Vees back up to No. 2 in national rankings
After slipping from No. 1 down to No. 4 last week, the Penticton Vees bounced right back up to No. 2 in the Canadian Junior Hockey League weekly rankings.
The Vees (8-0-0-1) are one of only two remaining undefeated teams (in regulation or overtime) in the CJHL after rallying to beat Merritt 3-2 in overtime on Friday and doubling the visiting Victoria Grizzlies 4-2 on Saturday.
The Thief River Norskies of the Superior International league are the new No. 1 team, moving up two spots from last week. The Norskies are 8-0-0 in their first season in the SIJHL.
Battlefords North Stars (Saskatchewan league) are up two spots to No. 3 as they have yet to lose in regulation, while the Okotoks Oilers dropped from No. 1 to No. 4 after losing 4-2 at home to the Fort McMurray Oil Barons on Friday.
Okotoks — which rebounded Sunday for a 3-2 overtime win over Brooks Bandits — had won their first 10 games.
Les Cobras de Terrebonne (Quebec league) moved up one spot to break into the top five.
The Edmunston Blizzard of the Maritimes league had the most precipitous drop of the week, tumbling from No. 2 all the way down to No. 13 after their first two losses.
The only other B.C. Hockey League team recognized was the Trail Smoke Eaters, who earned an honourable mention just below the top 20 teams.
The Vees have a big three-game week ahead as they begin to make up some of the games in hand they have on their rivals in the Interior Division.
Penticton welcomes the Langley Rivermen to the South Okanagan Events Centre for the first “Wicked Wednesday” game of the season at 7 p.m.
The Merritt Centennials visit the SOEC on Friday at 7 p.m., then the Vees make their first of three forays south of the border to take on the Wenatchee Wild on Saturday at 7:05 p.m.
Despite their near-perfect record, the Vees are in fourth place in the Interior — five points behind the Vernon Vipers, two behind Trail and one back of the West Kelowna Warriors. The Vees, however, have played a whopping five games fewer than Vernon, and four less than the Smokies and Warriors.
West Kelowna has a chance to move into a tie for first place as they host Langley tonight at 7 p.m. at Royal LePage Place. A key Interior matchup tonight sees Wenatchee visiting resurgent Salmon Arm.
ICE CHIPS: The Vees’ special teams have sparkled during their undefeated start to the season. The penalty kill sits second at 91.3 per cent (four goals against on 46 chances), just a fraction behind West Kelowna at 91.4 per cent. The power play is seventh at 20.8 per cent (10 goals on 48 chances). Six of the seven best power plays in the league are from the Interior, with Salmon Arm leading the way at 25.4 per cent . . . . Langley, the Vees’ opponent on Wednesday, has an odd record 5-2-6 — losing six of their seven overtime games. The Rivermen did beat Prince George 5-4 in overtime on Saturday and sit just a point behind the Spruce Kings for first place in the Mainland Division.