The Salmon Arm Silverbacks’ playoff run is at an end after being eliminated by the Trail Smoke Eaters.
The ‘Backs lost the series four games to one after getting the short end of a 7-4 final score at the fifth game of the series in Trail on March 10.
The series began with two consecutive defeats for the Silverbacks in Trail followed by a third at home.
In a do-or-die fourth game of the series, held at the Shaw Centre the ‘Backs managed to keep their playoff hopes alive with a 6-4 win and proceed to game five.
The final game of the series began well for Salmon Arm with Elijiah Barriga sniping an unassisted goal only one minute, six seconds into the game.
Jared Turcotte followed up with a second goal just over two minutes later, assisted by Spencer Hora.
The Smoke Eaters battled back, tallying up three goals from Ross Armour, Braeden Tuck and Luke Santerno before the end of the first frame.
Connor Brown-Maloski stretched Trail’s lead to two goals just past the halfway point of the second period.
Silverbacks defenceman Austin Chorney scored unassisted late in the second, sending the teams into the final frame with a score of 4-3.
Brown-Maloski scored his second of the game early in the third.
When Trail’s Ethan Martini was sent to the box for elbowing, Barriga capitalized on the power play opportunity for his second of the game and fourth of the playoffs.
There would be no Silverbacks comeback as Blaine Caton scored a power play goal for Trail and Mitchell Barker fired one into the empty net in the final minutes.