a few odd bounces this season (Trail shoot-ins) and it was nice to see them catch a break. Also encouraging seeing Jedd Soleway find the score-sheet again. Tonight was his first goal in six games and his second point of the series. Getting the power-forward on a roll will only do good for this team. Good teams always seem to find ways to win, and the Vees continue to display that quality throughout the playoffs.

2) Special Teams: The story that just doesn’t go away, as it’s a big factor in the first four games now. The Vees had the edge last night in this department and so too tonight. They scored on their only power-play and killed-off all three Eagles power-plays, including two inside the final 10 minutes.

After allowing three power-play goes in the first two games the Vees made some adjustments and it’s paid off. The PK is 4-5 in the last two games at the SOEC and don’t forget about Brad McClure’s short-handed goal last night.

How important is special teams? Before tonight, the two teams had combined for just six even-strength goals in the series; crazy to see four alone tonight. The power-play, which it had its struggles in the first two games has really bounced back, going 2-5 in the last two nights; that’s hovering around 40 percent.

Wade Murphy’s power-play tally came at the perfect time,as you could call it a must score situation early in the third period and down bye one. Who knows what this game would have looked like if he didn’t score there.The goal also made Michael Santaguida look somewhat human and maybe is the break Murphy needs to get on a role. I know its last season but Murphy had 18 points in 15 playoff games, this season through 11 games he has five goals and 11 points. Maybe that goal is the one that gets him on a roll.

The Vees also had three big penalty-kills in this game and two came inside the final 10 minutes with the Vees leading 3-2. The really impressive thing, is the Vees held the league’s best road power-play off the score-sheet with two of its top penalty-killers in the box. Both Sean Flanagan and Sam Mellor do regularly kill penalties  but the Vees to their credit found a way to keep the Eagles power-play  off the score-sheet; a first in the series.

3) Rolling Up Their Sleeves: The Vees had their work hats on tonight, as they had to earn every chance they got in this one and same thing could be said about the Eagles matching up with the Vees; every inch of space was fought over.

The team that was going to come out on top in the territorial game was going to have a few bruises to show for the effort. The Vees got to the dirty areas tonight, didn’t hesitate in the corners, along the walls or any other high traffic areas; always playing to the whistle. If the Vees are going to win,  it’s about playing deep in the opposition’s end, working the puck below the circles and behind the net. I’m starting to notice the Vees creating a fair share of chances from setting the play up below the goal-line.

One example that stands out for me was late in the third period when the Vees were holding a 3-2 lead. The Eagles had their best stretch of offensive zone time in the game and maybe the series, spending by my account, 47 seconds in the Vees end. The “trench line” was out there for those 47 seconds, but despite all the zone time the likes of Cam Amantea, Travis Blanleil and Cody DePourcq kept the Eagles to the outside and didn’t allow a single shot on net in that sequence; a perfect example what needs to be done to win at this stage.

FPC GM 4: Copy N’ Paste

GM 1 RECAP 

GM 2 RECAP

GM 3 RECAP

Season Series
Jan 5^th 3-2 (2 OT) Vees (SOEC)
Jan 11^th 2-1 Eagles (SSA)

Fred Page Cup Schedule
Game 1 5-2 Eagles  (SSA)
Game 2 2-0 Eagles (SSA)
Game 3 3-2 Vees (SOEC)
Game 4 Tuesday, April 16^th (SOEC)
Game 5**Thursday, April 18^th (SSA)
Game 6** Sunday, April 21^st (SOEC)
Game 7** Monday, April 22nd (SSA)

** If necessary
Games in Surrey are at 7:15pm
Games Three & Four in Penticton are at 7pm; Game Six is at 5pm

Vees power-play: 12-52 (23.08%) Home: 7-28 (25%) Series: 1-10 (1 SHGA)

Vees penalty-kill: 36-41 (85.37%) Home: 16-18 (88..89%) Series: 7-10 (1 SHG)

Eagles power-play: 13-66 (19.70%) Road: 7-29 (24.14%)

Eagles penalty-kill: 42-47 (89.36%)  Road:16-20 (80%)

Vees Home Playoff Record: 6-0-0 GF: 24 GA: 12 (To date: 25-7-0-2)

Eagles Road Playoff Record: 5-1-0 GF: 25 GA: 14 (To date: 21-9-1-3)

The picked up their first win of the series Monday with a 3-2 victory over the Surrey Eagles. The Vees never trailed in the game, as they held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 before scoring the game-winner midway through the third period.

