Rookie Roberts Polis produced four points leading the surging Smokies to a 5-2 win over Spruce Grove in front of an excited 1,388 fans at Cominco Arena.
The 19-year-old Latvian pumped in the power play winner about seven minutes into the third period and sealed the deal with an off-the-post and in empty netter set up by a huge Dysen Drake hit in the Saints zone.
The turning point was Ty Izadi’s power play marker late in the second period that tied the game, following back-to-back goals by Spruce Grove just over a minute apart early in the middle frame. It was Izadi’s first regular season goal in the BCHL.
The Smokies were most effective when they combined speed with aggression, especially in the first period when they opened the scoring just 40-seconds after the opening faceoff.
Chase Nehring stuffed in the rebound of a Ted Welander point shot and if not for several sensational saves by Saints goalie Alexander Levshyn, including a breakaway stop on Drake, Trail’s top scorer, the Smokies might have opened a multi-goal lead.
But Levshyn was the victim of a wicked bounce with just over seven minutes remaining in the third period.
Daniel Rassega ripped a sizzling shot from centre ice that changed direction and found the far corner of the net to put Trail up 4-2.
Smokies goalie Chayse Johnson also made some highlight reel saves, including breakaway’s in the second and third periods and a cross crease scramble to flash a brand new orange goalie pad to take a sure goal away from Saints winger Max Finley, to seal Johnson’s first win of the season.
The Smokies were two-for-two on the power play while generating a season high 38 shots on goal and killed off two of three Saints advantages while limiting the visitors to 22 shots on goal.
The win is the third straight for the Smokies who close out a four-game home stand next Saturday against Blackfalds.
The next home game at Cominco Arena is October 31 vs Blackfalds. Good seats are still available at Tickets.TrailSmokeEaters.com.
