The Trail Smoke Eaters’ torrid scoring pace continued over the weekend rolling to their fifth straight win with a pair of victories over the Chilliwack Chiefs and Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
The Smoke Eaters beat the Chiefs 7-3 at home on Friday before capturing their sixth win of the season in a 6-4 victory over the Silverbacks in Salmon Arm Saturday. The Smokies tallied 20 goals in their past three matches and lead the league in scoring with 37 goals in just eight games this season. The Smokies dynamic trio of Ross Armour, Kale Howarth, and Levi Glasman lead the BCHL in scoring with Armour on top with six goals and 17 points, Howarth in second at 10-6-16, and Glasman in third with 3-10-13.
On Saturday, Braedon Tuck and Howarth each had a goal and two assists to lead the Smokies to their second straight road win over the ‘Backs.
Ryan Moon opened the scoring 3:57 into the game beating Salmon Arm goalie Bo Didur for his second of the season.
Six seconds after the Silveracks’ Rhett Kingston was sent off for hooking, Kale Howarth converted a Tuck and Jeremy Lucchini set up for a 2-0 lead at 14:29. Logan Mostat put Salmon Arm on the board netting his third of the season on the power play midway through the period, but Tuck restored the two goal lead on another power play marker with 3:30 to play in the opening frame.
The Silverbacks Hudson Schandor made it 3-2 on the fourth power-play goal of the period beating Trail goalie Tanner Marshall in close, as the ‘Backs outshot the Smokies 10-5 in the period.
Salmon Arm found the equalizer at 16:25 of the middle frame on a Trevor Adams tally, but Ryan Murphy finished a pretty passing play with Daine Dubois and Tuck for the 4-3 lead heading into the third.
Salmon Arm struck fast just 42 seconds into the final stanza on Kingston’s fifth goal of the season to tie it at 4-4, however, 11 seconds later Spokane native Carter Jones put Trail up for good, beating Didur on a nice dish from Moon for the game winner.
Trail captain Troy Ring then notched his second of the season midway through the period and Marshall shut the door the rest of the way with 28 saves on the night, while Didur stopped 19 Trail shots in the 6-4 final. Trail went 2-for-5 on the power play and Salmon Arm was 2-for-8.
Howarth was named the game’s first star for the second consecutive night, with the ‘Backs’ Schandor earning the second-star nod and Tuck the game’s third star.
On Friday, in front of close to 1800 home fans, Howarth scored a hat trick and Ross Armour and linemate Levi Glasman had four-point nights in the 7-3 Smoke Eaters win over the Chiefs.
Howarth opened the scoring in the first and Seth Barton made it 2-0 just 2:25 later, prompting Chilliwack to make a goalie change. Armour made it a three-goal lead early in the second before Skyler Brind’Amour got the Chiefs on the board near the midway point of the middle frame.
Armour and Howarth then added tallies for the Smokies making it 5-1 going to the third.
Kaden Pickering and Ryan Miotto scored in the third for Chilliwack but Howarth completed his hat trick and Spencer McLean added an empty-net goal when the Chiefs went for the extra attacker on a man advantage with 15 minutes left.
Howarth, Armour, and Levi Glasman were named the game’s three stars.
Chilliwack outshot Trail 41-33 but Trail goalie Brandon Wells was outstanding in net, earning his third victory, while sporting a 2.36 goals-against average, and a .918 save percentage through five starts.
Trail embarks on its longest road trip of the season, and face the Powell River Kings on Friday, Alberni Valley on Saturday, and the Chiefs in Chilliwack on Sunday.
