Photo credit: Garrett James Photography (Lane, Daniells)
Penticton Vees goaltender Kaeden Lane, Vees defenceman Ryan Hopkins and Nanaimo Clippers forward Kai Daniells have been named the BCHL 3 Stars of the Week.
1st Star – Kaeden Lane (G) – Penticton Vees
Lane won both of his starts over the weekend, backstopping the Vees to wins in both Games 1 and 2 of the Fred Page Cup Finals. He stopped 37 of the 39 shots he faced to finish the week with a .949 save percentage and a 1.00 goals-against average.
The Northern Michigan University commit stopped 19 of 20 in Game 1 to guide Penticton to a 4-1 victory on Friday. The next night, he almost replicated that performance, making 18 stops on 19 attempts to take Game 2 by a 3-1 final.
Lane has won 14 straight starts in the postseason, while allowing more than two goals just once over that stretch. In 10 of those games, he has allowed one goal or fewer. The 20-year-old leads all BCHL goalies with a 1.47 postseason goals-against average and has the second best save percentage with a mark of .940.
2nd Star – Ryan Hopkins (D) – Penticton Vees
Hopkins had a goal and an assist over two games this weekend as one of only two defencemen to register multiple points during the first two games of the series.
Late in the first period of Game 1 on Friday, Hopkins blasted a point shot by Clippers goalie Cooper Black on the power play to give the Vees a 2-0 lead. That goal stood up as the game-winner in a 4-1 Penticton victory. In Game 2, the 18-year-old assisted on the opening goal of the game as his point shot created a rebound for teammate Beanie Richter to bang home. The Vees would go on to win 3-1
Hopkins has one goal and four assists for five points during the playoffs, which puts him third in points among Penticton defencemen.
3rd Star – Kai Daniells (F) – Nanaimo Clippers
Daniells has both of Nanaimo’s goals in the Fred Page Cup Finals, scoring in both Games 1 and 2 over the weekend.
On Friday in Game 1, Daniells pounced on a loose puck after it bounced off the end boards and into the slot. He buried it eight seconds into the second period to make it 2-1 Penticton in an eventual 4-1 defeat. The next night in Game 2, the 2003-born forward shot the puck from below the goal line and it banked off of Penticton goalie Kaeden Lane and into the net. That goal tied the game at one, but Nanaimo would eventually drop the contest 3-1.
Daniells now has eight playoff goals, tying him for sixth most in the league. He has four assists to go along with those goals, giving him 12 points in the postseason. That total has him tied for third in team scoring.
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Honourable mentions:
Penticton Vees F Luc Wilson: 2GP – 1G – 2A – 3PTS
Penticton Vees F Beanie Richter: 2GP – 1G – 1A – 2PTS
Penticton Vees F Bradley Nadeau: 2GP – 1G – 1A – 2PTS
