The Chilliwack Chiefs’ offensive woes continued Sunday night in a home ice loss to the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
By recent standards, their two goals in a 4-2 defeat was something of an offensive explosion. But six games into the season, Chilliwack’s record sits at 1-4-1 and they’ve scored eight goals.
Total.
This team isn’t going anywhere until someone starts putting pucks in nets.
The Silverbacks opened the scoring 3:21 into period two on a power play goal by Alex Gillies. His goal was officially unassisted, but he had plenty of help from linemate Evan Anderson, who bowled over Chiefs netminder Josh Halpenny as he tried to cover the loose puck.
With Halpenny down and out, Gillies and Landon Smith poked away. Gillies had the last touch, nudging the puck across the line for his ninth goal in nine games.
The Silverbacks doubled the lead at 10:38, with Andrew Farny’s off-balance wrister from 12 feet out squeezing under Halpenny’s arm and dribbling into the net.
Salmon Arm gave the Chiefs plenty of opportunities to get on the board. Chilliwack had five power plays through 40 minutes, striking out on all.
Their first goal came at even strength, scored 2:59 into period three.
Defenceman Cooper Rush earned the assist, flying down the right wing before feathering a pass into the slot.
Ben Butcher snapped it home for his first of the season.
On the next shift, Mathieu Tibbet got a step on the Salmon Arm defence and came in cold on the Silverback net. He went to the forehand and tried to slip the puck five-hole on Silverbacks netminder Adam Clark, but the veteran goalie snapped his leg pads shut to thwart the chance.
The offensively-challenged Chiefs rarely threatened in the third period, and the Silverbacks iced it with 6:59 remaining when Colton Thibault crashed the crease to bang in the rebound from a Zach Urban shot.
Landon Smith scored less than thirty seconds later, beating Halpenny high to the blocker side.
The Chiefs got a late one, with Kurt Black getting a stick on a Rush point shot. Salmon Arm’s Smith wrapped up the scoring with a last-minute empty netter.
The official announced attendance was 1,416.
The three stars were Gillies (first), Clark (second) and Chilliwack’s Kyle Westeringh (third).
Chiefs forward Andrew Sillard was the Fortis BC Energy Player of the Game.
