In a tough weekend that saw the Salmon Arm SilverBacks slip from the final Interior Division playoff spot, the team’s focus this week is remaining positive with the knowledge the postseason is still within their grasp.
The West Kelowna Warriors did again what they’ve done all season, downing the ’Backs 5-2 on Feb. 4, the Penticton Vees finally got their first win this season over Salmon Arm with a 3-2 victory Friday and the Gorillas succumbed to an opportunistic Chilliwack Chiefs team 7-4 on Saturday.
The Merritt Centennials, with a win and a loss last week, overtook Salmon Arm for the final Interior playoff spot.
A SilverBacks win over the lowly Chiefs would have prevented that from happening but after two Evan Anderson goals in the first, Chilliwack took over.
“In the first period, we were in total control,” said SilverBacks associate head coach Brandon West.
“In the second period, we missed a couple of assignments and they capitalized. For the game, I think we gave up about seven good chances and they scored on each one.”
Salmon Arm did muster 44 shots on Spencer Tremblay but West thought his players didn’t really force the netminder to make many difficult saves.
“Did we run into a hot goalie? I thought we made him look very good,” said West. “He did make some big saves and kept them in the game.”
The previous night in Penticton, the Vees were able to grind out a one-goal win to defeat the ’Backs for the first time this season.
“They came out checking and seemed to have a bit more compete and battle in them,” said West of the Vees effort.
“I think we got into penalty trouble there in the first period; every time we started building momentum; we had to go on the penalty kill.”
Riley Alferd opened the scoring for Penticton but after Landon Smith tied it in the second, it was goals 1:34 apart by Cody DePourcq and Travis Blanleil that clinched it for the Vees in the second.
Max Becker had a reply but Salmon Arm couldn’t get another puck past Hunter Miska.
Against the Warriors on Feb. 4, the visitors built a 4-0 lead before Salmon Arm could get on the scoreboard.
Taylor Maruya scored in the second and Nick Josephs in the third to get Salmon Arm within two but that’s as close as they got.
“We got behind the eight-ball early there,” said West. “We never really got our feet underneath us. It seems we get ourselves in these positions against them and it was hard to dig out of that hole.”
Some good news is the return of top-line centre Evan Anderson with his pair of goals against Chilliwack an encouraging sign.
“I thought Friday night, he kind of struggled to get back to the pace we need him to play at but now that he’s got a week underneath him… He’s one of the top centres in the league and that’s what we’re expecting,” said West.
Salmon Arm visits Surrey Friday at 7 p.m. and again takes on the Chiefs, this time in Coquitlam Saturday, also a 7 p.m. start.