The win also snapped the Eagles impressive 11 game win streak that started back on March 18th; almost a month without a loss. The Vees ran their record to a perfect 6-0 at home and also had the Eagles their first loss on the road; now 5-1.

The special teams battle, which the Eagles have had the advantage in, swung in the Vees favour; somewhat. Their first two goals came from the special teams, as Brad McClure scored on the power-play and then again short-handed. The Eagles did get one power-play goal and that also came in the first. It was an improvement for the Vees but they still have some work to do in this area.

Just like last night, tonight can be dubbed another “swing game” as this series can have two completely different looks depending on the end result.The Vees win and it’s 2-2 and it sets the series up for a best-of-three finish. If the Eagles win they have a commanding 3-1 series lead with Game Five on home-ice; a step closer to their first BCHL title in eight years. Last night, I spoke on the broadcast that the first team to three goals was likely going to win and I would say the same about tonight. Going back to the regular season, three of the five games between the two teams has been decided by one goal; it’s going to be tight again.

Last night would be all for not if the Vees can’t do it again in Game Four. In order to win two at home you got to win the first one and they’ve so far taken care of business. Heading back to Surrey on the ropes, down 3-1 isn’t impossible to come back from, but is a situation they would rather not be in.

The Vees were finally rewarded for their hard-work, scoring twice in the first period and the three goals matches their season high output against the Eagles. Michael Santaguida was unbeatable in Game Two but the Vees made him look somewhat human in Game Three; I remind you he still made 37 saves and was terrific …again. Read into what you will but the Vees scored all three goals  on the glove-side, so there’s that. The thing I take away from Game Three is the Vees not being deterred or letting frustration take over. They peppered the Eagles net with 50 shots the game prior and threw another 40 on net in Game Three. Including Game Two, the Vees had eighty shots on net after last night’s second period but only two found the back of the net. The Vees could have easily packed it in but to their credit they stuck to the process and were rewarded for their efforts in the third.

The exact type of effort will be needed again tonight, the Vees have to approach this game with the attitude that their season is on the line. There is little time to feel good about themselves, as tonight is even more crucial. Hey, they had their time last night to savior the win but it’s a new game and last night was just a building block; a step in the right direction.

The coaching staff rejigged the lines ahead of Game Two and the new look paid off. Louie Nanne went on a line with Mike Rebry and Brad McClure and those three spent a lot of time in the offensive zone, using the cycle game to their advantage. Sam Mellor jumped up with Wade Murphy and Jedd Soleway and Mellor and Murphy had instant chemistry together. What surprised me was how well John Siemer fit in with Brock Balson and Ryan Gropp. The three were very effective below the circles and behind the Eagles net. I expect the three new look lines will be even better tonight as the feeling out process should be over.

The Vees need a big push off the start in Game Three. Getting to the Eagles early is key, as they don’t want to give them a chance to feel good about themselves. Establishing pressure early is important and they can only do that if the fore-check is creating turnovers at their blue-line. A good start and even an early goal might help put some doubt in the Eagles heads.

No need to panic if you’re the Eagles, with a win tonight no one is thinking of Game Three’s loss. In the big picture, after taking both games at home, a split on the road is ideal. A win tonight and they’re in the driver’s seat, up 3-1 in the series and a chance to wrap-up the series on home ice.

The Eagles were actually pretty good last night and if they would have been the team to win, no one would have been surprised. Yes, they got some great goaltending yet again but they also created a solid amount of scoring chances and at the end of the day, played a pretty good road game. But it’s the finals and  some times “pretty good” isn’t good enough. For the first time in the series, the Eagles find themselves with some discipline issues. They took four minors in Game Two and another Four last night. Realistically, four is a number teams shoot for in the regular season; keep penalties at four or under per game. However, at this juncture they don’t want to giving out chances regularly, especially against a team like Penticton. Really this goes for both teams.

The Eagles are still the Eagles, they still have the best record in the playoffs and they now have the four top scorers in the playoffs.Their goalie is still leading in every major statistical category and is standing on his head night in and night out. It will be important for this team to grab the lead tonight and take the crowd out of the game. They’re undefeated in the post-season when they’ve scored first and are a tough team to try to play catch-up hockey against.

They will have some line-up changes in tonight’s game, as Stefan Burzan draws back in up front and Tommy Stipancik will not dress on the blue-line. AP Matt Dawson is penciled in for one of the six spots on the back-end and they will make one more scratch after warm-up.

