PHOTO: Cherie Morgan/Cherie Morgan Photography

The Penticton Vees used five power play goals and a five-goal outburst in the 2nd period to earn a 6-0 shutout victory over the West Kelowna Warriors in Game #2 of the Interior Conference Final and have taken a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

 

Just as the two teams were 24 hours earlier, the Vees and Warriors played to a scoreless opening period of play after 20 minutes with both sides created some good looks on goal with each goaltender making strong saves, including Kaeden Lane who turned aside all 13 of the shots he faced in the opening period of play.

 

Johnny Derrick also had a good opening period and made saves on each of the 10 shots he faced in the Warriors net through 20 minutes of play including a big stop on Adam Eisele at the end of a power play in the later part of the 1st period. Eisele took a drop pass from Bradly Nadeau and fired a shot off the right shoulder of Derrick to keep the game even at 0-0 into the 2nd period.

 

Similar to the night before, the Vees took advantage in the 2nd period and scored five goals in the middle frame beginning with a power play goal, one of the four in the period, as Josh Nadeau scored his team leading 8th marker of the playoffs to give the Vees a 1-0 lead at 2:36 mark of the second period.

 

Braden Doyle started the rush as he collected the puck in the neutral zone as he walked down the right-wing side and made his way to the net before having his blocker side attempt stopped by the glove side of Derrick before the puck rebounded to Josh on the blocker side as he potted his 8th goal of the playoffs to give the Vees the one-goal edge.

 

Just under a minute later, Stefano Bottini extended the lead to a pair of goals at the 3:24 mark of the middle stanza on a terrific shot over the glove shoulder of Derrick. Ethan Mann left a pass in the left face-off circle as Bottini zipped a shot to the top corner of the goal for his 2nd goal of the postseason and pushed Penticton ahead by a 2-0 score.

 

The power play was the source for a three-goal lead at the 11:28 mark of the middle period as Bradly Nadeau potted the first of his two markers on the night. Josh Nadeau got the puck in the right face-off circle and sent a pass to the left side where Bradly pushed a one-time shot over the blocker side of Derrick for his 6th goal of the season to give Penticton a 3-0 edge in Game #2.

 

Bradly buried his second goal at the 15:51 mark of the middle stanza as another power play marker pushed the Vees advantage to 4-0. Adam Eisele centered a pass for Bradly as he chipped the puck to the net and beat Derrick for his 7th goal of the 2nd period with the Vees third power play goal of the period to make it a four-goal game.

 

Penticton concluded their scoring in the 2nd period with another power play goal as Luc Wilson added his 3rd goal of the playoffs. After Grayson Arnott had his pass go to the right side, Wilson snapped a one-time shot past the glove side of Derrick to give the Vees a five-goal edge heading into the 3rd period.

 

The Vees finished off the game in the 3rd period with their fifth power play goal of the game as Wilson once again notched his 4th goal of the playoffs courtesy of a five-on-three power play marker. Wilson collected a Doyle pass and laced a shot over the glove side of Derrick from the top of the right face-off circle to give the Vees a 6-0 lead in the 3rd period, the eventual final score.

 

Kaeden Lane was perfect on the night for Penticton, turning aside each of the 20 shots thrown his way in his 9th win of the playoffs and first career postseason shutout while Johnny Derrick turned aside 32 of the 38 shots thrown his way in his 4th loss of the playoffs.

The Interior Conference Final series between the Vees and West Kelowna Warriors shifts to the Central Okanagan with Game #3 coming up on Monday night at Royal LePage Place with the Vees leading the series 2-0. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 PM with the game being broadcasted live on Bounce Radio 800 as well as streamed online on BCHLTV.ca beginning with the pre-game show at 6:40 PM.