Adam Parsons scored his 7th goal of the season with just 21-seconds left in overtime to give the Trail Smoke Eaters a well deserved 3-2 win over the second place Vipers in Vernon.
It capped a determined 46-shot effort in the opener of a three game road swing that also featured a solid 200-foot defensive effort.
The Smokies trailed 1-0 after 40 minutes despite outshooting Vernon 28-12.
A key moment came late in the second period.
A key moment came late in the second period.
The Smoke Eaters blocked shots and won puck battles while killing off a two-man disadvantage for 1:14 against a Vipers power play that has been operating at 33.3% on home ice this season.
Vipers goalie Colin Reay kept Trail shooters at bay with several solid saves and some of the sensational variety until Ridge Dawson jammed in his team-leading 9th goal of the season at 2:36 of the third period.
Trail goalie Ryan Parker kept the game tied in the final frame of regulation, diving across the net head-first to take what looked like a sure goal away from pinching point man Jordin Palmer on a back-door chance. Parker would also come up big, doing the splits to make a point-blank pad save in overtime.
Jason Stefanek gave the Smokies a 2-1 lead just over 8-minutes into the third period, finishing an unassisted end-to-end rush with a flip shot that foiled Reay.
The Vipers tied the game at 18:24 with Reay on the bench for a sixth attacker, with Isaac Tremblay snapping in his second goal of the game on a goal-mouth scramble.
The teams traded chances in overtime, with Parsons converting a rebound into a wide-open Vipers net, just when it looked like Trail would be headed for its first shootout of the season.
Parker made 25 saves to post his 6th win of the season.
Parker made 25 saves to post his 6th win of the season.
Trail was 0-for-4 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
The win gives the Smoke Eaters a 2-and-4 record in overtime and a 9-8-4 mark overall.
The road trip resumes Saturday night in Merritt after the Centennials also went into overtime Friday night.
The road trip resumes Saturday night in Merritt after the Centennials also went into overtime Friday night.
They battled back from a 3-0 deficit, before falling 4-3 in West Kelowna and are three points back of the fifth-place Smokies in the Interior Conference.
