Vees drop entertaining shootout
Chase Danol scored the lone goal of the shootout as the Coquitlam Express overcame the Penticton Vees 3-2 in front of 2,931 fans on Wednesday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Danol tied the game with 10:28 to play and Christian Sanda had the other goal for the surprising Express (12-5-1), who twice overcame one-goal deficits.
Brendan Harrogate scored twice with Andre Ghantous assisting on both for the Vees (8-5-2), who lost for the second time in as many shootouts this season. With the one point, the Vees did move into a tie for second place in the Interior Division with the Wenatchee Wild and Trail Smoke Eaters.
Colby Matthews was the story for the Express with 31 saves and three more stops off Connor Hutchinson, Eric Linell and Ryan Sandelin in the shootout.
Derek Krall made 22 saves and two more in the shootout for the Vees, who are now 5-0-1 on home ice this season.
The Vees carried play through much of the first period and were rewarded with the only goal off the rush, with Ghantous setting up Harrogate with a nifty drop pass.
Matthews was sensational to keep it close and also got help from a pair of posts before Sanda tied it up on a fortuitous bounce from a scramble at 10:11 of the second.
In the third period, Harrogate put the Vees back on top at 6:04 on a rebound of Mason Snell’s shot.
But the Express wouldn’t go away and Danol beat Krall with a shot from the left circle through a screen to make it 2-2 at 9:32.
The Express appeared to take the lead on a power play at 17:33, but the officials huddled and waved the goal off due to a stanchion being dislodged and laying on the ice behind the Vees’ net.
In the dying seconds of 3-on-3 overtime, Krall thwarted Regan Kimens on a clear breakaway.
There was drama on the first shot of the shootout as Danol was awarded the goal after video review.
It proved to be decisive as the last five shooters were thwarted.
Danol, Harrogate and Matthews were the three stars.
The Vees visit the Interior Divisionleading Merritt Centennials on Friday at 7 p.m. and are back home to take on the West Kelowna Warriors on Saturday at 6 p.m. at the SOEC.
ICE CHIPS: Vees F Cole Shepard will play for Team Canada Red at the World Under-17 Challenge, Nov. 3-10 in Saint John and Quispamsis, NB. All eight teams — three from Canada and one each from Russia, Sweden, Czech Republic, Finland and the United States — will play a pre-tourney game Nov. 1. Canada Red’s first tourney game is Nov. 3 vs. Russia.