The Silverbacks (26-15-4-4) host the Trail Smoke Eaters (20-30-0-2) tonight at 7p.m. at the Shaw Centre in Salmon Arm, the second of four head-to-head meetings in this the final month of the BCHL’s regular season.
The ‘Backs split a back-to-back, home-and-home set with the Merritt Centennials (18-27-1-4) this past weekend and secured a BCHL playoff spot for the first season since 2012-13. The Silverbacks won 7-3 in the Nicola Valley on Saturday night, after giving up a 2-0 lead in the third period on Friday and falling 4-3 in overtime at home to the Cents. The Smoke Eaters allowed 13 goals on the weekend in Trail, losing 9-0 on Friday and losing 4-1 on Saturday at home to the West Kelowna Warriors (33-16-1-2).
The season series between the ‘Backs and Smokies is tied 2-2, after Trail won 5-3 at home over the Silverbacks last Tuesday, February 2nd in the West Kootenay.
Ross Heidt will return to the ‘Backs lineup tonight, the 19-year-old sat out on the weekend with a two-game suspension after a boarding penalty late in the third period last Tuesday in Trail.
The Silverbacks sit third in the Interior Division, nine points behind the Warriors but the ‘Backs have three games in hand. The Smoke Eaters are fifth in the Interior, five points back of the Vernon Vipers (22-24-0-3) who occupy the fourth and final playoff spot. Vernon has three games in hand on Trail.
The ‘Backs begin the week with a record of 2-4-2-2 in their past 10 games and 1-1-0-1 in February, while the Smoke Eaters are 2-7-0-1 in their last 10 and 1-2-0-0 in their first three games of February.
The Silverbacks are 13-5-3-3 at the Shaw Centre and 16-7-1-4 versus the Interior Division, meanwhile Trail has a road record of 7-19-0-1 and is 8-19-0-1 in the Interior.
The ‘Backs and Smokies are atop the league in penalty minutes, as the Silverbacks sit seventh with 731 and the Smoke Eaters are the third most penalized team at 766.
The Silverbacks power-play is ranked fifth and ticking at 22-percent with the fifth most amount of power-plays goals at 53, the ‘Backs have the seventh fewest number of short-handed goals-against with five. Trail’s power-play is running at 19-percent and ranked eighth, with 42 power-play markers which is also the eighth highest total and nine short-handed goals-against for the sixth highest total.
The ‘Backs penalty-kill sits seventh in the BCHL at 81-percent and is tied for second with 11 short-handed goals, along with the ninth fewest amount of power-play goals against at 48. The Smokies PK is 11th at 80-percent and tied for fourth with 10-short-handed goals, but have the fifth highest number of power-play goals-against with 52.
Taro Hirose leads the Silverbacks in scoring, the 19-year-old has 12 goals and 49 assists in 49 games and is ranked 13th amongst the league leaders. 18-year-old Nick Halloran leads the Smoke Eaters with 21 goals and 20 assists in 49 games.
Angus Redmond sits seventh amongst BCHL goaltenders with 20 wins in 37 games. The 20-year-old has a goals-against-average of 2.93 and a saves-percentage of .905 along with three shutouts. The Smoke Eaters Bailey MacBurnie is ranked 17th with 15 wins in 45 games, as well as a goals-against-average of 3.84 and a saves-percentage of .897 along with one shutout.
The Silverbacks have scored 195 goals in 49 games which is the fifth highest total among the 17 teams, meanwhile the Smoke Eaters have 150 goals in 52 games for the third fewest amount. The ‘Backs have 152 goals against which is the fifth fewest amount and Trail has 220 goals against for the third highest total.
The Vipers are in Merritt tonight in the only other game around the league.
The Silverbacks will set out this coming Friday, February 12th for three games in as many days beginning Friday night in the lower mainland with the Coquitlam Express (20-25-1-5) at 7:30p.m. The ‘Backs will travel to Vancouver Island on Saturday and visit the Alberni Valley Bulldogs (19-25-3-3) at 7p.m., before finishing the weekend on Sunday afternoon at 3p.m. at the Powell River Kings (30-18-0-3).
The Silverbacks will host the Smoke Eaters again on Saturday, February 20th at 7p.m. at the Shaw Centre, and will finish the season series in Trail on Tuesday, February 23rd.
Each Silverbacks and BCHL game is webcast live, PPV http://bchl.fasthockey.com as well as each ‘Backs road game is broadcast live at CKVS 93.7 FM http://voiceoftheshuswap.ca Each home game is broadcast at http://bit.ly/1s0deO7 Tune into CKVS each Monday night throughout the season beginning at 7pm for 30 minutes or more of Silverbacks talk, including interviews and news from around the BCHL.
