The Vernon Vipers opened defence of their Fred Page Cup title the same way they did in the 2009 British Columbia Hockey League Finals — with a win to jump out to a 1-0 lead, narrowly beating the Powell River Kings 2-1 on Friday night to open the championship series.
The Jones twins were both key factors on the scoreboard, involved in both goals for the defending champions to earn the first two stars of the evening in front of 2,485 fans at the Wesbild Centre.
First star Kellen Jones opened the scoring on the power play at the 12:49 mark of the first period, finishing a pass from Sahir Gill and Curtis Gedig. Then, after a scoreless second frame, Kellen set up his brother Connor for the eventual game-winning goal with under six minutes remaining. He closed out the productive night with a goal and an assist.
Powell River, who outshot the Vipers 11-8 in the opening period, didn't score its first of the evening until the 56:01 mark when Teagan Waugh tallied a goal. The Kings couldn't manage the equalizer on the road and dropped Game 1 for the second straight year in the Fred Page Cup Finals.
The championship-opener didn't come without scoring chances, however, as the Vipers and Kings combined for 59 shots on the evening. A lot of credit goes to the goaltending display on each side. Vernon's Graeme Gordon (29 saves) and Powell River's Josh Watson (27 saves) — the last two Player of the Week honourees — were outstanding in only allowing three goals throughout the game.
The special teams battle turned out to be a deciding factor in the home team's one-goal victory. Vernon finished with the one power-play marker on three opportunities, while Powell River couldn't manage to score on four chances.
The two teams are back at the Wesbild Centre tonight for Game 2. The Vipers will be looking to build on their series lead at home, while the Kings battle to earn the road split and avoid falling into the vaunted 2-0 deficit.
