The Cranbrook Bucks had to be running on low Saturday night versus the Vernon Vipers, and their tanks appeared to have emptied by the end of the game in a 5-2 loss to the Vernon Vipers.
The Bucks returned home Saturday after travelling across the province and back for three games on the road, plus a hard fought win the night before in Trail, and they still came out with a bit of jump in the first period. Cranbrook managed to open the scoring late in the opening frame with a timely goal from Rasmus Svartstrom, and they maintained their 1-0 lead through intermission.
A well-rested Vernon club began to take control of the game in the second period. The Vipers got goals from Shea Busch, Luke Bibby and Landon MacDonald to turn the tables on the Bucks and bring a 3-1 lead to the second intermission.
Cranbrook’s shooters began to make a drive to get even with Vernon, but they were able to tally on just one of fourteen shots through the third period. Rasmus Svartstrom scored his second of the game in the late goings of the final frame to cut Vernon’s lead to 3-2. This prompted the Bucks to go with a pulled goalie through the dying minutes, but the Vipers capitalized twice on the empty net to snag a 5-2 win from the Bucks on the road.
Saturday’s loss drops Cranbrook’s record to 8-2-0. On special teams, the Bucks went 0/5 on the power play and 1/1 on the penalty kill, they outshot Vernon 30-27.
The Bucks will look to get back in the win column Friday night when they host the Okotoks Oilers in the first half of a weekend home-and-home.
Buck Tracks:
- 2 goals for Rasmus Svartstrom
- 2 assists for Jacob Fletcher
