The West Kelowna Warriors bounced back from their worst performance of the season with one of their best Friday in a 7-1 thumping of the visiting Vernon Vipers.
Seb Lloyd scored three times (all in the first period) and added an assist as the Warriors beat their northern rivals for the first time this season.
Lloyd came off the bench to replace Reid Simmonds who was crunched into the boards in front of the Warriors bench 11 seconds into the game and left with a concussion.
Just 18 seconds later, Lloyd converted a two-on-one with Brennan Clark, making a nifty move on Vipers starter Danny Todosychuk.
The Vipers would get the equalizer 20 seconds later, but didn't get many good looks on Tyler Briggs after that.
"I thought we did a pretty good job on the odd-man rushes. It's something we talked about, we didn't want to give up a bunch of odd-man rushes because that's a pretty skilled team over there," says Warriors coach Rylan Ferster.
"I thought we were pretty good in our own end collapsing and blocking some shots as well."
Lloyd restored the 2-1 lead three minutes later when he tipped home Marcus Basara's cross crease centering pass.
He completed the hat trick deflecting home Josh Monk's wrist shot from the point on a late first period power-play.
That goal sent Todosychuk to the bench in favour of Austin Smith who went the rest of the way, allowing the final three goals.
Adam Plant and David Pope also converted on the power-play while Shawn Hochhausen and Ambrose Firkus completed the Warriors scoring.
Lloyd had an assist to go with his three goals while Plant and Josh Monk both chipped in with a pair of helpers.
Adam Tambellini scored the lone goal for the Vipers.
The Warriors dominated the play territorially much of the night, especially on the power-play when it seemed as if they had the puck on a string no matter which group came over the boards.
The power-play looked the best it has since the opening weekend of the season in Chilliwack.
"Again, we got some bounces and basically we shot the puck from up top," says Ferster.
"The more you play in a season or in a playoff series the simpler the game becomes. Again, if you shoot the puck from up top and get some guys to the net good things will happen and that's what happened tonight."
Friday's game was the first of three straight between the interior division rivals. They will complete the home-and-home set Saturday in Vernon before meeting again next Friday back at Royal LePage Place.
Ferster says Friday's win by no means is a statement game.
It's a game Ferster says you forget about and move on to the next one.
Ferster did admit though the team is looking at this mini-series the same way they would a best-of-three playoff series.
"We talked about having this as a little playoff series and have a playoff mentality. Just like in playoffs whether you win by 10 or win by one or lose by 10 or lose by one, you have to play again the next night," added Ferster.
That's how we want to approach this. It's a best of three series and we have home ice advantage."
Friday's win was costly as the Warriors lost Simmonds (concussion), David Pope (upper body) and Clark (lower body) to injury.
Their status for Saturday's re-match is not known.
They join Max French and Brett McKinnon who remain out with injuries. Both hope to be back when the Warriors and Vipers clash next Friday.
Friday's game was the annual Warriors Beat Cancer night. While the official count won't be determined for a few days, they had raised in the neighbourhood of $8,000, with more money coming in.
All funds raised will go to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Dive deeper into the win at The General’s Report.
