The last 17 games of the Penticton Vees season is about little goals.
The Vees, ranked No. 3 in the Canadian Junior Hockey League, have a comfortable 12-point lead on the second place Vernon Vipers in the BCHL’s Interior Division and 10 on the Nanaimo Clippers.
“Our guys have re-evaluated some small, short-term goals,” said Vees coach Fred Harbinson following a 7-1 drubbing over Prince George Spruce Kings Sunday at the South Okanagan Events Centre. “I think everyone is excited about our final push.”
Their desire for a strong finish was evident Sunday.
“Ever since the first shift we were really buzzing. We had more chances and outshot them,” said Vees forward Lewis Zerter-Gossage. “I think all it took was a goal and a little more confidence to get guys just finishing. I thought the whole time we were going to take it.”
Tyson Jost played a big part in Sunday’s win. His first of two goals set off a string of six unanswered after Chad Staley tied the game at one.
Jost wired a wrist shot high above Jesse Jenks’ shoulder glove side on the power play in the second period. The play started with defenceman Gabe Bast finding Dante Fabbro on the opposite side near the wall. Fabbro then needled a long feed through the Spruce Kings defence to find Jost. Fabbro finished with three assists.
“I didn’t think I had time to shoot. Decided to rip it and see what happens. It was kind of a seeing eye shot. I got lucky there,” said Jost, who quickly glanced at the net before shooting.
During the second period an altercation occured in front of Vees goalie Hunter Miska. Vees defenceman Shayne Gwinner and Spruce King Daniel Nachbaur exchanged words with Nachbaur challenging Gwinner to a fight.
“He told me word for word that he was going to kill me,” said Gwinner, who was hit in the groin by Nachbaur’s stick prior to the exchange. “I said, ‘You know what, do it.’ I put my chin out there for him to swing. He never wanted to take that opportunity I guess.”
Nachbaur later approached Gwinner and asked when the mercy rule is midway through the third period.
“I said, ‘You’re going to be buddy-buddy with me now, are you?” said Gwinner, who gave the Vees a 4-1 lead when Mike Lee set him up for his first goal with the team after he kept the puck in the Spruce Kings zone. “It was pretty funny.”
In the third period the Vees added five goals, including three goals in just over a minute from Shayne Gwinner, Lewis Zerter-Gossage, who finished with two, and Jost.
“I thought we did really good,” said Jost. “We worked really hard right from the get go.”
“We felt we were playing really well,” said Harbinson. “We just told the guys if they end up getting the next one, let’s not worry about it. We’re playing the game the way we want to play it. I thought we really capitalized. I thought they were really undisciplined at times. We were able to jump on it.”
The Vees power play executed on three of six chances. Along with Jost, Zerter-Gossage and Mitch Newsome also scored.
Miska made 20 saves picking up his league-best 22nd win. Jenks finished with 35 saves in the loss.
“I thought both goalies were outstanding,” said Harbinson.
Miska was terrific in the first two periods, stopping three Spruce Kings breakaways, including two in the first. Staley was able to score when the puck squeaked through Miska’s legs and he swept the puck across the line. The Vees have now won three straight after sweeping their home-and-home series with the Coquitlam Express, a 5-2 decision at the SOEC and a 4-1 victory at the Poirer Sports and Leisure Centre. In their last two games, the Vees have surrendered 21 shots in each match.
“I thought the last two games were pretty good statements of which way we want to go with this thing,” said Harbinson, whose team is now 32-6-2-1.
The Vees are now 9-0-1-0 against the Mainland division this year with one game left against Chilliwack in February.
Ice chips: The Canadian Junior Hockey League announced the rosters for the CJHL Prospects Game. Bast, Jarod Hilderman and Zerter-Gossage were named to Team West and are among 12 BCHL players selected for the game Jan. 20 in Oakville, Ont. The Vees are the only BCHL team with three players participating … Former Vee, Travis St. Denis of the Quinnipiac Bobcats was named the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference player of the week. St. Denis scored three goals, including two game winners. It’s the second time St. Denis has the game-winner in back-to-back games, making him the only ECAC player to do that this season. St. Denis leads the Bobcats with 11 goals and 15 points in 21 games … Vees alumni Joey Laleggia, Bryce Gervais and Mike Reilly are among the candidates up for the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s top player. Voting opened Jan. 7 and fans can visitwww.hobeybakeraward.com.