Penticton Vees dominate over Cranbrook 7-1 Monday night

Photo: Cherie Morgan/Cherie Morgan Photography

The Penticton Vees took their seventh consecutive victory in a 5-1 triumph over the Cranbrook Bucks on Monday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

In an opening period unlike any other in the season series between the Vees and Bucks, offence was the name of the game in a four-goal first period with three coming from the Vees.

Tristan Amonte gathered and snapped a shot past the glove hand of Bucks goaltender Nathan Airey for his fourth goal of the season to give the Vees a 1-0 advantage just under halfway into the opening period.

Shortly after, Grayson Arnott found the back of the goal, taking a pass from the slot off the stick of Devlin O’Brien to slide the puck past the glove side of Airey at the 12:27 mark of the first period for his fourth of the season.

Just 24 seconds after that, however, Noah Leibl pushed back for the Bucks and got Cranbrook to within a goal with his fourth goal of the campaign, just squeaking through the legs of netminder Kaleb McEachern.

Finishing off the first period of scoring was Liam Malmquist, who collected his seventh goal of the season at the 15:01 point of the period. Malmquist fired a shot over the blocker shoulder of Airey to extend the Vees lead to 3-1 heading into the second period.

The middle stanza of the game didn’t see a goal until there was just over 6 minutes remaining, with Quillan shooting it past the blocker side of Airey for his 11 goal of the season, giving the Vees a 4-1 lead into the third period.

Tom Richter collected his third goal of the season in the third period at the 9:21 mark, scooping a shot over the blocker side of Airey to increase the Vees lead to 5-1.

Kaleb McEachern turned aside 12 of the 13 shots thrown his way in his third win of the season in the Vees net while Nathan Airey made 22 saves on 27 attempts at his goal to suffer his ninth loss of the campaign.

The Vees will have the majority of the week off before getting back into action in the final weekend of the season beginning on Saturday night against the Trail Smoke Eaters at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Puck drop is slated for 6 p.m.