Against a mediocre Quesnel team, the Penticton Vees got by without the captain.
Against a quality team like the Alberni Valley Bulldogs, Denver Manderson and his league-best 113 points was clearly missed.
The MacMillan brothers – 20-year-old Mitch and 18-year-old rookie Mark – scored power play goals on their return to Penticton as the Bulldogs defeated the Vees 4-1 in BCHL play Wednesday at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Mitch MacMillan netted his league-best 56th of the season and was one of five Okanagan Hockey Academy graduates to celebrate the homecoming with a win. David Dziurzynski, who plays on the line with the MacMillans, registered three assists and dominated with his size and reach.
Tye Lewis and Matt Hatch also scored for Alberni (41-11-1-2), who have already clinched the Coastal Conference pennant.
Ben Sexton replied for the Vees (42-7-0-3), who remained a point behind the first-place Vernon Vipers in the Interior Conference. Defenceman Joey Laleggia assisted on the goal to extend his league-best points streak to 13 games.
Shots were hard to come by. Frank Slubowski had to make just 16 saves to get the win, while Sean Bonar made 17 stops for Penticton.
Alberni never trailed in the game. Mark MacMillan opened the scoring before Sexton got the Vees only goal of the night at 18:23 of the first period.
Mitch MacMillan got what proved to be the winner on the power play at 7:55 of the second and Lewis added one more at 14:40. Hatch closed out the scoring midway through the third.
The Bulldogs scored three times with the man advantage, while completely shutting down the BCHL‘s best power play.
At least what was left of it.
Top-line forward Alex Szczechura (hand injury) missed his second straight game and is out for at least another week. Manderson (undisclosed), came in listed as probable, but didn‘t dress for a second straight.
“(Manderson) is day-to-day and we‘ll leave it at that,” said Vees head coach and GM Fred Harbinson in a pre-game interview.
The Vees played with only 17 skaters, recalling affiliated player Steve Iacobellis from the Greater Vancouver team in the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League.
To make matters much worse, BCHL rookie scoring leader Beau Bennett left the game early in the third period and did not return.
The Vees had few players left on the bench when it ended as Stefan Nicholishen was banished for checking from behind in the second period and Logan Johnston earned a misconduct with less than 10 minutes to play.
ICE CHIPS: The Vernon Vipers play in Powell River tonight with a chance to go three points up on the Vees, who visit Salmon Arm on Saturday … Mark MacMillan is second in rookie scoring to Beau Bennett with 23 goals and 71 points … OHA grads Sam and Josh Mitchell of Osoyoos, Tyler Berkholtz of Penticton and Brody Lynott of Kelowna were also returning to their old stomping grounds … Vees F Eric Filiou missed his 12th straight game with mononucleosis.
