Things have gotten better and better against the Wenatchee Wild.
Salmon Arm started out 0-2, and were outscored 15-4 in that span. In the last two games though, the Silverbacks have outscored the Wild 5-4. Back in December the Silverbacks fell 3-2 in Overtime, and Friday night in the Town Toyota Center they won 3-1. It was the sixth straight loss at home for the Wild.
Blake Bargar of the Wild nearly opened the scoring three minutes in, but his shot clanged off the crossbar. Shortly before the halfway mark, Wenatchee came down on a two-on-one and Marko Reifenberger snapped a shot looking under the blocker arm of Ethan Langenegger, but the Silverbacks netminder made the save.
Playing at forward Friday night, Akito Hirose found himself alone in front with just under eight minutes left but was unable to beat Austin Park. Less than a minute later though, it was one of the two defenceman called up that opened the scoring for Salmon Arm. From the left corner, Nick Unruh was able to win the puck back to the top of the faceoff circle where Aidan Sutter stepped into a one timer sending it to the top right corner for the 1-0 lead. Wenatchee would answer two minutes later with Blake Bargar racing down the right wing, and squeezing a sharp angled shot in to knot things up at one.
In the second, an odd man rush ended in Andy Stevens sending a shot towards an almost empty net with Park out of position, but it was tipped and went wide. Salmon Arm would restore their lead right before the midway mark with Jack Sampson scoring his second career BCHL goal. Coming off the left wall, he walked in and slid a puck along the ice that cracked off the right post and in for what would stand as the game winner. After one point in his first five games with the team, Sampson now has six points in the last five games. The Silverbacks would head to a late power play, but it was Langenegger making the biggest save on a two-on-one shorthanded chance.
It was nearly a two goal lead less than thirty seconds into the third, but the feed from Matthew Verboon to Akito Hirose was denied. Two minutes later it was Andy Stevens feeding the puck cross ice for Yewta Plamondon, but Park and a defenceman crashing back into the net were able to keep the puck out. Wenatchee would continue to push, but with three minutes left Brian Adams got called for tripping sending Salmon Arm to their second man advantage of the game. With a minute and a half remaining, Andy Stevens would find John Little across the ice who took the feed and beat Park for his 10th goal of the season.
Two points for Salmon Arm moved them to within five points of the Wenatchee Wild. With a game in hand, and the next two games against the Wild, the Silverbacks have a very interesting final stretch heading into playoffs. Vernon beat the Nanaimo Clippers as well keeping the Vipers one point back for fourth in the Division.
KEY PERFORMER:
Coming off a tough performance against the Trail Smoke Eaters Saturday, the rookie netminder Ethan Langenegger replied in a veteran way. Stopping 29 of 30 shots, the former Thompson Blazer made a number of big stops for Salmon Arm against a Wild side that feeds off momentum in their arena.
