Thursday night in Prince George, the Spruce Kings got revenge on the Silverbacks after losing with less than a second left in the game on Jan. 10 at the Shaw Centre.
The Spruce Kings’ sticks exploded in the opening 20 minutes as they racked up a commanding five-goal lead.
Zach Dyment was given his 11th start of the season, but was pulled after giving up two goals on seven shots.
“Our first three shifts were really positive, and then in the next 10 minutes, the wheels fell off,” said Silverbacks head coach Brandon West.
Goals by Carson Bolduc, Bryden Marsh and Taylor Maruya brought the ’Backs to within two goals, but soon after Prince George resurrected their three-goal lead and added two more goals on their way to the 8-3 win.
“There weren’t many positives to take away from the trip to PG, so we worked on a few team-building things on the bus ride back home.”
Saturday evening the Silverbacks hosted the Island Division’s top team – Nanaimo Clippers.
“We hit the reset button after PG, and the boys knew we had to respond,” West said.
Salmon Arm started the game with a lot of pace and held on to a majority of the puck possession.
Their constant forecheck paid off just over six minutes in as Josh Blanchard was all alone at the left faceoff circle and rifled a wrist shot over the glove of the Clippers goaltender, Guillaume Decelles, to open the scoring.
Chase Priskie took a delay-of-game penalty for shoving the net off its moorings during a chaotic scramble in front of Angus Redmond, that would result in Nanaimo equalizing on the power play.
Jacob Hanlon gave the visiting team the lead early in the second, before Blanchard hit the post looking for his second of the game.
The ’Backs tied the game four minutes later when Taro Hirose, deflected Andrew Farny’s shot from the point.
Farny gave the Silverbacks the lead after squeezing a shot between Decelles’ pad and the post from a tight angle on the left side.
Nanaimo added another goal, again tying the game.
Shane Danyluk’s gritty play in front of the Clippers net paid off on the man advantage as he tipped a Farny point shot past Decelles, restoring Salmon Arm’s lead.
The Clippers scored the only goal in a free- flowing third period forcing overtime.
Only 46 seconds into the extra frame Blanchard scored the game winner, putting an end to the seesaw battle.
Less than 24 hours after Saturday’s thriller, the Silverbacks were back in action at the Shaw Centre in a matinee game against the Powell River Kings, another one of the Island Division’s best.
Powell River took advantage of their size and speed and caught the ’Backs flat footed scoring two goals in the opening frame.
Early in the second, an aggressive forecheck by Bolduc caused a turnover.
He centred a pass into the slot to a wide open Danyluk, who placed a perfect shot over Brett Magnus’ right pad and under his blocker.
After that goal, the Kings took control, causing many nervous moments in front of Redmond.
Despite the Kings attacking presence they were only able to muster a single goal in the second period, thanks to solid goaltending and defensive awareness.
Danyluk scored his second of the game, and his ninth of the season, off an offensive zone faceoff.
With time running out on the clock in the second, Farny’s blast from the point had eyes through the traffic and beat Magnus.
Salmon Arm started the third period on the front foot and controlled the majority of the play, but couldn’t find a break through.
On the power play, a bouncing puck caused a two-on-one for the Kings.
A great cross-ice feed by Mitchell Hawes to, Powell river’s leading scorer, Jarrid Lukosecicius gave the Kings the 4-3 lead with three-and- a-half minutes left in the game.
The ’Backs furiously looked for an equalizer and with Redmond pulled, could not find a late goal to force overtime.
With a game in hand on the Warriors the Silverbacks now sit five points out of fourth place and a playoff birth.
“We are fighting for our playoff lives, we just have to take one game at a time,” said West.
The ’Backs head out on a five-game road trip, their longest of the season, to the Island to face Victoria, Port Alberni and Nanaimo, before returning to the Interior to play Penticton and Vernon. The road trip is the start of a grueling six games in nine days for the Silverbacks. “Throughout all the injuries and suspensions the guys have remained positive, and I think our attitude is something that has really carried our team.”
The ’Backs won’t return to the Shaw Centre until Saturday, Jan. 31.
