Game Recap: Vees roll over Bandits 6-0 in Game Three
Photo: Matt Piotrowski
Brooks, AB – The Penticton Vees picked up their first win of the Interior Conference Final, after their 6-0 shutout victory over the Brooks Bandits in Game Three, Monday at Centennial Regional Arena.
The Bandits now lead the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game Four in Brooks on Tuesday night.
Monday was “must win” territory for Penticton, as they were facing the prospect of going down 3-0 in the series with a loss. They responded with arguably their best performance of the postseason.
Special teams played a large role in the win too, as the Vees scored three power play goals and their penalty kill was perfect, killing off all five Bandits’ power plays.
VEES GET THE OPENER JUST 23 SECONDS IN
Matthew Biotti gets the Vees on the board early in game 3
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The Vees needed a good start, and they got it, as Matthew Biotti scored just 23 seconds into the game. Max Heise, Ryden Evers, and Tristan Petersen scored in the second, as Penticton led 4-0 after two periods. Michael Fisher and Luke Posthumus scored power play goals in the third.
Evers had a big night as he finished with three points and was the second star. That after scoring just once in his previous 10 games.
Etha Buenaventura was excellent, as he stopped all 20 shots he faced for his second shutout of the playoffs. He was the game’s first star.
Penticton finally solved Bandits’ goaltender Zach Zahara, after he previously stopped 49 of the first 50 shots of the series.
Biotti put the Vees ahead on the opening shift of the game, as he scored on Penticton’s first shot, putting the puck post and in past Zahara on the stick side.
In the second, Heise doubled the Vees’ lead after he just got enough of the puck on Fisher’s shot from the wall at 6:21. Heise’s first goal of the series.
RYDEN EVERS EXTENDS THE VEES LEAD
Penticton makes quick work of their power play as Ryden Evers scores his 2nd goal of the postseason
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Evers stretched the lead to 3-0 when he scored a power play goal at 17:19. Simon Meier set Evers up with a cross-ice pass for the one-timer. His first goal since April 3rd.
90 seconds later, Petersen made it 4-0 when he scored on a three-on-two rush. Conyr Hellyer started the play in his own zone, before Matthew Cataldo threw a pass over to Petersen who went over the glove of Zahara.
In the third, it got chippy, as the Bandits took four-straight penalties to end the game, including a five minute checking from behind major penalty. Penticton went on to score two power play goals to put the game out of reach.
Michael Fisher, who was on the receiving end of the checking from behind major, made it 5-0 with 1:35 left. His first of the playoffs. Then, Fisher set up Posthumus as the power play continued, as he scored with 52 seconds left to make it 6-0.
The home team is 0-3 in this series and has been outscored 11-1.
GAME STATS
Shots: Vees- 30 Bandits- 20
Scoring: Biotti (3), Heise (4), Evers (2), Petersen (4), Fisher (1), Posthumus (7)
Goaltending: Ethan Buenaventura (L), 58:14, 20/22
Vees Power Play: 3/9
Vees Penalty Kill: 5/5
Three Stars:
1) Ethan Buenaventura (20 SVS, SO)
2) Ryden Evers (1G, 2A)
3) Matthew Biotti (1G)
Up Next: Game 4, Tuesday, May 6th, at Brooks Bandits, 6:00 pm PDT