The Silverbacks (3-2) host the Penticton Vees (4-1) tonight at the Shaw Centre in Salmon Arm for the first time this season beginning at 7p.m. The two teams met for the first time in the 2014-15 season last night (Friday) in the South Okanagan as the Vees won the opener of the back-to-back, home-and-home set 5-1.
The Silverbacks opened the scoring shorthanded in the first period, as Nick Hutchison potted his third of the season after Vees starting goalie Hunter Miska misplayed the puck behind the net. The Vees tied the score going into the second period, and Penticton scored the only goal in the middle frame. The Vees added three more in the third. The Vees outshot the Backs 32-26, as Angus Redmond made 27 saves.
Tonight is the Salmon Arm debut for Damian Chrcek, and Josh Blanchard. The two were acquired by the Silverbacks earlier this week. Chrcek is an 18-year-old defenseman from Marysville, Michigan, while Blanchard is an 18-year-old forward from Kelowna, BC. Both were in the lineup on Friday night in Penticton.
The Silverbacks won the 2013-14 season series 5-1-0-1, outscoring the Vees 22-14. The Backs won the first five games versus the Vees last season, and had a record of 3-0 at the Shaw Centre. The Silverbacks outscored the Vees 13-5 at the Shaw Centre in 2013-14. The season series began with the Silverbacks defeating the Vees by scores of 5-2 and 4-2 in Salmon Arm in October, with the third and final win at home coming in February, by a score of 4-1.
The two teams will have five more meetings after tonight, with the next three games at the Shaw Centre. The Silverbacks will host the Vees again on Sunday, October 26th. The Backs don't go back to Penticton until January 28th and will finish the regular season in Penticton on February 28th.
