LAMFRAMBOISE SCORED TWO ON THE NIGHT
The Smoke Eaters took a 2-0 series lead defeating the Salmon Arm Silverbacks 7-2 in front of 1900 fans at the Cominco Arena on Saturday night. It was a penalty filled game with 126 minutes in penalties handed out. Trail went 2 for 4 on the power play and Salmon Arm went 2 for 9. The Smokies chased starting Back’s goaltender from the net mid-way through the game after scoring their fifth goal.
In the first period the Smokie’s capitalized on an early power play when Josh Laframboise scored his second goal of the series with the assist going to Carter Cochrane his third of the series. Salmon Arm tied the game at 4:47 on a power play of their own on a goal by Elijiah Barriga. The Smokie’s capitalized on their second power play opportunity at 12:16 with captain Connor Brown Maloski scoring his second of the series assisted on by Jeremy Lucchini.
CHABOT – MAKING HIS PHYSICAL PRESENCE FELT
In the second period scored four straight goals to take a 6-1 lead. Josh Laframboise scored his second of the game and third of the series at 2:39. Luke Santerno and Kale Howarth assisted on the goal. Korbyn Chabot scored his first of the series at 8:04 with Braeden Tuck assisting on the marker. At 9:59 Carter Cochrane put Trail up 5-1 assisted on by Korbyn Chabot and Josh Laframboise. The Smokies took an insurmountable 6-1 lead at 14:12 on a goal by Ross Armour when he scored a shorthanded goal with a Back’s defender hung all over him, putting it between the five-hole of Nic Tallarico in the Salmon Arm net. Connor Brown Malsoki assisted on the goal. The Silverbacks scored their final goal of the game at 14:32 to make it a 6-2 game. Jarred Turcotte was the goal scorer.
CARTER COCHRANE, TOUGH BEHIND OUR BLUELINE
The Smokies rounded out the scoring in the third at 6:46 when Mitchell Barker scored his first goal of the series with the assist going to Mitchell Stapley collecting his 2nd assist of the series. In his absence, due to injury, the Smokies missed the play-making of Stapley. His puck control in the first two games has been a definite asset for Trail.
In the first two games of the series the Smoke Eaters have used 18 year old, 6’4″, 190 lb., AP, Brady Berger, in the lineup. Berger played with the Grand Forks Border Bruins this season and had 9 goals and 23 assists for 32 points. He is an Alder Flats, AB native. The Border Bruins were knocked out of the playoffs by the Beaver Valley Nitehawks in 4 straight games.
First star of the game was Josh Laframboise with 2 goals and 1 assist, second star was Korbyn Chabot with a goal and an assist and third star was Carter Cochrane with the same. Fortis Energy Player of the Game was Smokie’s Braeden Tuck.
The next two games in the series go in Salmon Arm on Tuesday and Wednesday night. If a fifth game is needed it will be in Trail next Friday night. Game time will be 7:30 pm.