 

Three Stars: FPC GM 3 (3-2 W)

Game Story / Boxscore / Photos 

1) Brad McClure: The forward was arguably the Vees best  in Game Three. Two first period goals, one on the power-play and the other short-handed. McClure was driving the bus so to speak in that opening period, one that was back-and-forth from start to finish.

Playoff performers step up and come up big in clutch situations and McClure did just that on Monday. He staked the Vees out to two separate leads and was doing everything he could to lead by example. His first goal was an absolute snipe over the glove of Michael Santaguida, that ended the Vees score-less skid at 101:17.  The Eagles answered back to tie the game at one’s but McClure himself came right back with a short-handed goal’ as nice or nicer than his first.

On the PK, the speedy forward tracked down the puck in the neutral zone, skated away from his mark and then toe-dragged the puck around the diving defenseman who was trying to breakup the chance. McClure not only deke around the prone obstacle but then wired a hard shot short-side glove-high. Back tracking for a moment, I watched this goal several times at a very slow speed and it was every bit impressive. McClure beats one forward to a puck at the blue-line but still has the wherewithal to cut to the inside on a diving defender. Then to top it off he picks his spot on the near-side, going over the glove. This, I may remind you was all done at top speed and with one less forward on the ice then the Eagles had.

Special teams were and is such a story-line in this series and the Vees this time came out on the right side of the battle and thanks in large part to the first period heroics of McClure.  He now leads the team in goal-scoring with seven and is tied on points. McClure also leads the team in scoring at home this post-season with five goals and eight points.

Big game players, make big  plays and at key times and McClure had two of them-in one period.

2) The “Trench Line:” The trio of Travis Blanleil, Cody DePourcq and Cam Amantea were very sound in the win Monday. They usually get the “plum” assignment of taking on the oppositions best line or one of their top two at the very least. They were seeing some ice time against the Tambellini-Mulcahy-Cameron group on Monday and rose to the occasion.

Take away the winning goal and their night was still up there when talking about Game Three. They had some great shifts against the Surrey’s best gunners and more importantly ate up key minutes in the offensive zone, where otherwise would be spent in their zone; the alternative didn’t sit well with them.

They’re so good at working the puck below the circles, utilizing their speed and small stature to slip checks and evade defenders. This a line that is trusted as the Vees go-to line when the team needs a kick in the butt after a quiet moment in the game or rough sequence. They always bring it and seem to really embrace the “trench worker” moniker, and they should, because they coined the phrase. But in all seriousness, they did really make large strides in the offensive zone and always seemed to establish an presence.

Going back to the game-winning goal, Blanleil showed some terrific hands,as he came off the left-wing and threw a saucers pass to the other side and on the tape of DePourcq’s stick. From there the crowd went nuts as the local product scored the game-winner. This line always provides energy, a spark to the rest of the team and that can lead to momentum changing shifts. The coaching staff doesn’t hesitate to put this line out after a goal, on either side to provide a shot in the arm.

The three have a great ability to cycle the puck continuously and force the opposition to fall into penalty trouble as they start to tire.

3) Home Cooking: The Vees ran their winning streak on home ice to six games and they haven’t lost a playoff game at the SOEC in quite some time. This time of year is about using any leverage you can and the Vees have plenty at home. They’re a good road team but they’re something about this team playing at home.They needed a big performance in front of a their fans and they sure put on a show Monday.

Scoring first was huge as they’re now 7-1 in the playoffs when doing so and the Vees really fed off the crowd tonight. They needed that type of support and most importantly they fed of it.

Pack the SOEC on Tuesday

FPC GM 3: Home Cooking

 GM 1 RECAP 

GM 2 RECAP

Season Series
Jan 5^th 3-2 (2 OT) Vees (SOEC)
Jan 11^th 2-1 Eagles (South Surrey Arena)

Fred Page Cup Schedule
Game 1 5-2 Eagles  (SSA)
Game 2 2-0 Eagles (SSA)
Game 3 Monday, April 15^th (SOEC)
Game 4 Tuesday, April 16^th (SOEC)
Game 5**Thursday, April 18^th (SSA)
Game 6** Sunday, April 21^st (SOEC)
Game 7** Monday, April 22nd (SSA)

** If necessary
Games in Surrey are at 7:15pm
Games three & four in Penticton are at 7pm; game six is at 5pm

Vees power-play: 11-48 (22.92%) Home: 6-24 (25%)

