It’s all or nothing for the Cranbrook Bucks the rest of the way through their second round series after falling 5-3 to the Penticton Vees in an intense game three Wednesday night, leaving the Bucks one loss away from being eliminated from the BCHL playoffs.
The Vees got off to a good start in the first period. A top-shelf snipe from Simon Meier at 6:21 put the Vees up 1-0. Later, at 8:24, an Oskar Pantzare point shot found its way through a crowd and into the Cranbrook net to double Penticton’s lead to 2-0. The Bucks were unable to gain any ground ahead of intermission.
Cranbrook responded with a strong second period, playing with a sense of urgency. They cut Penticton’s lead in half when Blake Cotton tallied at 5:27. The Bucks managed to pull even at 17:28 when Shane Baker finessed a Sam Ranallo pass to convert a 2-on-1 rush and deadlock the game at 2-2. However, the Vees were quick to break the tie. A friendly bounce off a Tristan Petersen shot from the boards snuck past Jaden Cholette, and left the Vees at a 3-2 lead after forty minutes.
The third period produced more back and forth action. Penticton struck first with a Luke Posthumus tally from the slot, boosting their lead to 4-2 at 6:17. The Bucks got one back via Sam Lyne at 9:35 to make it a 4-3 game, giving his team a chance to force an overtime finish. It would not materialize though, as the Vees managed to fend off Cranbrook’s attacks through the remainder of regulation, and they were credited with an empty net goal late in the game to seal a 5-3 victory.
Wednesday’s loss puts the Bucks at a 3-0 deficit in the series, forcing a must-win game four at home Thursday night.
Buck Tracks:
- Blake Cotton scores his fifth goal of the playoffs, tying Rasmus Svartstrom for most on the team.
