It was the night of redirections for the Vees who make life difficult for the Smoke Eaters while capitalizing on the powerplay in a 7-2 on Friday night at Cominco.
The Vees were off to a quick start in this one, scoring just over two minutes in on the powerplay. Bradley Nadeau somehow found an angle in the left circle where his shot got past Evan Bushy who was down to one knee in an attempt to block the shot, and then picked the far side corner on Kendrick. The Vees powerplay came into tonight’s game at 35% completion and that trend continued as the night went in. Beanie Richter would double the Vees lead late in the first on the first redirected point shot of the night, as he tipped the puck down past Kendrick. The late goal stung as the Smoke Eaters had a solid second half of the first period after the game had settled down a bit. The Vees were up 6-0 on the shot clock inside the opening five minutes but the Smoke Eaters found their footing as the period went on, being denied two breakaway attempts of Hunter and Marshall who were both denied but Luca Di Pasquo in the Vees net. The Smoke Eaters would crack the Vees netminder, as Parson’s forced a turnover below the Vees goal line, with the puck coming to Brady Hunter. Hunter would skate to the right wall and then send a puck to the front of the net, to be received by Nick Remissong, who added his team leading 14th goal of the year.
Despite a few posts and net front scrambles but the Smoke Eaters in the second it would be the Vees who would score the only two goals of the second. The first one again came in the powerplay and again was tipped in front of Kendrick as Jackson Nieuwendyk made it 3-1 on the eventual game winner. Suniev would make it 4-1 as he was able to get the final touch on a puck the found it’s way behind Kendrick and sat loose in the crease, unbeknown to Kendrick who felt the puck was loose but didn’t know where it was.
In the third the Smoke eaters would get one back courtesy of Ethan Warrener, who made it a 4-2 game, tallying his second of the year and giving the Smoke Eaters a bit of hope as Judah Makway set up the Smoke Eaters defenceman.
But the Vees transitioned from a sit back and control the game to a full steam ahead offence in the third adding three more goals. One that was tipped through Kendrick by Josh Nadeau, one on the powerplay by Suniev and the final one on a forced turnover by Suniev, who found Tinling in the slot for the 7-3 score line despot some more third period chances for the Smoke eaters, who only had five shots but made them count.
The Smoke Eaters now switch their focus to the Silverbacks, who are Saturday night’s opponent.