Vees penalty-kill: 34-39 (87.81%) Home: 15-16 (93.75%)

Eagles power-play: 12-64 (18.75%) Road: 6-27 (22.22%)

Eagles penalty-kill: 39-43 (90.70%)  Road:13-16 (81.25%)

Vees Home Playoff Record: 5-0-0 GF: 21 GA: 10 (To date: 24-7-0-2)

Eagles Road Playoff Record: 5-0-0 GF: 23 GA: 11 (To date: 21-8-1-3)

The Fred Page Cup Final shifts to the South Okanagan Events Centre for Game Three, as the Penticton Vees look to cut into the Surrey Eagles 2-0 series lead. The Eagles held serve on home ice over the weekend, picking a 5-2 win in Game One and then shutting out the Vees 2-0 in Game Two on Saturday.

After losing the opener, the Vees were a determined group in Game Two, as they were looking to take a series split back to the South Okanagan. But Surrey’s Michael Santaguida had other ideas. The Eagles puck-stopper turned aside all fifty, yes, fifty shots he faced, including twenty-one in the third period for his fourth shutout of the post-season. The Vees find themselves in a two-game hole despite firing eighty-three shots at the Eagles net in the series.

One perfect record will be no more after tonight, as the Vees put their perfect 5-0 home record up against the Eagles 5-0 road mark. The Vees last loss on home-ice in the BCHL playoffs, was Game Two of their Interior Conference Final against Merritt last spring; eight straight wins. Yes, they did lose game three of the Doyle Cup if you want to count that;  9-1 in their past 10 home playoff games.

The Vees were shutout for just the second time this season on Saturday but if history is any indication, this team knows how to respond. The only other time the Vees were blanked, was back on February 8th; 1-0 at home to the Cents’. The next outing the Vees pumped eight past the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.

They may be down two games in the series but there is still plenty of positives to draw from Game Two. One, the Vees put fifty shots on net, regardless of where they came from, putting 50 on the opposition isn’t to be overlooked. They cranked up the pressure in third period but couldn’t break the goose-egg despite firing 21 shots on net. To turn things around tonight, they’re going to send more traffic to the Eagles net and get in front of their goalie. As the cliché goes, a goalie can’t stop what he can’t see; surely that still holds weight doesn’t it?

Another point that I’ve hammered home enough but bears mentioning once more, is the fact the Vees have to stay out of the penalty box. They’ve been a very good team five-on-five in the series, and I would say in four of the six periods they’ve had the slight edge in play. But the Eagles have taken advantage of the Vees lack of discipline and that’s been the difference. Three power-play goals and one shortie against and no power-play goals to speak of in four games.

Also playing at home may be the kick in the butt a few of the Vees need to get their offensive touch back. Sam Mellor has seven points at home in these playoffs and is closely followed by Louie Nanne and Brad McClure who each have six points at the SOEC. That’s three key pieces in the Vees offensive arsenal that will need to be going tonight. There are others when I look down the list but simply put is this team has thrived when playing at home.

Looks to be the same line-up the Vees iced for Game Two. Cam Amantea will play alongside Cody DePourcq and Cam Amantea. Outside of that, everyone is good to go and Chad Katunar will get his twelfth straight start.

The Eagles are looking to take a stranglehold on the series with a win and are the hottest team going right now. They’ve gone about winning eleven straight games dating back to March 18th. Five of those eleven wins have come on road, as mentioned they’re perfect away from home. However, this team is beatable, everyone is.

The Eagles have been great in the special teams area and have a knack of bending but not breaking when playing inside their own zone. That’s no slight, but a team that knows how to shut it down where they need to most; in front of the net. They don’t worry about shots against, just listen to Matt Erhart’s post-game comments after Game Two. The defensive attitude is more focused on stopping or limiting quality chances; the volume is not a concern.

Their depth players have stepped up in the series, or should I say their secondary scoring. The Eagles “big three” has picked up their points, more so Michael Stenerson but it’s the guys right behind them making major contributions. Nic Pierog has two goals in this series and seven in the post-season. Demico Hannoun, who plays on the second-line, has two goals and three points in two games and is averaging a point per-game in the post-season. If one line isn’t going, it seems like another one is stepping in to fill the void; that’s how good teams win.

