Kale Howarth got the Trail Smoke Eaters playoff quest off on the right foot Friday night.
Howarth scored his second goal of the game five minutes into the first overtime period to lift the Smokies to a 6-5 win over the West Kelowna Warriors in Game 1 of their best-of-seven Interior Division quarterfinal.
The goal capped off a see-saw game that had West Kelowna holding 3-1 lead after the opening 20 minutes.
But Trail roared back in the second period scoring four times in the first four minutes and 26 seconds to take a 5-3 lead.
Jeremy Lucchini, Andre Ghantous got things started in the middle frame before Howarth, with his first, and Tyler Ghirardosi scored 12 seconds apart to stun the Warriors.
Not to be outdone, West Kelowna regrouped before the end of the period thanks to two goals from Ryan Steele to complete his hat trick after 40 minutes.
With the game tied 5-5, Trail poured it on in the third period outshooting West Kelowna 24-3 but couldn’t get the go-ahead goal past Warriors goalie Nick Armundrud.
That is until Howarth ended things with assists going to Ross Armour, his third helper of the game, and Levi Glasman.
Adam Marcoux got the win stopping 23 shots.
Meanwhile Warriors sniper Chase Dubois collected two goals and three assists for a five-point night.
Game 2 goes tonight (Saturday) at the Cominco Arena.
