With both teams playing their third game in 2.5 days, the pace of play wasn’t quite normal.
Salmon Arm played in West Kelowna Friday night and then came home to beat the Trail Smoke Eaters Saturday at home in a dramatic 2-0 come from behind victory in the third period. Prince George meanwhile was on the tail end of a rough schedule having played Friday in Trail and Saturday in Wenatchee.
Starting the scoring was Prince George just two minutes in. Defenceman Dylan Anhorn had pinched into the play on the left side, and forward Ben Poisson covered his place at the blue line. The puck came back to the Spruce Kings captain, and his long shot rebounded out to Anhorn behind the net. From there he was able to wrap the puck around and into the back of the net.
After being shutout 5-0 in Prince George, the Silverbacks were finally able to beat Bradley Cooper while on a power play. A nice saucer feed cross ice from Akito Hirose landed right on the stick of Matthew Verboon scoring his seventh goal of the season to tie Trevor Adams for the team lead.
Early in the second it looked as if Prince George had restored their lead on a fluke bounce. Max Coyle dumped a shot down the right wall, and as Ethan Langenegger went behind the net to play the net, it went off a stanchion and into the empty net. The goal was waved off though as there was allegedly a Spruce Kings player offside. A late chance for Ben Poisson out front was poke checked away by Ethan Langenegger making the start.
Trevor Adams got sprung in the third period, and retook the team lead in goals sniping the puck into the top right corner past the glove of Coopers. That gave Salmon Arm their first lead of the game with 7:36 left on the clock. Ben Poisson was sprung himself for a partial breakaway less than a minute later, but Langenegger was able to come up with the stop. Prince George would get no closer and Salmon Arm emerged victorious with the 2-1 win.
FAST FACTS:
- Without any points in the game, a 9 game point streak ended for Spruce King Dustin Manz, and a five game scoring streak for Ben Brar was shutdown.
- Salmon Arm holds onto the best home record in the league with eight wins, one loss, and one OT loss in the Shaw Centre
- The last win for Prince George in the Shaw Centre was October 11th 2015.
- This was the first one goal game the Silverbacks have won this season in regulation
KEY PERFORMERS:
Stopping 29 of 30 shots, the one goal against tied a career best for Ethan Langenegger. Last season as an AP, and earlier this season against the West Kelowna Warriors were the two other games he allowed just one goal. After losing three of four games, Langenegger has now won two of his last three. He had two big stops on the Spruce Kings captain Ben Poisson who scored against the Backs up in Prince George. The addition of Matthew Armitage appears to give Salmon Arm a two headed monster in net.
The longest goal drought of his young BCHL career was ended by Matthew Verboon with the power play tally. He went six games without a goal, and was well rewarded tonight on the power play for Salmon Arm where he has four of his seven goals.
