Salmon Arm, B.C. – The Salmon Arm Silverbacks were in Merritt to face the Centennials in game six with a chance to advance in the 2023/24 playoffs.
For only the second time in the series, the Silverbacks jumped out to an early lead in the first period. Four and a half minutes in, Nathan Mackie leads a rush up ice and snaps one from the blue line for his first goal of the playoffs and the 1-0 lead. The Silverbacks had to kill off two penalties the rest of the opening frame.
The Silverbacks kept their slim lead in the second period with both teams finding the back of the net. Just over five minutes in, Marcus Broberg sends a point shot on from the point which gets tipped by Cole Cooksey into the back of the net for the 2-0 lead. Coming out of the media timeout, the Centennials were pushing offensively trying to stir a middle frame comeback when Jaxson Murray gets the puck in the high slot and snipes it top corner to bring it back to a one-goal game, 2-1.
The nail was put in the coffin in third period for the Silverbacks. Grabbing another early period goal, Isaac Lambert connected on a wrap around within the first minute and a half to make it a 3-1 Silverbacks lead. The period went by in back-and-forth action until it was time to pull the goalie for the Centennials. With the net empty, Cole Cooksey found the twine for his second of the game.
Eli Pulver got the series win for the Silverbacks, stopping 31/32 shots faced.
