*** REMINDER PUCK DROP 6PM ***
Photo Credit: Garrett James Photography
The Merritt Centennials (26-13-3-1) 2nd in the Interior get set to take down the 1st in the Interior Division Penticton Vees (29-12-1-2).
The Cents are coming off another trip to overtime in 2019 on Thursday night. A game against the top team in the BCHL in the Chilliwack Chiefs, and a game that the Cents were in the drivers seat for the majority of the game. In his first game of 2019, Ben Ward got the Cents on the score sheet early in the first period, and the Cents rode that lead into the 2nd. The Chiefs would tie it, but again the Cents would regain the lead – this time Frazer Dodd would ripple the mesh in his first game since a return from injury on Dec. 1st. In the third, the Chiefs would tie it once again, but Brendan Schneider would lift the team ahead with just over 2 minutes remaining in the game. The Chiefs would tie it late with the net empty, and then score in OT on a bizarre own goal to take the game.
The Cents haven’t seen the Vees in nearly 2 months as the season series was heated early in the year. Merritt trails in the season series 0-3-1, and are looking for their first victory against Penticton since the 2016 playoffs. The last time these two teams met was the closest the Cents have come in that near 2 year span. The Cents led 3-1 in the third period before Penticton crawled back to tie the game at 3’s, take the game to a shootout, and prevail in OT for the win.
The Vees have been getting plenty of practice in the shootout lately. Their last two games have gone the distance, with wins over Wenatchee and Prince George, and they’ve been able to pull out victories in 5 straight.
The Cents have been using their depth scoring in recent games to pull out victories. Aside from some assists, and a two goal game from Granowicz and a two goal game from Wicks, the Cents have been getting their offense from other sources: Matsui, Tkac, Ward, Dodd, Van Unen, Kopperud. The Cents will need a solid performance from their top guns to end the Vees win streak at 5. Brad Cocca has 52 points and is 7th in the BCHL scoring race, Granowicz is 10th with 48 points, and Nick Wicks is tied for 17th with 44 points.
The Vees top scorer is also the top point-getter among defenseman – James Miller. He has 52 points and is 5th in overall scoring, and has also done a ton of damage against the Cents. In the season series he has 9 points in 4 games. Eric Linell has 51 points and is 8th, and David Silye is 17th with 44 points.
The special teams battle sees the Vees with the edge.
Powerplay: Penalty Kill:
Vees – 19.6% (5th) Vees – 81.2% (9th)
Cents – 18.3% (14th) Cents – 75.5% (15th)
The goaltending duel will see the Cents run into one of the hottest goalies in the league, and Merritt’s netminders are both coming off overtime losses. Austin Roden is 18-7-1 with a .900 SV%, a 3.26 GAA, and 1 shutout. Vincent Duplessis is 8-5-3 with a .904 SV% and a 3.34 GAA. Jack LaFontaine has carried a heavy workload this season, but is handling it well. He’s 22-9 with a .918 SV%, a 2.20 GAA and 2 shutouts. He’s first in the win column, and 2nd in the GAA category league-wide. To his credit, Roden is 6th in the win department in the BCHL. Derek Krall is 7-4 with a .901 SV% and a 2.64 GAA.
Head Coach Joe Martin says he’s heard enough about how good the Vees are, it’s time to prove how good the Cents can be.
“I feel like we still haven’t played our best game against them, and we’re going to need our best to win.”
The Cents will be running into another top team that is playing their best hockey, but one of the most impressive stats for the Cents this season is that they haven’t dropped 3 games in a row. Something has got to give tonight.
Puck Drop 6PM. Pre-Game 5:45 on Hockey TV or Q101.ca with Jared Thomas.
