The pressure is on the Vernon Vipers tonight.
After a 5-3 win on the road last night, the Silverbacks took a 1-0 series lead against the Vipers.
Last season Salmon Arm was swept in the first round by Vernon, and were looking for revenge. The Silverbacks won the season series 5-1 in what was a very close six games despite the lopsided favour in wins for Salmon Arm. Playoffs are a different beast though, and it was the Silverbacks extracting revenge where it really counts.
Jonathan Krahn ended the regular season on a 26 game goal drought and had one assist in that span, but got the away fans to their feet early scoring just 1:59 into the first period. Andy Stevens had two goals in the regular season for Salmon Arm, and started his playoffs on a good foot scoring a minute past the halfway mark on the power play to make it 2-0. The Silverbacks scored three goals in the second period to total five goals on their first 18 shots. Jack Sampson, John Little, and Trevor Adams all tallied for the road squad. Vernon would score twice more and hold Salmon Arm to just five shots following their fifth goal, but couldn’t come back to take the win.
A 2-0 series lead for Salmon Arm could be deadly to Vernon heading back to the Shaw Centre for games 3 and 4. The Vipers had the fewest home wins this season at home with 12, and will need to build off last night’s second half to win.
Vernon’s key to success will come down to secondary scoring. Jesse Lansdell and Jagger Williamson combined for three points each last night, but just two other players on the team hit the scoresheet. For Salmon Arm, another quick start will be key. They scored a goal in the first two minutes of the first and second period, keeping the Vernon Vipers fan silent and not allowing the crowd to build momentum.
Players to Watch:
Silverbacks: With five goals last night, it was a bit of a surprise to not see Matthew Verboon on the scoresheet. The forward looked good through the night and was confident on the power play so look for him to pick up some points tonight on the road. In the regular season, Akito Hirose led team defencemen in scoring with 30 points in 52 games. He was named a star of the game just once in the regular season, but Friday night was the third star after adding a pair of assists. Hirose and his d-partner Darren Rizzolo logged a lot of minutes last night, and that should continue tonight.
Vipers: He hit a crossbar in the game last night in what could have been a turning point of the game. On a shorthanded breakaway, Josh Latta had a chance to make the score 1-1, but instead dinged iron, and a minute later Salmon Arm scored to go ahead 2-0. Leading the team in goal scoring against Salmon Arm this season, defenceman Michael Young had three goals in the regular season. His shot from the point is a real threat, and Ethan Langenegger was forced to make some quick saves last night.
Around the League:
With eight games on the schedule tonight, every BCHL playoff series is in action. The Penticton Vees will look for revenge over the Cowichan Valley Capitals after falling Game 1 of their series on Thursday night. Merritt aims for a 2-0 series lead with the Trail Smoke Eaters in town, and the West Kelowna Warriors kick off their 2019 playoffs down in Wenatchee at the Town Toyota Center.
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