The Trail Smoke Eaters found a way to grind out four points against Island Division teams, and keep over 1,800 fans on the edge of their seats with a couple of character wins at Cominco Arena on the weekend.
Trail rallied on Friday to complete a thrilling 6-4 comeback victory over the Cowichan Valley Capitals, then jumped out to a 4-0 first period lead against the Powell River Kings on Saturday and held on for a nail-biting 4-3 win.
“The big thing is, from last week we had a 3-0 lead in Nanaimo and lost in a shootout, and tonight we had a big lead and found a way to win the game,” said Smoke Eaters head coach and GM Jeff Tambellini. “So our process is done. We’re in the business of getting points, I don’t care how we do it. We’re learning to do it the right way, and tonight we found a way to game it out and win and that’s the main thing.”
In Saturday’s match, the Smokies Trevor Zins scored what proved to be the winning goal with 80 seconds remaining in the first period. Smokies forward Sean Donaldson knocked a hard pass out of midair at the blue line and fed d-man Zins who tucked it past Kings goalie Mitch Adamyk for a 4-0 Smokies lead.
The goal was Zins’ fourth of the season and 10th point, as the rugged blue liner continues to shine, making a big hit on Powell River captain Ben Berard in the first period that put him out of the game.
The victories give Trail a 7-3-2-1 record, and leaves the Smokies one point back of the 9-6-0-0 Merritt Centennials for first place in the Interior Division with two games in hand.
“When you can sweep a weekend, especially against a team, coming in like Powell River, that’s well coached, top of their division, we’re going to take two points any way we can get it,” said Tambellini.
The Smoke Eaters came out with conviction and took the play to the Kings early. Just over five minutes in, Montrose native and Quinnipiac commit Tyler Ghirardosi gained control of the puck behind the net, then powered his way in front and slipped the puck between the pads of Adamyk for a 1-0 Trail lead.
Powell River had a glorious chance minutes later on a 2-on-1, but starting goalie Tanner Marshall came across to rob the Kings shooter and preserve the lead.
“When you’re in the zone, you’re kind of in a spot where things just happen, and you don’t really think about it, you just try to be in the right spot at the right time and make the save,” said Marshall.
The win was Marshall’s first complete-game victory in three starts this season.
“It feels awesome,” said Marshall. “Being so close the last two games, a couple unlucky bounces that didn’t go our way, but the boys played a full 60 tonight.”
Marshall was pressed into duty Friday night relieving starter Adam Marcoux with five minutes remaining in the second period with Trail down 3-1. Marshall got his first win of the season in the comeback Cowichan contest, and earned the start Saturday, making an impact early with the huge stop.
“We talk a lot about there’s certain scenarios in the game when the game is on the line, and at that point it was a 1-0 game, and if they hit right there it’s a 1-1 game and we’re in a dog fight the whole night, so he (Marshall) gave us a chance to go up 4-0,” said Tambellini.
At 15:59 of the first, Sean Donaldson settled a drop-pass from Whitehorse product Bryce Anderson and sniped a shot from the slot high glove side for his first BCHL goal and a 2-0 Smokies lead. The rookie trio of Donaldson (1G,1A), Anderson (2A), and Michael Hodge kicked their game up a notch, and was one of the Smokies best lines on Friday and Saturday.
“They were the difference in our weekend,” said Tambellini. “This weekend we had the kid-line step up, and we have them in the four-slot right now, but that is not a fourth line. They took over, and they made plays, when the game (against Cowichan) was 3-1 and our top guys weren’t having a good night, they stepped up and made it 3-2 and allowed them time to come back.”
Two minutes later, on a Trail power play, Levi Glasman skated deep into the Kings zone, and made a perfect centring pass to Jeremy Smith, who cut to the net and chipped it by Adamyk to make it 3-0, before Zins finished the scoring for Trail.
Powell River picked up its game in the second period. Ryan Pouliot scored on the power play, firing a shot through traffic to beat Marshall just 2:17 into the middle frame. The Kings Ben Thomas then cycled in front and outwaited Marshall with 15:40 to play in the period to cut the lead to 4-2.
Perry Winfree brought the Kings to within one jumping on a rebound at 12:33 of the third, but Marshall stymied the Kings the rest of the way, particularly in the late going when he made a blocker save off a point blank shot in the slot, then made an even bigger glove save on the rebound.
Powell River pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with two minutes remaining. Trail played tight defensively, and Marshall stood tall, making the stops and corralling the rebounds as the Kings swarmed the Smokies goal in the final minute.
“It was huge when the guys were blocking shots,” said Marshall. “They could have scored a couple there but our defencemen and forwards made some huge blocks.”
Powell River outshot Trail 10-3 in the third period, yet, the Smokies held a 28-27 edge in the game. Trail went 1-for-5 on the power play, while Powell River was 1-for-4.
Donaldson earned the game’s first star, with the Kings’ Thomas the game’s second star, and Trail defenceman Diarmad Dimurro third star. Marshall was named Fortis Energy Player of the Game.
In Friday night’s match against the Capitals, Trail came back from a 3-1 deficit late in the second period, to defeat Cowichan 6-4. Hayden Rowan netted a hat trick for Trail, and Ghirardosi’s wicked wrister over the shoulder of Capitals goalie Matthew Waite proved to be the game winner just over five minutes into the third period.
Trail forwards Michael Hodge and Braeden Tuck also scored, while Adam Conquest, Olivier Gauthier, Lucas Vanroboys, and David Melaragni tallied for the Caps.
Trail outshot Cowichan 27-19 with Rowan taking first-star honour, Ghirardosi second star, and former Smoke Eater Ryan Moon the game’s third star.
“That’s the difference, that’s how we built this team is through depth,” added Tambellini. “We’re starting to get some pieces back and build this roster the way we want. A guy like (Trevor) Peca stepped up in the first weekend and had a massive impact and now we have four deep lines.”
The Smoke Eaters travel to Vernon on Wednesday for a tilt against the Vipers in the Snake Pit at 7 p.m. Trail then hosts Chilliwack and West Kelowna on Friday and Saturday.
