Vees host Merritt in 1st-versus-worst matchup

The Penticton Vees return from the holiday break to face a desperate Merritt Centennials team.

The first- and last-place teams in the Interior Division clash tonight in a 7 p.m. puck-drop at the South Okanagan Events Centre as the Vees launch a four-game homestand.

While the Vees are riding high with a 28-6-1 record and a 16-point lead atop the division, Merritt is tied for last place with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks with a 12-14-7-2 record.

Going into action on Thursday night, Merritt and Salmon Arm were only two points behind West Kelowna and Trail, who are tied for third place.

The Cents are winless in their last five games (0-2-1-2), though they did pick up a point in three of them.

It’s been a similar story in the headto-head matchup this season with the Vees.

Penticton has won all four, with two of them coming in overtime. While the Vees have won seven overtime games this season, Merritt has lost seven.

In the last meeting, Nov. 19 at the SOEC, Gabe Bast tied the game for the Vees with 20 seconds left and Joe Leahy scored the winner at 3:07 of overtime.

The Vees also won the other meeting at the SOEC 5-1 on Oct. 7.

Scoring has been an issue for the Cents as they have netted the fewest goals in the Interior. Rookie Zach Risteau leads the team in goals with 16 and is tied with Michael Regush in points at 27, while Cade Gleeckel has 26.

Oddly enough, Merritt’s power-play percentage is the best in the league at 28.3, though they have had by far the fewest chances (120).

Captain Nicholas Jones leads the Vees with 38 points, while Grant Cruikshank leads in goals with 23.

Mat Robson gets the start in goal for the Vees looking for his league-leading 24th win. Forward Jamie Armstrong (illness) and defenceman James Miller (upper-body) are expected back in the lineup soon, while defenceman Gabe Bast (lower-body) remains out indefinitely.

The Vees are also home to face Trail on Wednesday, Vernon on Jan. 7 and West Kelowna on Jan. 11 before taking on Merritt in their first road game of 2017 on Jan. 13.

ICE CHIPS: It’s a key weekend in the Interior with Vernon and Salmon Arm finishing up a home-and-home tonight at Shaw Centre, and West Kelowna and Trail doing the same with the finale tonight at Cominco Arena . . . . The Chilliwack Chiefs did the Vees a favour by beating the visiting Wenatchee Wild 5-3 on Wednesday. The Vees are a point behind the Wild (28-6-2) for the BCHL overall points lead, but Penticton now has a game in hand. The Vees and Wild meet for the second and final time this season on Feb. 11 at the SOEC.