The Silverbacks (10-12-0-2) settled for a split after a pair of weekend games. Salmon Arm lost 8-2 on the road at the Trail Smoke Eaters (17-5-0-1) on Sunday, after a 5-3 come-back victory on Friday night at home over the Merritt Centennials (8-11-1-2).
Trail lead 2-0 after 20 minutes on Sunday, opening the scoring just 82 seconds into the game. The Smoke Eaters got back on the board on the power-play at 6:59, with Logan Mostat off for slashing. The Smoke Eaters outshot the Silverbacks 9-8.
The home team went ahead 3-0 at 8:24 of the second but, less than a minute later Trevor Adams potted his 8th of the season and third of the weekend which cut the deficit to 3-1 at 9:20. Trail then scored three straight to finish the middle frame, 4-1 at 10:35, 5-1 at 18:11 and 6-1 at 19:38. The Smoke Eaters outshot the Silverbacks 14-4 in the second, 23-12 overall. Kyle Dumba was relieved by affiliate Liam McGarva, Dumba stopped 17 of 23 in the first 40 minutes.
Demetri Kambeitz was called for slashing at 3:41 of the third. Trail went ahead 7-1 at 9:22. Kambeitz then found the back of net at 12:05 for his second goal of the season, 7-2. The Smokies finished the scoring at 14:34, 8-2.
Trail outshot Salmon Arm 14-10 in the third and 37-22 total. McGarva made 12 saves in the final frame in relief.
The Silverbacks finished 0-for-2 on the power-play and 1-for-2 on the PK on Sunday.
The Smoke Eaters now lead the season series 3-0-0-0. Salmon lost 6-4 at home to Trail on September 30th, and the Silverbacks fell 4-3 to the Smoke Eaters at the Shaw Centre on September 16th. Trail is atop the BCHL with 35 points in 23 games, one point ahead of the Vernon Vipers (15-5-4-0).
The Silverbacks got behind 2-0 in the first period on Friday as well. Merritt opened the scoring on the power-play at 9:04 with Max Wutzke penalized for holding. And 2-0 Cents at 17:56. The Centennials lead 15-11 on the shot clock.
Adams got the Silverbacks on the board at 8:07 of the second, his sixth of the season cut the deficit to 2-1. Merritt went ahead 3-1 at 13:39. Rhett Kingston finished the scoring in the second and with the man-advantage at 16:54, his ninth cut the deficit to 3-2. The Centennials outshot the Silverbacks 13-10, 28-21 overall.
Salmon Arm finished the scoring with three straight in the third. Adams second of the game and seventh, tied the score 3-3 at 7:53. Grayson Constable gave the home team it’s first lead of the night with his third at 8:36, 4-3. Kambeitz and Zach Zorn dropped the gloves at 8:51. Constable then potted his second of the game and fourth of the season at 16:06 of the third, 5-3.
The Silverbacks outshot the Cents 14-10 in the third but 38-35 Merritt total. Dumba earned the win in goal.
Salmon Arm finished 1-for-6 on the power-play and 1-for-2 on the PK on Friday.
The Silverbacks now lead the season series 2–0-0-1, as the Centennials won 5-4 in double overtime in Salmon Arm on October 21st and the season series began with the Silverbacks winning 7-4 at home over Merritt on October 6th. Salmon Arm will make it’s first visit of the season to Merritt on Saturday, December 9th.
Salmon Arm is 4-9-0-1 within the division, 1-4-0-0 in November, 7-5-0-1 at home and 3-7-0-1 on the road.
The Silverbacks finished the weekend with the second ranked power-play in the BCHL at 23-percent. Salmon Arm has scored the second most amount of power-play goals with 28, two behind the Wenatchee Wild (13-7-1-0). The Silverbacks lead the league in short-handed goals-against with 10, while Trail has yet surrender a SHGA. Salmon Arm’s penalty-kill is last among the 17 teams at 76-percent, with the highest number of power-play goals-against at 31 and still without a short-handed marker.
The Silverbacks will now get set for back-to-back home games this coming weekend. Salmon Arm will host the Cowichan Valley Capitals (2-16-1-3) Friday and at home to the Smoke Eaters on Saturday, each 7pm starts at the Shaw Centre. The Capitals beat the Silverbacks 5-1 in the Cowichan Valley on Saturday, October 28th.
Tanner Campbell, Justin Wilson and Marcus Mitchell each missed the weekend action, each listed as injuried. Akito Hirose was injured for Sunday’s game. Bo Didur sat out this past weekend and he along with the injured scratches did not make the trip to Trail.
The Silverbacks had three affiliates in the lineup on Sunday. 17-year-old goaltender Liam McGarva from Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta is with the Revelstoke Grizzlies of the KIJHL. 16-year-old Cole Nisse of Salmon Arm is a defenseman with the Thompson Blazers of the BC Major Midget League. 17-year-old forward Brayden Wick of White Rock played in each game this weekend, he is also in the BCMML with the Valley West Hawks. Salmon Arm used two affiliates on Friday, Wick along with 17-year-old goaltender Ethan Langenegger of the T-Blazers in the BCMML in Kamloops.
The Silverbacks have parted ways with second season defenseman Spencer Hora, and the West Kelowna Warriors acquired the 18-year-old Kelowna product on Friday in exchange for future considerations.
Salmon Arm acquired defenseman Trevor Longo who made his Silverbacks debut in the weekend games. The 17-year-old is from White Rock and played four games this season with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL but was released. Longo also played two games last season with the Langley Rivermen and is a product of the BCMML’s North West Giants.
Silverbacks home game tickets are available at the Box Office at the Shaw Centre. Adults $14, Seniors $12, $7 for Children under 12-years-old. Also, a family pack for $25 includes 2 Adult tickets, 2 Children’s tickets, along with 4 complimentary Silverbacks hats. Contact the Silverbacks at (250) 832-3856 and www.sasilverbacks.com
Each Silverbacks game is webcast PPV at hockeytv.com Each home game is broadcast, audio only at mixlr.com/salmon_arm_silverbacks/ Each road game is broadcast live via voiceoftheshuswap.ca CKVS 93.7 FM
