The Smoke Eaters fall on the road in Penticton, despite a lopsided final score the Smoke Eaters traded chances with the Vees for more than half the game and scoring first, but the Vees were too much in the 3rd period as they skated off to a 9-3 win.
As mentioned the Smoke Eaters would strike first at the South Okanagan Events Centre as Connor Seeley took the puck in the slot on the pass from Remy Spooner 6:51 into the first period. Seeley who scored his third of the year and second consecutive goal after adding an empty net goal on Friday night at home against the Centennials. The goal capped off a positive start for the Smoke Eaters who were deserving of their 1-0 lead.
The Vees would strike back and score twice just eight seconds apart to take a 2-1 lead to the 1st intermission as Nadeau and Suniev each scored after the media timeout to give the Vees their first lead of the night.
In the second, the Smoke Eaters started much of the same way and went back and forth trading chances with Penticton and would tie the game at 2 as the top line combined again. Nick Remissong made the play down the left side of the ice, took the hit but made the play to Parsons who had quick hands to turn and give himself enough space to put the puck on net where Hunter was waiting to clean up the rebound in front of Hank Levy in the Vees net.
The Vees would take control of the game in the final few minutes of the second as they would retake the lead with a powerplay goal from Josh Nadeau and then Hopkins and Pichette would add the next two giving the Vees a 5-2 lead going to the third period.
The Smoke Eaters were maybe unfortunate not to bring the game back within their reach to start the third, outshooting the Vees 7-1 in the opening 7 minutes of the third and had two really good opportunities in front of Vees net that they failed to capitalize on. The Vees would then find their footing and score two more to make it 7-2. Ridge Dawson would strike shorthanded to get one back as he checked the Vees defenceman at the left point and took the puck and scored on the breakaway, adding his first goal of the year to make it 7-3.
The Vees would add another on the powerplay and one at even strength to cap off a 9-3 win on home ice to improve to a perfect 14-0-0 record. The Smoke Eaters will turn their attention to a busy three game road trip next weekend as they head to Vancouver Island where they will take on the Alberni Valley Bulldogs, the Cowichan Valley Capitals and the Victoria Grizzlies.
