Salmon Arm, B.C. – The Salmon Arm Silverbacks went to Trail to take on the Smoke Eaters for the final time this season.
Salmon Arm gets the scoring started but Trail dominates the end of the first period. In the first five minutes, Landon Mackie snipes the top corner with a beautiful shot, his 22nd of the season, 1-0. Shortly after, Zach Coutu finds the back of the net to tie the game up, 1-1. A minute later, Cash Carter puts the rebound into the back of the net to take the lead for the Smoke Eaters, 2-1. Three minutes later, Christian Kim finishes off a two-on-one to make it 3-1. On the powerplay to end the period, the Smokies make it a three goal lead when Erik Pastro scores, 4-1. Mikkel Chirstensen gets pulled and in comes Daniel Dirracolo for the rest of the game.
Clawing back in the game, the Silverbacks dominate the second period. A minute and a half in, an offensive zone turnover has Landon Mackie score his second of the game, 23rd of the year, cutting into the lead, 4-2. The Silverbacks can’t capitalize on their lone powerplay of the period. Salmon Arm out shot the Smoke Eaters, 21-3 in the second period.
Each team scores a couple in the third period. Past the halfway mark, Zach Coutu scores his second of the game to regain the three goal lead, 5-2. Not going down without a fight, Jack Toogood wires home a slot shot in the final minute and a half, his 9th of the season, to make it 5-3. The Silverbacks then pull the goalie to try and complete the comeback but Zach Coutu completes the hat trick on the empty net, 6-3. In the last 30 seconds, Jared Rothman finds himself in perfect position to tap in the loose puck, his 6th of the year, 6-4. For the second period in a row, the Silverbacks heavily outshoot the Smoke Eaters, 19-6 for a game total of 53-26.
Mikkel Christensen starts the game, stopping 8/12 shots but Daniel Dirracolo takes the loss stopping 12/13.
(Photo credit: Kristal Burgess)
