Halfway through the BCHL’s Fred Page Cup championship, the Penticton Vees’ power-play has more life.
The Vees entered the Fred Page Cup with a power play that struck eight times on 66 chances. After going six-for-21 against the Nanaimo Clippers, it’s now at 14-for-87.
“I think we have more of a blue-collar attitude towards it,” said Vees assistant captain Steen Cooper. “We’re not being too fancy and trying for the perfect play all the time. We’re keeping it simple and getting pucks to the net. Crashing and getting rebound goals. It has worked out so far.”
Vees coach Fred Harbinson said they have simplified their approach and told the players they want to be on the plus side of things on the special teams. That has been the case as they have limited the Clippers to one goal on 12 chances. That lone goal came in their 8-5 win at Nanaimo’s Frank Crane Arena on Tuesday.
“Then we found a way to get two on the other side, it was good, especially at a critical time,” said Harbinson. “Getting the five-on-three goal was massive giving us a two-goal (4-2) lead. I thought it was the big turning point of the game.”
For the Vees it’s about having a shooting mentality as Harbinson said they don’t need an open net to score.
“We need to get pucks to the net, look for rebounds,” he said. “Look for tips. Just create havoc around the net.”
For the rest of the series, Harbinson said they have to be disciplined as they don’t want to give the Clippers too many chances on the power play. They are blocking shots, winning battles, net front battles.
“You have to find a way to get it done and our guys are doing it right now,” said Harbinson.
Cooper said with the skill the Clippers have up front, it’s important to stay in their lane and block those shots, but also communicate well.
“The guys have really buckled down,” said Cooper, who scored power play goals in Games 3 and 4. “It helps having such a good goalie like (Hunter) Miska back there making a couple big stops.”
After returning to the South Okanagan Events Centre for Game 5, the Vees hopped back on the bus for Chilliwack where they spent the night before making their way to Nanaimo. Cooper said the back-and-forth travel is something the players battle through as it can be hard on the body being on the bus for a long trip.
“Playing back-to-back nights, it’s something we don’t really face during the regular season,” he said. “Do little things right and we should be fine. It will be a new experience for a lot of the guys. I think the guys are excited and should be looking forward to it.”
The younger players can also lean on the veterans to learn how to deal with things while keeping a business-like attitude, Cooper added.
Vees notes: Defenceman Mike Reilly of the Minnesota Golden Gophers will represent the United States as the national team named its roster to compete in the 2015 IIHF Men’s World Championhip May 1-17 in Ostrava and Prague, Czech Republic. Reilly also helped the U.S. to a third-place finish at the 2011 World Junior A Hockey Challenge in Langley, B.C. Denver University announced that Joey LaLeggia has been named to the College Hockey News first team that includes Reilly. LaLeggia was also named to the All-USCHO first team, while Reilly was named to the second team.
