The Silverbacks (11-17-0-1) will visit the Penticton Vees (23-5-0-0) tonight (Friday) at 7pm, in just the second meeting of this BCHL regular season and the first in the South Okanagan. Penticton won 4-1 in Salmon Arm on Friday, November 4th.
Salmon Arm will play it’s third consecutive road game, after splitting last weekend away from the Shaw Centre. The Silverbacks won 4-3 at the Merritt Centennials (11-12-1-5) on Friday, November 25th and dropped a 6-3 decision on Saturday, November 26th at the Prince George Spruce Kings (14-11-2-1). The Vees begin a seven game home-stand tonight, with Penticton’s only game on the road set for the final weekend ahead of the holiday break as the Vees will visit Salmon Arm on Saturday, December 17th at 7pm.
Penticton lost 5-3 in Trail earlier this week on Wednesday, November 30th in the West Kootenay. The Silverbacks have been outscored 127-88 in their first 29 regular season games, marking the midway mark of the 58 game regular season schedule. Salmon Arm has 403 penalty-minutes, the fourth highest total among the 17 teams. The Vess have outscored their opponents 99-59 in 28 games, and have the least amount of penalty-minutes with 274.
The Silverbacks power-play is at 21-percent and 10th, with 30 power-play goals but have allowed the highest number of short-handed goals-against with 10. Penticton’s man-advantage is 14th at 16-percent, with 16 power-play goals and just two short-handed goals-against. Salmon Arm’s penalty-kill is at 70-percent, the Vees PK is at 78-percent. Each team has scored three short-handed markers, the Silverbacks have allowed 38-power-play goals against and Penticton has allowed just 19.
Hayden Hopkins will be out of the lineup again tonight (Friday), the 19-year-old forward will serve game four of his four game suspension after he received a major penalty for a blow to the head on Saturday, November 19th at home versus the Cowichan Valley Capitals (14-12-2-2). Hopkins has two goals and six assists with 16 penalty-minutes in 17 games with the Silverbacks.
Salmon Arm will host the Trail Smoke Eaters (15-13-0-1) tomorrow (Saturday) night at 7pm at the Shaw Centre. The Silverbacks made one transaction on the Dec 1 deadline as they signed Goaltender Nic Tallarico (98) who was with the Estevan Bruins of the SJHL and to make room for Nic they released Brandon Kegler. The Backs are down to their 22 man roster with the final trade deadline being Jan 10, 2017.
The Silverbacks will play nine games in December, finishing November with a record of 3-6-0-1. Salmon Arm is 3-3-0-1 since parting with head coach Brandon West back on Wednesday, November 9th. The Vees finished 8-2-0-0 in November and will visit Salmon Arm on Saturday, December 17th at 7pm.
Each Silverbacks game is webcast PPV at hockeytv.com Each road game is broadcast live via voiceoftheshuswap.ca CKVS 93.7 FM and each home game is available audio only at mixlr.com/salmon-arm-silverbacks/ Tune into Salmon Arm community radio each Monday at 7pm, Tuesday at 7am for 30 minutes or more of Silverbacks hockey talk.
