PHOTO: Damon James/BCHL
SEPTEMBER 20th, 2018
CHILLIWACK, B.C. – The Trail Smoke Eaters couldn’t get their legs going as they dropped a 4-1 decision to the Langley Rivermen at the Bauer BCHL Showcase in Chilliwack at the Prospera Centre.
The afternoon start favoured the Rivermen in the opening period as Langley was first to hit the scoreboard on a nicely developed play through the middle of the ice. Keyvan Mokhtari set up Chase Pletzke on the right wing, who centered to Jake Livingstone in the slot as the defenseman carved his way to the front of the net and slid the puck through the legs of goaltender Adam Marcoux for a 1-0 lead at the 11:43 mark of the 1st period.
The Smoke Eaters came out in the 2nd period with a bit more jump in their step and found the back of the net just 1:09 into the frame to tie the game. Kent Johnson centered from behind the net as he found Braeden Tuck on the glove side of Langley netminder Braedon Fleming as he slammed the puck off his pad and in for his 3rd goal of the season and tied the game up early into the middle stanza on the power play.
The Rivermen were quick to counter as just 37 seconds after the Tuck goal, Kalen Szeto gave Langley the lead back at the 1:46 mark. Szeto rushed to the goal line and fired a shot off of the glove side post of Marcoux and past him to give Langley their second lead of the game and a 2-1 advantage.
The remainder of the period took a turn for special teams as a parade to the penalty box began between the two teams with 14 minor penalties were given before the Rivermen added to their lead at the 18:06 mark and earned their largest lead of the game at 3-1.
On a 4-on-3 power play, Ethan Leyh took a stretch pass from his own zone on the right wing and skated into the Smoke Eaters zone. Leyh started on the outside and chipped the puck around the defense to the slot and picked the glove side corner of Marcoux to give the Rivermen a two-goal advantage heading into the final period of play.
The Smoke Eaters showed some life in the final period, outshooting Langley by a 12-11 margin but it would be the Rivermen who would collect the only goal, coming off the stick off Chase Pletzke at the 7:05 mark of the period, tipping in a Devin Leduc pass from the left wing past the glove side of Marcoux to give Langley a 4-1 lead.
Braedon Fleming stopped all 12 shots he faced in the final period of regulation and turned aside 23 of the 24 shots he faced for his 3rd win of the season while Adam Marcoux made 22 saves on the 26 shots he faced in his 2nd loss of the year.
FINAL SCORE: 4-1 Rivermen
SHOTS ON GOAL: 26-24 Rivermen
SMOKE EATERS PP: 1/6
SMOKE EATERS PK: 6/7
3 STARS:
1) Chase Pletzke (1-0-1)
2) Braeden Tuck (1-0-1)
3) Braedon Fleming (22 saves on 23 shots)
Fortis Energy Player of the Game: Kaden Szeto (1-0-1)
The Smoke Eaters (3-1-0-1) wrap up their Bauer BCHL Showcase schedule against the Powell River Kings (3-0-0-0) for an early 10:00 AM puck drop from the Prospera Centre in Chilliwack. The game will be broadcasted on mixlr.com/trail-smoke-eaters as well as HockeyTV.com, beginning at 9:50 AM with the Voice of the Smoke Eaters, Trevor Miller.
