West Kelowna, B.C. — The Silverbacks defeated the West Kelowna Warriors 2-1 on Friday night in their first exhibition game of the 2019-20 season, thanks to goals from Noah Wakeford and Jonathan Krahn, plus a split performance in goal from both Tanner Martin and Ethan Langenegger.
GAME SUMMARY
The Backs’ let two early power play opportunities go by the wayside, but then killed off three straight penalties of their own, including a lengthy 5-on-3. After one period, the game was scoreless, and the shots just 8-4 for Salmon Arm.
In the second period, the Warriors opened the scoring thanks to a power play goal from defenceman Zander Lizotte, but the Silverbacks quickly responded on a pretty passing play from Trevor Adams and Noah Wakeford. Adams made some room for himself in the slot area before dishing a backhand feed to his right to Wakeford, who made no mistake to tie the game 1-1. Simon Tassy also drew an assist on the goal.
It didn’t take long for the Silverbacks to hit the scoresheet in the third period, scoring under two minutes into the final frame on a backhand shot from Jonathan Krahn. The goal, which gave the Backs’ their first lead of the game, was assisted by winger Josh Zinger.
The Silverbacks did have a power play late in the game with a chance to extend their lead but couldn’t convert on a number of chances. They also nearly hit the empty net a few times. In the end, it wouldn’t matter, as Krahn’s goal held up as the game winner. Salmon Arm outshot West Kelowna 15-4 in the third period, and 37-18 overall.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES
Trevor Adams, SA Silverbacks: Adams set up the first Silverbacks goal and was part of a dominant line alongside veteran Wakeford and Montreal native Tassy. All three were buzzing in the offensive zone all night long and all three received time on special teams.
Josh Zinger, SA Silverbacks: Zinger had a penalty shot in the game in which he was stopped but also picked up an assist on Krahn’s game-winning-goal. The youngster’s speed was on display in this one.
Gavin Puskar, West Kelowna Warriors: The New Jersey native created space for him and his teammates thanks to his speed, which was especially noticeable through the neutral zone. He was definitely a bright spot on a night where the Warriors young team didn’t generate much offence.
Holden Knights, SA Silverbacks: The Saskatchewan native absolutely made his presence felt on the physical side of things but also had a few chances. There’s clearly a lot to like about the new recruit, who will quickly become a fan favourite for his ‘take no prisoners’ style of play.
STAT OF THE GAME
Silverbacks 5-for-6 on the PK: The lone goal for the Warriors did come on a power play but it wasn’t due to a high-danger scoring chance. Instead, the Backs’ often had the puck on their own stick during shorthanded situations and when they didn’t, they did a good job of limiting offensive chances and getting in shooting lanes.
Assistant coach Tanner Cochrane on the PK: “I thought the kill was really good. Obviously we had a 5-on-3 for an extended period of time. We blocked a lot of big shots, had good sticks, and I felt like they couldn’t really get anything to the net. That’s exactly what we’re preaching with 5-on-5 defence. We haven’t really worked on our penalty kill yet.”
WHAT’S NEXT
The Silverbacks host the Warriors for a rematch in less than 24 hours, taking to the ice at the Shaw Centre at 7 p.m. on Saturday, August 24. Fans can stream the game on HockeyTV.
