Puck to drop on Round 2 as Vees battle Smokies
It’s been 13 seasons since the Penticton Vees and Trail Smoke Eaters last met in the BCHL playoffs.
With both teams boasting plenty of star power, it is expected to be a best-of-seven series well worth waiting for.
Games 1 and 2 go tonight at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 6 p.m. at the South Okanagan Events Centre, before the series shifts to the Cominco Arena for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday, both 7 p.m. puck-drops.
Game 5, if necessary, would go Friday, March 23 at the SOEC.
Here’s a look at the second-round matchup on paper:
WHAT’S AT STAKE: The winner advances to the Interior Division final against the winner of the series between the Vernon Vipers and Wenatchee Wild that also opens tonight, in Vernon.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Both teams cruised to four-game, first-round sweeps, with the Vees beating the lowly Coquitlam Express, and the Smoke Eaters dispatching a solid West Kelowna Warriors team.
PLAYOFF SCORING: Trail – Kale Howarth (3 goals, 8 points), Tyler Ghiradosi (5 goals), Ross Armour (7 assists).
Penticton – Taylor Ward (4 goals, 7 points), Chris Klack (3 goals, 6 points).
PLAYOFFS SPECIAL TEAMS: Trail, power play, 8-for-26, 30.8 per cent (5th); penalty kill, 12-for-18, 66.7 per cent (14th).
Penticton, power play, 7-for-19, 36.8 per cent (1st); penalty kill, 11-for-12, 91.7 per cent (1st).
SEASON RECORDS: Penticton (40-12-3-3, 86 points, 1st in Interior Division and BCHL overall); Trail (32-21-4-1, 69 points, 4th in Interior Division, 7th overall).
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Penticton won 4 games (1 in overtime), losing 1 and tying 1 in 6 regular-season meetings with Trail, outscoring the Smoke Eaters 18-10.
REGULAR SEASON SCORING: Trail – points, Howarth 62, Armour 62; goals, Howarth 24, Levi Glasman 24; assists, Armour 41. Top defenceman: Lucchini, 40 points.
Penticton – points, Owen Sillinger, 67; goals, Sillinger 33; assists, Jonny Tychonick, 38. Top defenceman: Tychonick, 47 points.
REGULAR SEASON SPECIAL TEAMS: Trail, power play, 51-for-242, 21.1 per cent (4th); penalty kill, 63 goals against on 302 chances, 79.1 per cent (13th).
Penticton, power play, 55-for-250 , 22.0 per cent (3rd); penalty kill, 34 goals on 245 chances, 86.1 per cent (1st).
QUOTABLE: “They (Trail) are a prolific offensive team, they can score in bunches with a multitude of guys who can put the puck in the net. They work really hard and they hunt pucks well. We’re obviously playing a much tougher opponent (than Coquitlam) and we’re going to need to raise our game to a much higher level.” — Vees GM/head coach Fred Harbinson.