The Silverbacks and the West Kelowna Warriors met for the first time in the 2014-15 regular season on Friday night as the Backs hosted the Warriors in game one of a home-and-home set at the Shaw Centre in Salmon Arm. In the pre-season, the two teams played to a 3-3 tie in West Kelowna, and the Silverbacks won 5-4 in overtime at home over the Warriors in September. West Kelowna earned five of a possible six points on the Island last weekend, while the Backs split a pair of home games with the Smoke Eaters and Vees.
The Warriors opened the scoring just 12 seconds into the first period on Saturday night as Liam Blackburn intercepted Chase Priskie's pass in the neutral zone. Blackburn sent the puck ahead to Jason Cotton who moved in and back handed the puck on goal and Blackburn slid the rebound past Angus Redmond.
West Kelowna increased its lead to two-nothing with a three-way passing play as Kylar Hope and Jonathan Desbiens moved the puck into the slot for Josh Bly who scored his first of the season at 7:27.
The Warriors out-shot the Silverbacks 13-10 in the first period.
Neither team scored in the second, but the Warriors received their third and fourth power-plays of the game as West Kelowna was 0-for-four with the man-advantage after 40 minutes and the Silverbacks were 0-for-one on their only chance in the first frame. The Warriors out-shot the Backs 8-7 in the second period.
The Silverbacks found the back of the net early in third period, as the home-team opened the third period with two goals in 19 seconds and three goals in one minute and 27 seconds.
Phillip Middleton passed the puck to Chase Priskie at the point and Priskie put a shot toward the net that found its way through traffic and got the Backs on the scoreboard, Priskie's third of the season from Middleton at 2:46.
19 seconds later, Priskie again fired the puck in from the line and Shane Danyluk found the puck in the face-off circle and shot it past Warriors starting goalie Andy Desautels to tie the game at two with his fourth of the season, Priskie with the assist at 3:05.
And, Carl El-Mir scored his second BCHL goal just 1:08 later as El-Mir picked up a pass from Taro Hirose through the neutral zone and moved in along the right-wing and shot it blocker side at 4:13 to give the Silverbacks their first lead of the game, 3-2.
But Carson Bolduc took an interference penalty at 8:22, which gave the Warriors their fifth power-play of the night. And, while West Kelowna wasn't able to score with the extra-man, Bly deposited his second of the game and of the season 10 seconds after Bolduc's penalty expired which tied the score at three. Bennett Huber assisted on Bly's second at 10:32 and overtime was needed.
The Backs out-shot the Warriors 12-11 in the third period, and West Kelowna lead 32-29 after regulation.
Five minutes of 4-on-4 overtime was scoreless with the Warriors out-shooting the Silverbacks 2-1.
And, the 4-3 overtime winner came with 28 seconds remaining in the 3-on-3 double-overtime period, as Desbiens and Andrew Johnson passed the puck around the Silverbacks in front of the goal and Johnson flipped it up and over Redmond for his fourth of the season at 4:32.
The Warriors out-shot the Backs 5-3 in 3-on-3 overtime, and West Kelowna out-shot the Silverbacks 39-33 overall. Angus Redmond made 35 saves. The Warriors finished 0-for-five on the power-play, while the Backs went 0-for-three.
The Silverbacks are 6-6-0-3 with 15 points in 15 games. The Silverbacks take on the Warriors Saturday night in West Kelowna, at Royal LePage Place at 7p.m. The Warriors are 8-5-0-2 with 18 points in 15 games.
