Feb. 29 / 08

By Guy Bertrand
Times Sports Editor

If history repeats itself, then the Trail Smoke Eaters should like their chances heading into their Interior Conference quarter-final against the Vernon Vipers.

The series begins tonight in Vernon with Game 2 Saturday and shifting to the Cominco Arena on Monday.

The teams have met five previous times in the playoffs with each team alternating series wins. Vernon holds a 3-2 edge after last year's 4-1 series win in the conference semifinals.

However, the last time there was such a huge gap in the standings, it was the Smokies who managed to advance.

In 2004, Vernon held a 22-point difference in the regular season standings and rolled to a 5-2 victory in Game 1. But the Smokies rebounded to win the next four games to stun the favored Vipers.

This year, Vernon holds a 23- point edge on Trail in the standings but the majority of the matches between the two teams show things a lot closer.

Although Vernon won five of the six meetings, four of those victories were by one goal including three in overtime.

Trail also won the final meeting between the two teams pulling out a 1-0 playoff-style win in Vernon.

"The one thing I do know that will happen, that might not have happened four weeks ago, is that they'll know they've been in a series no matter what happens," said Trail head coach Jim Ingram.

"Before I don't know if we could have said that.

"I'm not going to guarantee that we'll come out of this series but I'll guarantee that Vernon will know they've been in one."

The teams have a history of hostility this season low-lighted during Vernon's 7-2 win in Trail in mid-January when Vipers' captain Chris Crowell was suspended for five games following his vicious elbow to Ryan Hill.

There will be no shortage of subplots in this series ranging from the animosity lingering from Crowell's hit, to the return of Kellen and Connor Jones to the Cominco Arena to a renewal of one of the Smokies most heated rivalries.

On paper, the Vipers look 23 points better than Trail. Hunter Bishop, who was pivotal in sinking the Smokies in last year's play offs, was third in league scoring with 97 points and a league-leading 57 goals.

The Jones twins combined for 121 points in their rookie seasons in the BCHL. On defence, the hulking Vipers boast five blueliners over six-foot-two and 200 pounds.

"Do we match up physically against Vernon? Not even close," said Ingram. "Do we matchup scoring wise? Nope.

"But one thing we have right now, that we haven't faced that team with, is our team unity."

The Smokies have a level of confidence on their side and are riding a four-game winning streak into the postseason. The team is even getting its shares of bounces that were non-existent throughout most of the season.

"I think the bounces are well deserved and well overdue," added Ingram.

The series will rest primarily on Vernon's offence versus Trail's defence.

The Smokies showed they can play it tight thanks to their 1-0 win in Vernon a month ago.

And goaltender Grant Rollheiser has been superb down the stretch allowing only seven goals in his last five games.