The Vipers spoil the return of Wolford and Fradette as they take the game to a shootout for a 3-2 win over the Smoke Eaters.
The Smoke Eaters kicked off the night with their captain and starting goaltender back from injury as they looked poised to pick up a much needed win. Over the next 60 minutes another tightly played game with a playoff feel took place as the Smoke Eaters and Vipers traded goals. The Vipers struck first as they caught the Smoke Eaters with an odd man rush that was nicely finished off by Zack Tonelli as he want to his back hand in tight to lift the puck over the Smokies netminder. The Vipers would outshoot the Smoke Eaters 13-7 and take a 1-0 lead into the second period.
The Smoke Eaters didn’t wait long to get after the Vipers as a flurry of shots and a powerplay in the early parts of the second helped get them back on level terms. The Smoke Eaters powerplay got a much needed boost as Hunter put the puck in net from the right circle that caused problems for the Vipers netminder. Wolford who was parked back in front of the net made contact with the shot from Hunter as Roan Clarke failed to comfortably absorb the shot that would sit loose to his left that Teddy Lagerback would push across the goaline for his 18th of the year.
The Smoke Eaters would head to the third tied at 1 despite chances on either side in the second.
Th Smoke Eaters would score early in the third to take a 2-1 lead as Corey Cunningham let a shot go from the left wall. A place he’s scored a handful of goals this year, as his shot went off the glove of Clarke and in behind the Vipers netminder to put the Smoke Eaters in front for the first time on the night.
The lead was short lived as Cade Mcnelly would score his first BCHL goal on a weird one that snuck under the pad of Fradette just a minute and a half later to tie the game at 2. Both sides then had chances in the closing minutes of the third but neither could find a winner, with the Smoke Eaters and Bioers heading to overtime for the third time this season.
In overtime it was end to end in the opening 2 minutes as the Smoke Eaters and Vipers went back and forth up the ice looking for the winner but again, neither team could find it. So for a third time a shootout was needed to decide the final point between the Smoke Eaters and Vipers with Vernon scoring the winner in the sixth round courtesy of Max Borovinsky. The Smoke Eaters do pick up a valuable pint that does officially clinch them a playoff spot. Now the only thing to be determined is their final position.
The Smoke Eaters have a rare Saturday off before the Wenatchee Wild stop in on Sunday afternoon.