As I’ve eluded to, this team has been road warriors in the post-season. Five wins in as many games and it’s the “big three” leading the charge. Brady Shaw has four goals and 10 points in those five games and just behind him is Michael Stenerson (5-4-9) and Adam Tambellini (7-1-8). Nine players have three or more points on the road; 12 with two or more. The Eagles don’t seem to be a team that plays differently when away from the South Surrey Arena; much like the Vees.

The Eagles do have two line-up changes, as Tommy Stipancik, who missed game two, is back to play on the blue-line. Upfront, Stefan Burzan who was a game-time decision Saturday, won’t play tonight. AP Anthony Brito will fill his spot and wear number eighty-six.

Three Stars: FPC GM 2 (2-0 L)

Photo: VanCity Sports Blog Network

Game Story / Boxscore / Game Pictures / Eagles Post-Game Video 

 1-3) Michael Santaguida: No need to hand out the stars to anyone else on this night. A performance that will have fans buzzing for quite some time, as Santaguida stopped 50, yes 5-0 shots for his fourth shutout of the playoffs and 12th win in 13 games.

The Vees peppered the Eagles goalie with 21 shots in the third period when they were trying to claw back from a 2-0 deficit, but Santaguida was there time and again. The Eagles goaltender did get a lot of help from his defense, and he talks about that in his post-game chat with the Eagles voice Brendan Batchelor (follow the link above). There were numerous occasions were the Vees had chances in and round the crease, but never could get the shot they wanted. Credit the Eagles defense as they did a good job in tying up sticks, blocking shots and playing goalie on occasion.

Santaguida despite the help was still spectacular in his own right, and made at least a half of dozen eye-popping saves. In the playoffs, you hear the talk about goalies “stealing” games for their team and tonight was one of those occasions. The Eagles are no doubt ecstatic with the 2-0 series lead but probably know they can’t afford to have Game Two repeat itself later in the series. Back to Santaguida, one of his best saves came in the third period, when he reached back on the goal-line with the paddle of his goalie stick, denying Brad McClure’s rebound tap-in.

The Vees also had some great looks in the first and second period. In the opening frame Ryan Gropp had a couple of great chances from the slot but was turned away and Cody DePourcq, Brock Balson and Brad McClure had chances as well. In the second the Vees top-line had a flurry of pressure around the Eagles goal but Santaguida made nice saves of Jedd Soleway and Louie Nanne; Wade Murphy had his shot blocked. Lots of garbage around the Eagles net tonight but the Vees just couldn’t capitalize. Just like last night’s story, the Vees couldn’t get pucks to settle down or just couldn’t get to them when they needed to. A frustrating stretch of two games for the Vees offense as the effort was there, just not the results.

The Eagles will say they kept a lot of the shots to the outside and that may be true to a certain extent but the Vees did have a lot of great looks, either in the blue paint or in prime scoring areas. Santaguida, despite his size, always seems to play big and take away a lot of net. He now has four shutouts in the playoffs, doubling his regular season output. Also through two games he’s stopped 81 of 83 shots for a sparkling .976 save-percentage. He was the best player for the Eagles and arguably in this hockey game, no doubt the first star of the night and why not the second and third while were at it.

An interesting story, as the Eagles didn’t start the season with Santaguida, as he joined the team three weeks into the season after he couldn’t find a spot in the USHL due to his age and import restrictions  I bet a few coaches down south are kicking themselves now.

Quick Thoughts

• The Vees will welcome Sunday’s off day,as they have a few players who could use the rest. I can’t fault the Vees for their sheer determination and effort on the weekend. They battled their butts off but just couldn’t get into a groove offensively; they’re due and maybe they breakout on Monday.
• Cliche, but as they saying goes, you’re never in trouble until you lose on home ice. The Vees haven’t yet in these playoffs, a perfect 5-0 and will go against a team that’s perfect on the road (5-0)
• The Vees need to start pushing back in the special teams department. Now four games without a power-play goal and Surrey has three in two games; all on five-on-three power-plays. The Vees shot themselves in the foot early with two penalties in short succession. They need to stay out of the box and play this series five-on-five, as they have been the better team when doing so.
• Tonight is just the second time all season the Vees were shutout, as the only other goose-egg came back on February 8th at home to Merritt (1-0).
• I thought Sean Flanagan had his best game in the playoffs. He was really moving out there, looked confident with the puck and was making things happen.
• The Vees first two lines had a better effort tonight and created a lot of chances, so that’s encouraging. If those players were stone cold, then red flags would start to shoot up.