The Silverbacks (13-21-0-3) begin 2018 at home to the Wenatchee Wild (25-10-1-2) tonight (Friday) at 7pm at the Shaw Centre, the first of three games this weekend for the Silverbacks. Salmon Arm will visit the Merritt Centennials (15-17-1-2) tomorrow (Saturday) night at 7pm, and the Silverbacks will host the Prince George Spruce Kings (20-12-4-2) on Sunday afternoon at 3pm.
The Wild lead the season series with the Silverbacks 3-2. Salmon Arm lost 4-0 and 10-2 in Wenatchee on Friday and Saturday, December 15th and 16th.
Wenatchee began the new year with a 2-1 loss at the Trail Smoke Eaters (23-13-0-2) on Wednesday, January 3rd.
Salmon Arm finished the 2017 portion of it’s schedule with a 4-3 comeback victory at the Vernon Vipers (26-8-4-1) last Saturday, December 30th.
The Vipers opened the scoring just 1:36 into the first period. And Vernon went ahead 2-0 at 6:26 and on the power-play with Julian Timba off for interference at 4:49. Salmon Arm took four of the nine penalties called in the first period. Riley Hayles went off for slashing at 10:58, Demetri Kambeitz for unsportsmanlike conduct at 14:37, and Trevor Adams for unsportsmanlike conduct at 18:55.
The Vipers lead 1-0 after 20 minutes and outshot the Silverbacks 11-7.
Joseph Leahy was penalized for slashing at 6:05 of the second period along with Vernon’s Brett Stapley. Max Wutzke took the final two penalties in the second, for high-sticking at 10:52 and for slashing at 19:32.
Neither team found the scoresheet in the middle frame, but Vernon lead 12-4 on the shot clock and 23-11 Vipers overall.
Nick Unruh opened the scoring for Silverbacks 2:12 into the third, his sixth of the season cut the Vipers lead to 2-1. Vernon replied at 3:09 and went ahead 3-1. But the Silverbacks scored the final three goals in the period. Grayson Constable’s sixth at 11:04 and on the power-play got the visitors back within one, 3-2 Vipers. Rhett Kingston’s team leading 15th at 15:37 tied the score 3-3. Unruh took the only Salmon Arm penalty in the third, for interference at 15:38. Tanner Campbell potted the game winner, his fifth of the season and on the power-play at 16:15.
Salmon Arm outshot Vernon 14-9 in the third, but the Vipers outshot the Silverbacks 32-25 total. Reid Cooper made 29 saves in the victory on Saturday.
The Silverbacks finished 2-for-7 on the power-play and 3-for-4 on the penalty-kill.
Salmon Arm ended it’s eight game losing skid and finished December 1-8-0-0, as well the Silverbacks snapped Vernon’s five game winning streak. The Vipers shutout the Silverbacks 4-0 last Friday at the Shaw Centre, and Vernon finished series winning five of the six games.
Home game tickets are $14, (Srs $12, Under 12 – $7). A $25 family pack includes includes 2 Adults and 2 Children’s tickets, along with 4 complimentary Silverbacks hats.
Each game is webcast PPV at hockeytv.com Road games are broadcast via voiceoftheshuswap.ca CKVS 93.7 FM and Home games are available, audio only at mixlr.com/salmon-arm-silverbacks
