The top prize in the BCHL – the Fred Page Cup – will be in the building Saturday night in Chilliwack as the Chiefs and Penticton Vees do battle in Game 5.
After dropping the first game of the series, Penticton has won three in a row including Wednesday’s come-from-behind overtime triumph.
- Vees forward Ryley Risling scored the OT winner in Game 4. After missing the first game of the Finals, he has two goals in three game since
- Chilliwack had been undefeated on the road in the playoffs until Tuesday’s setback at the South Okanagan Events Centre
- Penticton outshot Chilliwack 65-40 in Games 3 and 4 in Penticton
- Chilliwack captain Jordan Kawaguchi has four goals and five assists in the Finals and now sits at 16-21-37 in 20 postseason games. His playoff totals are the highest seen in the past 10 seasons; Burnaby’s Tyler McNeely had 37 points in 20 games in 2006 helping the Express to the league title before going on to the RBC Cup national championship.
- Penticton captain Nic Jones has five assists in the last two games and carries a 2-5-7 line in the Finals.
- Chiefs forward Kale Kane, absent since the opening round against Langley, has returned to the lineup for the Finals and has contributed 1-3-4 so far.
- Vees rookie forward Grant Cruikshank has come alive in the Finals with 2-4-6 in his last three games after posting just 3-2-5 in the previous 15 in the postseason.
- Penticton affiliates Cassidy Bowes and Massimo Rizzo have been given ample playing time by Fred Harbinson but they’ve responded as they’ve combined for three goals and a helper. Neither player registered a point in five combined regular-season games.
- The teams have been between them been dressing 25 or more college-committed players most nights. In Wednesday’s game, there were exactly 25 with 23 of those to the NCAA Div. I level.
