The Smoke Eaters will head into the holiday break in control of fifth place in the Interior Conference and riding a six game win streak after a 6-3 win on Saturday night on home ice.
The Smoke Eaters came out flying, as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead scoring goals just 17 seconds apart. Adam Parsons would score the first goal of the night with a tipped shot on the powerplay as Jordan Hendry put the shot on. Parsons parked in front was able to get enough on the puck to tip it past the Silverbacks netminder Carter Richardson to give Trail the early lead.
17 seconds later the Smoke Eaters doubled their lead thanks to Ridge Dawson who also tipped a shot past Richardson. Trey Fechko went for a skate and released a shot from the high slot, in almost the same place he scored the game winner on Friday against Merritt, but this time Dawson was skating through the middle and redirected the puck down and through the legs of Richardson for a 2-0 Smoke Eaters lead.
Salmon Arm would respond and Lynden Hanvold’s point shot hit the crowd in front, dropping in the crease and then slid past Keegan Maddocks making it a 2-1 game. However just five seconds later Rhett Hamilton would score his second in as many games as he beat out the icing on the dump in from Evan Bushy, beating Richardson on the glove side to restore the Smoke Eaters two goal lead.
The Silverbacks would capitalize on a loose puck in front of the Smoke Eaters net to bring the game back within one to end the first period.
The Silverbacks would pick up the next goal as well to tie the game at three early in the second as Hayden Stavroff’s shot from the right side off the rush tricked in under the arm of Maddocks, tying the game at three and erasing the Smoke Eaters brilliant start to the night. However BCHL All-Star Nick Remissong would score the Smoke Eaters second powerplay goal and the eventual game winner as he knocked home the rebound in front of Richardson of the Cobetto-Roy point shot.
Holding a one goal lead into the third the Smoke Eaters kept to the game plan and would see this game out as Dawson and Hunter would combine for the 5-3 goal. Dawson would step off the bench and take advantage of a misplayed puck by the Silverbacks defenceman, allowing him to break in on a partial 3-on-1 where he elected to drop the puck back to Brady Hunter, who scored his eighth goal of the season and extended his point streak to nine games.
The Smoke Eaters would cap off their sixth straight win with a sixth goal as Ethan Mann joined in on the scoring, adding his third as a Smoke Eater as he combined with Cobetto-Roy in the neutral zone to force a turnover leading to the break and a clear shot at net for the Wisconsin University commit.
The Smoke Eaters now go into the Christmas break riding a season best six game win streak, with points in seven straight and sit fifth place in the Interior Conference, one point back of Prince George in fourth and five back of West Kelowna for third. The Smoke Eaters will come out of the break and be faced with a double header grudge match to close out 2022, as the Cranbrook Bucks come to town amidst a seven game win streak of their own.
