PRINCE GEORGE, BC: Noah Serdachny scored 3:01 into overtime, as the Salmon Arm Silverbacks erased a 5-0 deficit to stun the Prince George Spruce Kings 6-5.
The first period was very fast-paced, with not many whistles. The Silverbacks got the game’s first powerplay just 2:20 into the game, as Colton Cameron hauled down Simon Tassy in the offensive zone. The Backs had a couple of good scoring opportunities to strike first, the best coming off the stick of Captain Daniel Panetta, but he was turned aside by the right pad of Aaron Trotter. The Spruce Kings opened the scoring on their second shot of the game as Rowan Miller let a shot go from the slot, and it found a way past goaltender Liam Vanderkooi. The goal was his 22nd of the year, Kolton Cousins picked up the lone assist. The home side struck again 1:11 later as Nick Rheaume tipped a shot over the blocker of Vanderkooi to double the lead. Simon Labelle and Ben LeFranc picked up the assists on the goal. The Backs got yet another powerplay when the Spruce Kings got caught with too many men on the ice. However, the Silverbacks could not convert. The Backs outshot the Spruce Kings 9-8 in the opening frame.
In the middle frame, the Spruce Kings added to their lead as the puck bounced off a body in front of Vanderkooi and went right onto the stick of Nathan Fox, and he slipped it under the pad of Vanderkooi to extend the lead to 3-0. The Silverbacks had some good zone time following the goal as Mathieu Cobetto-Roy raced in on a breakaway but was stoned by the glove of Trotter. Serdachny and Tassy almost teamed up to get on the board as the two had a 2 on 1 down low, but Tassy’s pass was off the mark. There were no penalties in the second period, as the refs let both teams play on. There was a dangerous hit on Owen Desilets behind the Spruce Kings net; as Desilets was hit from behind, there was no penalty on the play. The Spruce Kings added to their lead with 21 seconds left as John Harrington ripped it up and under the bar glove side past Vanderkooi to make it 4-0. The home side outshot the Silverbacks 18-7 in the second period.
In the third period, the Spruce Kings added to their lead as Luc Laylin beat Vanderkooi blocker side to extend the lead to 5-0. The Silverbacks looked dead in the water as they trailed by five with 11 minutes to go. Zack Smith got the Silverbacks on the board as he chipped it over the glove to cut the lead to four. Then the flood gates opened up for the Silverbacks. While shorthanded, Simon Tassy broke free for a breakaway, he drove the net, and the puck went in through the legs of Trotter to make it 5-2. The goal was Tassy’s 38th of the season. Moments later, Tassy made an incredible cross-ice pass to Tucker Hartmann, but Trotter robbed him. The Backs kept pushing. With 2:30 left, Owen Desilets let a harmless point shot go, and it found its way into the top corner for his second of the campaign, cutting the deficit to two. But they weren’t done there; 1:10 later, the Backs called a timeout and pulled the goalie for the extra attacker. It paid off. Brandon Santa Juana picked up the rebound in front and jammed it past Trotter to make it a one-goal game. With the goalie out again, Tassy skated the puck into the offensive zone, he threw the puck towards the net, and it was tipped in by Zack Smith, tying the game at five, sending the game into overtime.
In the extra frame, it was the dynamic duo of Simon Tassy and Noah Serdachny at it again. They created a 2 on 1 down low, and Tassy fed Serdachny backdoor, and he ripped it upstairs to complete the comeback, stunning the Spruce Kings with a 6-5 win. It was the second time in the last six days that the Silverbacks rallied for third-period comebacks. These two teams will meet again tomorrow night at 7:00 PM
