Timely moves pay off for Vees
The Penticton Vees were winning and pulling away in the Interior Division through the first three months of the BCHL regular season, which glossed over a few shortcomings in the lineup.
But as the season wound down and the Vees struggled to score, struggled on special teams, struggled for consistency in the win-loss column (especially on the road), you wondered how long GM/head coach Fred Harbinson would wait before making a bold move or two to spark the team.
The Vees won a sixth straight Interior pennant to earn a first-round bye, so it made sense to stay the course.
In their first playoff round, the Vees were pushed to a seventh-game by a pesky Merritt team. Harbinson knew his team needed a jolt of offence and activated veteran Taylor Sanheim — out for seven weeks with a jaw injury — and the 21-yearold delivered a vital goal to offset an early Merritt tally. The Vees breezed from there to a 6-2 series-clinching triumph.
If there was a time the Vees really appeared to be in trouble it was against the hated Vernon Vipers, who charged, cheap-shotted and at times outworked the Vees to once again push the Interior final to a Game 7 at the SOEC.
Harbinson got the sense the Vees needed a major spark after a dispirited effort in a 5-1 loss in Game 6 in Vernon. Enter Cassidy Bowes, a talented 18-yearold from the Okanagan Hockey Academy midget prep team to replace suspended first-line forward Chris Klack.
Bowes set up the game’s first goal with a terrific play and was named the Energy Player of the Game, Sanheim produced another goal-scorer’s goal and the Vees survived again, winning 3-1.
In the Fred Page Cup final, Harbinson, who made a point after last season of making sure he had plenty of personnel options, has made all the timely moves to put Penticton on the cusp of a fourth BCHL title in his 10 years at the helm.
Bowes stayed in the lineup to start the series in Chilliwack, and was joined by 15-year-old Burnaby Winter Club phenom Massimo Rizzo.
Though Bowes set up the first goal to continue a point streak that is now at five games, the Vees lost the opener 4-2. Harbinson, of course, had an answer. Veteran Ryley Risling, who was the odd man out in the dilemma with one extra 20-year-old when Sanheim drew back in, got the call — with defenceman Mitch Meek taking a seat — after patiently waiting for his opportunity after missing nine straight games.
The Vees needed the size, physicality and leadership up front. Risling brought that and more — a goal just 2:45 into his return that led the Vees to a vital 5-1 win and a split of the two games in Chilliwack.
By Game 3 on Tuesday at the SOEC, the Vees were hitting on all cylinders. Rizzo and Bowes — on the power play no less — combined on Rizzo’s first playoff goal. The Vees were briefly pegged back, but a goal late in the second and three more in the third gave them a thoroughly deserved 5-2 win.
There were no changes for Game 4, and even when the Vees fell behind 3-0 in the second period, you got the feeling for the first time all season they had the personnel to overcome it.
And rally they did. The offence Bowes and Rizzo bring to the table has enabled Harbinson to move sniper Grant Cruikshank to the top line with captain Nic Jones and Klack, and they broke the ice to make it 3-1.
Taylor Ward, suddenly a huge factor since getting power-play time and skating on an effective line with Risling and Jared Nash, clicked on a man advantage after an incredible cross-crease pass by Jones.
In the third, well, if you didn’t see the tying goal by Bowes, you need to check it out on YouTube. Just a jaw-dropping individual effort and a world-class finish against one of the league’s premier netminders.
Overtime? Well of course it had to be Risling emerging as the hero. A goal by the fourth line, set up by Ward. Why not? Everything is working right now for the Vees. They’re one win away, with three cracks at it if such a need arises.
Chilliwack is a good team with some marvellous front-end talent. But they have no answer for the relentless four lines of skill and speed the Vees are throwing at them right now.
It could be over as early as Saturday in Chilliwack, but it’s hard to envision this Vees team — as it is now constructed — faltering with a 3-1 series lead.
Especially since Harbinson no doubt has a few more tricks up his sleeve — just in case.
David Crompton is a sports reporter at the Herald. Email: david.crompton@ pentictonherald.ca.