The Smoke Eaters pulled off a crucial win, needing a shootout to do so as they came back twice to beat the Centennials 4-3 on Saturday night.
The Smoke Eaters, who are once again without their starting goaltender Evan Fradette going forward, gave Ethan Shebansky his second start of the the season. Trail created enough chances in the first period to warrant a goal, but Jonny Hicks in the Merritt net would stop all 18 shots he faced as the Cents would score shorthanded courtesy of Ben Ward with under five minutes left in the first period. A smart play by the Centennials forward who after being denied by Shebanksy moments earlier on a 2-on-1 was able to find the loose puck off the end boards and bank it in off Shebanksy who wasn’t able to close the gap on his post.
The Smoke Eaters didn’t waste any time in the second getting back on level term as Zach Michaelis broke a four game goalless drought, scoring his 25th goal of the season, as he went coast to coast to beat Hicks.
The Smoke Eaters and Michaelis would score again six minutes later as the powerplay came through. Some great puck movement lead to the open lane for Michaelis who’s shot from the just inside the blueline made it through the crowd and past hicks for a 2-1 Smoke Eater lead.
The Centennials would battle back and score two goals that Shebansky definitely will want backs as Mark Thurston and Connor Farren took shots from the left side that snuck under the arm of Shebansky and in behind him, as the Cents retook the lead in a span of 1:51 and held that lead into the third period.
The Smoke Eaters would leave it late before they finally tied the game. Out shooting the Centennials 19-7 in the third period it wasn’t until the 50th shot of the night that Teddy Lagerback redirected the pass from Evan Bushy over top of Hicks as he scored his 24th goal of the year!
Though overtime was exciting it solved nothing as the Cents and Smoke Eaters would need a shootout to decide the extra point. Both Levi Carter and Michaelis scored in the first round of shooters, Lagerback and former Smoke Eater Jackson Krill would be denied in round two, leading to an all important third round of shooters that could decide the game. The Cents shooting first sent Farren out to try and beat Shebanksy.
Out stepped Corey Cunningham with a chance to win the game.
The Smoke Eaters got a much needed win to stay on pace with the Wenatchee Wild who also won in a shootout on Saturday night. The Smoke Eaters head to Wenatchee for three straight games at the Town Toyota Centre Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week, with just one point separating the two teams for 7th in the Interior Conference.
