Game Recap: Tinling’s hat-trick highlights Vees comeback in Salmon Arm

SALMON ARM, BC- The Penticton Vees’ win streak is at a baker’s dozen. Penticton doubled up the Salmon Arm Silverbacks 6-3 at the Shaw Centre on Wednesday night.

The Vees (48-3-0-1) came back from a 2-0 deficit in the first period for their fourth win in four games against the Silverbacks.

Dovar Tinling recorded his first hat-trick of the season and Aydar Suniev notched a pair of goals. Frank Djurasevic also scored in the victory. Josh Nadeau had three assists and Nic DeGraves had a pair of helpers. Luca Di Pasquo made 18 saves as he recorded his 34^th win of the season. The Vees’ power play chipped in with a pair of goals.

Wednesday was just the seventh time this season the Vees found themselves down after the first period. Salmon Arm led by a pair of goals through 20 minutes after Liam Steele and Hayden Stavroff scored 45 seconds apart late in the opening frame.

Penticton regrouped in the second, scoring four times in the first nine minutes. Djurasevic, Suniev and Tinling, twice, scored in the first half of the second to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 lead.

Djurasevic scored from near the goal line to get the comeback started. His 10^th goal at 1:50 made it 2-1.

Tinling scored his first of three on the night on the power play to tie it up. Ryan Hopkins’ point shot hit Tinling in the visor and deflected in at 3:06. Tinling credited with his 15^th to make it 2-2.

Suniev grabbed the Vees their first lead two minutes later. The winger scored on a great solo effort during a delayed penalty against the Silverbacks. His 44^th put the visitors ahead 3-2.

The scoring barrage was capped off by Tinling, who scored his second of the game and 16^th goal of the season at 9:04. The Vees scored four goals in a stretch of seven minutes to go up by two.

Tinling got his hat-trick goal 12 seconds into the third period on a five-on-three power play that carried over from the second. His 17^th of the season stretched the Vees’ lead to 5-2 at that point.

After Salmon Arm’s Will Lavigne scored to make it 5-3 midway through the final frame, Suniev put the game out of reach with his second of the night and 45^th of the season into an empty net at 18:17.

GAME NOTES

Suniev extended his point streak to 15 games with his two-goal outing. He has 32 points during his streak. Bradly Nadeau’s point streak is at 13 games and counting after picking up an assist Wednesday. Brett Moravec has points in seven-straight games with an assist in the third period. Nic DeGraves has nine points in his last four games. 16-year-old Cole Balkovec made his BCHL debut with the Vees Wednesday. Balkovec played this season at Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna.

GAME STATS

Final Score: 6-3, Vees

Shots: 36-21, Vees

Vees Scoring: Tinling (3), Suniev (2), Djurasevic

Vees PP: 2/5

Vees PK: 3/3

Three Stars:

1. Dovar Tinling
2. Frank Djurasevic
3. Liam Steele (SA)

Next Game: Friday, March 24^th, vs. Vernon, 7:00 pm