The scoreboard read a one-goal game. On the ice, it wasn’t even close.
The Merritt Centennials went MIA on Wednesday night in game two of their best-of-seven playoff series with the Vernon Vipers, losing 2-1 to a Snakes’ squad that came out guns ablazin’.
If it hadn’t been for another sensational performance by Cents’ netminder Jonah Imoo, who stopped 39 of 41 shots and was chosen the game’s first star, this contest could easily have been over in the first five minutes.
Vipers’ snipers peppered Imoo with 15 shots in the first 20 minutes, and owned the Cents’ zone, but could get nothing past the veteran 20-year-old puckstopper who came over to Merritt from the Powell River Kings at the beginning of the 2014-15 BCHL season.
Ironically, it was Merritt that scored the only goal of the opening period, completely against the flow of play. On only the team’s second shot of the game, at the 10:14 mark, Cole Chorney banged a puck past Vernon starter Jarrod Schamerhorn, who had been little more than a spectator up until that point.
Vernon continued its assault in the second stanza, outshooting Merritt 14-3. Once again, it was Imoo who stood tall, while all around him, his teammates appeared to be waving the white flag.
Finally, Luke Voltin even-strength and then Liam Finlay on the powerplay were able to pierce Imoo’s armor, scoring at 11:35 and 16:26 of the second period respectively to give Vernon all the goals it would need to skate away with the victory and a 2-0 lead as the series shifts back to Merritt with game three on Friday and game four on Saturday.
Merritt, meanwhile, continued to look like a team that had engaged in one-too-many battles down the stretch, and a mere shadow of the inspired group that shot down Salmon Arm 5-1 less than a week ago to lock up third place in the BCHL’s Interior division and a spot in the post-season.
Cents’ players had no life and no legs as they were skated into the ground by a relentless Vipers’ forecheck and break out. Meanwhile, Merritt sixth-ranked power play in the regular season was a shambles – not only failing to score on six chances, but looking thoroughly anemic and unimaginative at the same time.
While the shot clock in the third period only gave a narrow edge to the Vipers, 12-10, any final Centennials’ push back for the tying goal was marginal at best. They simply couldn’t mount any sustained offence against Vernon’s stingy blueline brigade and unremitting back pressure.
In terms of emotion, the most passionate Centennial on the night was head coach Luke Pierce, who could be seen fervently trying to rally his troops from behind the bench, to little or no avail. Pierce’s frustration boiled over at times, as he directed his wrath at the on-ice officials, much to the delight of Vernon fans.
Both teams have Thursday off before meeting again on the field of dreams Friday night in Merritt. For the Centennials, the day off will be an opportunity to lick a few wounds, mend some pride, and hopefully rekindle a flame that currently seems to be little more than a puff of smoke.
It’s going to take more than the narrow confines of the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena to slow down a highly-motivated Vipers’ team that has struggled with its image and its success over the past couple of seasons, despite hosting the RBC last spring.
The Centennials will need to take to the offensive against the Snakes and beat them at their own game, which is characterized by speed, hard work, persistent pressure and some new-found discipline.
Playing rope-a-dope and trying to slow the match to a crawl simply isn’t going to cut it. If Merritt persists in that strategy, this series could be over in four. How inglorious would that be!
The games Friday and Saturday begin at 7:30 p.m.
