The Silverbacks (23-25-1-3) will play back-to-back games this weekend. Salmon Arm will host the Island division leading Victoria Grizzlies (29-17-3-4) tonight (Friday) at 7pm at the Shaw Centre, and the Silverbacks will visit the Merritt Centennials (21-26-1-4) tomorrow (Saturday) night at 7pm.
Salmon Arm was shutout 4-0 last Saturday at the Trail Smoke Eaters (31-17-1-4). The Smokies opened the scoring 99 seconds into the first. Tanner Campbell took the first penalty of the game at 5:04 for hooking, but Trail went to the box at 5:13. The home team went ahead 2-0 at 14:17. The Smoke Eaters lead 15-10 on the shot clock.
The second period started with penalties. Sol Seibel was called for hooking at 7:25 and Riley Hayles was penalized for tripping at 14:11. Trail finished the scoring in the middle frame, 3-0 at 16:11 and 4-0 just 21 seconds later at 16:32. The Silverbacks outshot the Smoke Eaters 17-10, 27-25 Salmon Arm overall.
The final period also began with penalties. Grayson Constable went off for tripping just 41 seconds in. Campbell was called for slashing at 7:35. And Justin Wilson was penalized for slashing at 18:24.
Trail outshot the Silverbacks 11-4 in the third and 36-31 Smoke Eaters total. Kyle Dumba made 32 saves in the loss.
Salmon Arm finished 0-for-4 on the power-play, but 5-for-5 on the penalty-kill in Trail.
Akito Hirose returned to the line-up on Saturday after his illness. But Austin Chorney, Logan Mostat, Trey Thomas and Julian Timba each sat out last weekend due to illness.
Max Wutzke is recovering in hospital in the lower mainland after multiple surgeries on his left leg. The 19-year-old defenseman from Calgary, AB was hit into the boards early in the first period of Wednesday, February 7th’s 5-2 victory at the Coquitlam Express (14-36-3-1). Lucas Wong of the Express has been suspended six games for a match penalty for checking from behind.
Salmon Arm is 2-2-0-0 in February, while the Grizzlies have a record of 4-0-0-0 in the final month of the regular season. Victoria is coming off of a 4-3 double overtime victory at home over the Wenatchee Wild (34-14-1-4) this past Sunday afternoon, February 11th. The Silverbacks beat the Grizzlies 3-2 in double OT in Victoria on Sunday, October 29th.
The Silverbacks have six regular season games remaining before the playoffs which will begin in early March and the Backs 1st two home games will be March 6-7 at 7 PM. Tickets are now on sale for both Playoff home games at the Box office.
As of today (Friday), Salmon Arm is sixth in the seven team Interior Division. The Silverbacks would face Wenatchee in the first round if the Playoffs were to start today. The Silverbacks are four points behind behind the fifth place West Kelowna Warriors (26-26-1-1), and Salmon Arm has two games in hand on West-K.
Don’t forget Season Tickets for the 2018-2019 season are on sale at every Backs home game and also during the week at the box office which is open Monday-Friday 9-4 PM.
Each game is webcast PPV at hockeytv.com Road games are broadcast viavoiceoftheshuswap.ca CKVS 93.7 FM and Home games are available, audio only at mixlr.com/salmon-arm-silverbacks
