Vees ground Eagles
Grant Cruikshank stayed in the game long enough to do all the damage the Penticton Vees would need to dispatch the Surrey Eagles. Cruikshank scored two highlight-reel goals and added an assist before getting ejected from the game with 11.4 seconds left in the first period as the Vees cruised past the Eagles 7-1 on Wednesday night at South Okanagan Events Centre.
Nicky Leivermann, Ryan O’Connell, Jack Barnes, Taylor Ward and Jared Nash also connected for the Vees (12-5-2-1), who erupted for three goals in a span of 2:14 midway through the first period and scored four power play goals.
Leivermann, O’Connell, Jonny Tychonick, Owen Sillinger and Jordan Henderson each had two-point games for Penticton.
Adam Scheel needed to make just 10 saves for the Vees. Daniel Davidson surrendered two goals on four shots before being replaced by Nic Tallarico, who gave up five goals on 27 shots.
The Vees controlled the play early and finally took the lead at 9:08. Joe Leahy’s clearing pass was chased down the speedy Cruikshank, who pulled away from a defender and beat Davidson low on the glove side.
Scheel also earned an assist for the second straight game.
Leivermann scored on the power play at 10:27, walking off the right wing into the slot and rifling another low shot past Davidson on the blocker side.
Cruikshank and Cassidy Bowes assisted on the goal and Eagles head coach Brandon West promptly yanked Davidson in favour of Tallarico.
Before the puck was dropped, the Eagles picked up an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. And 55 seconds later, O’Connell scored on Tallarico off a rebound of Taylor Ward’s shot to make it 3-0 Vees.
Cruikshank made it 4-0 with a shorthanded goal at 15:24. He used speed and muscle to steal the puck from a defender, cut all the way from right to left and calmly hoisted the puck over a lunging Tallarico. Dakota Boutin and Jordan Henderson assisted.
Cruikshank’s splendid period took a U-turn late as he was controversially adjudged to have ran into Tallarico while sniffing out a rebound.
Because it was the Penticton’s second goaltender interference penalty of the game, Cruikshank was ejected and also faces a onegame suspension, pending a likely appeal by the Vees.
Surrey got one back with five minutes left in the second period, as Westgard breached Penticton’s league-best penalty-killing unit with Matthew Campese and former Vees defenceman Cory Babichuk assisting.
Barnes restored the four-goal bulge after some diligent work by Sillinger to set it up at 3:18 of the third period. Ward made it 6-1 on a screened shot on the power play at 10:12, and Nash batted one home out of the air for the fourth Vees power play marker at 15:20.
Surrey (12-10-2-1) failed to register a shot on goal in the period.
Cruikshank, O’Connell and Leivermann were the three stars in front of a “Wicked Wednesday” crowd of 2,833. The Vees visit the West Kelowna Warriors Friday at 7 p.m. and take on the Cowichan Valley Capitals Saturday at 6 p.m. at the SOEC.
VIPERS 3 WARRIORS 2 (2-OT) Jimmy Lambert scored at 1:04 of the second overtime period as Vernon beat West Kelowna at Kal Tire Place.
Jesse Lansdell and Keyvan Mokhtari scored power-play goals for Vernon (16-5-0-4), which overtook first place in the Interior Division, one point ahead of idle Trail.
Michael Ryan and Stephen Kleysen replied for West Kelowna (14-9-1-0). Vernon outshot West Kelowna 48-32.