SALMON ARM, BC: The Salmon Arm Silverbacks are set to battle the Penticton Vees for a third time this season. The previous two meetings were in Penticton, which saw the Silverbacks take both games on the road, 4-3 SO, and 5-2. This is also the first of three meetings in February between these two sides; all three will be at the Shaw Centre. The Backs are coming off the heels of picking up a possible three of four points on the road in Cranbrook. They won the first game 3-0 but saw game two slip away a little bit as they had 2-0, 3-1, 4-3, and 5-4 leads before ultimately losing 6-5 in a shootout. The Silverbacks come into tonight’s game in first place in the Interior Division with a 26-4-3 record. They are set to play seven of the next eleven inside the Shaw Centre, after playing just twice at home in the whole month of January.
Players to Watch:
Owen Say: Say is 2-0 against the Vees this season with a 1.92 GAA and a .944% and holds a 17-3-3 record this season.
Simon Tassy: He’s enjoyed some success against the Vees this season. In the two meetings, he has three goals. Tassy currently has the highest Point streak in the BCHL at 12 and is coming off a five-point weekend on the road in Cranbrook. Tassy leads the BCHL in scoring with 58 points and is second in goals with 28. He has also recorded at least a point in 17 of the last 18 games.
A Look At The Opposition: The Vees come into tonight’s game with wins in four of the last five, including three in a row on the road in Wenatchee. They sit in second place in the Interior division, three points back of the first place Silverbacks. Kaeden Lane has been excellent since returning to the crease for the Vees. He’s started the last four games and is a perfect 4-0 with a 1.50 GAA and a .943 SV%. Luc Wilson and Josh Nadeau lead the Vees upfront with 45 and 44 points, respectively.
