Penticton Vees to face Prince George in second round, Rockets take on Everett

Playoff hockey picks up again on Friday as the puck drops in Penticton.

The Penticton Vees will face Prince George in the second round of the WHL post season after the South Okanagan squad knocked out the Seattle Thunderbirds in five games.

Seattle avoided a series sweep despite Penticton’s offensive onslaught, tallying 53 shots to Seattle’s 20 in game four. They headed back to the South Okanagan Events Centre, where Penticton won the series with a 6-3 victory.

After that win last Friday, the Vees can rest until April 10 before they face the Prince George Cougars, opening the series with back-to-back home games.

It’s the first year in the WHL for the Vees, who took home a BC division title in their record-setting regular season.

The Vees finished the season second in the western conference, while Prince George trailed in third. In the six times the teams faced each other this season, Penticton emerged with a win five times.

Meanwhile, the Kelowna Rockets are heading into the second round facing the Everett Silvertips, which led the WHL with 57 wins and 117 points in the regular season.

Both teams swept their opponents in the first round, but the Rockets haven’t claimed a win against Everett yet this season. One game went to overtime, but the Silvertips got the win in all four match-ups.

Everett will host Kelowna in back-to-back games to start the series, beginning April 10.