Coming off a 4-1 loss to Trail last Wednesday night Salmon Arm redeemed themselves at the Shaw Centre in the second half of a home-and-home series with the Smoke Eaters last Friday.
Trail opened up the scoring in the first period when Charlie Zuccarini collected his own rebound and slotted in his ninth goal of the season.
Just 18 seconds after Trail took the lead, Silverbacks rookie Karl El-Mir tied up the game, scoring his first goal in the BCHL.
Shane Danyluk won the faceoff at centre ice and worked the puck into Smoke Eaters zone, and centred it from behind the goal to El-Mir in the slot, who fired it in.
The ’Backs would go on to score two more quick goals on the man advantage, coming from the team’s two top scorers, Taro Hirose and Andrew Farny.
Salmon Arm went two for three on the power play against Trail, and now hold the third best power play in the league, at 27.59 per cent.
With five minutes left in the first period, a fight broke out between the Silverbacks Taylor Maruya and Trail’s Harlan Orr.
Maruya lost his helmet at the beginning of the altercation, and in a split second was wrestled down, and hit his head on the ice.
“It was a very scary incident, we are just glad it was not worse,” says Silverbacks head coach Brandon West.
Tyrol Deeg, the ’Backs trainer was quickly by Maruya’s side, while Maruya was lying on the ice.
With the help of Deeg, Bryden Marsh and Thomas Plese, Maruya was able to laboriously leave the ice, noticeably shaken.
Maruya did not return to the game, due to a mild concussion.
In the Second period, ’Backs defenceman, Bennett Morrison coughed up the puck in the slot to former Silverback, Connor Brown-Maloski, who made no mistake beating Zach Dyment.
In similar fashion to the first period, the Silverbacks answered back with a goal of their own, only 38 seconds after Trail’s, restoring their two-goal lead.
Captain, Bryden Marsh scored his fourth of the season and Hirose scored his second of the game and sixth of the season to round out the second period.
The Silverbacks ran into penalty trouble in the third period, and successfully killed off a minute long five-on-three.
Just as the first penalty ended, Trail found the back of the net to cut Salmon Arm’s lead to three.
Salmon Arm would finish the game off with an empty net goal, the final score 7-4.
For the second Sunday in a row the ’Backs played a matinee game, hosting the Penticton Vees, at the Shaw Centre.
Angus Redmond and the Vee’s net minder, Brendan Barry, were undoubtably the best players for both teams making many big game saves.
In the dying minutes of the game Penticton would add an empty net goal to put the game out of reach for the Silverbacks, winning 3-1.
Only two points separate the bottom of the Interior Division and second place, the Silverbacks now boast six wins, six losses, and two overtime losses.
“In our locker room and offices we are not satisfied with where we are, but we are still competitive in our division, which is important,” West said.
The Silverbacks will play the first game of a home-and-home series at the Shaw Centre on Friday, Oct. 31 against the West Kelowna Warriors.
The two teams have not yet met in the regular season, but played two pre-season games, resulting in a tie and a dramatic Silverbacks overtime winner scored by Taylor Maruya.
“They are a very good team with a lot of experience, we will just have to make the most of the chances we get.”
It is still unknown whether or not Maruya will return to action on Friday.
“Taylor is doing fine, we are just taking it day by day with him, he doesn’t have any pain which is positive,” said West.
