As he did a week ago in Wenatchee, Michael Colella scored the game winner as the Smoke Eaters hold on to beat the Wild 3-2 Friday night at Cominco.
It wasn’t as free flowing as Wednesday nights game but the Smoke Eaters extended their point streak to seven games with the win over the Wenatchee Wild to wrap up the season series. The Wild opened the scoring in this one just past the halfway mark of the first period as Brett Chorske found a rebound to make it 1-0 Wild. The Smoke Eaters would answer 3:39 later as Philippe Lapointe picked up his 18th goal of the year as his shot got through Daniel Chenard.
On the goal Matt Osadick picked up the assist which extends his point streak to eight games. The Smoke Eaters would score again before the first period was out as Max Kryski picked up his second goal in as many games. Kryski who was parked in front of the net on the Smoke Eaters power play late in the first put home the rebound to give the Smokies a 2-1 lead.
In the second the Wild found the answer they were looking for as Noah Lugli unloaded from the blue line for his third of the year, as his shot caught Logan Terness, but still trickled in to tie the game at two. The Smoke Eaters then answered on what would stand as the game winner with just 4.6 seconds on the clock in the second period. Kent Johnson who picked up his 89th point of the season passed the puck right threw the crease to find Colella at the back post to make it 3-2.
The Smoke Eaters would shut things down for the third as the Wild pushed but couldn’t find the equalizer they needed. With the win the Smoke Eaters move to 3rd overall in the BCHL with 69 points in 51 games, while wrapping up the month of January with a record of 9-1-0-1. Terness stopped 29 of 31 shots for his 24th win of the season. Lapointe was named first star with a goal and an assist, Colella the second with the game winner and Matt Osadick was named the Energy Player of the game.
The Smoke Eaters now get the weekend off as they don’t play again till next Friday when they host the West Kelowna Warriors, in what is another potential first round match up for the Smoke Eaters.
