The Salmon Arm Silverbacks didn’t come out ahead of either home game played at the Shaw Centre this weekend.
The ’Backs played the Penticton Vees on Friday, Sept. 15, and the Trail Smoke Eaters came to town the following night.
In the game against Penticton, the Silverbacks could not come back from giving up five unanswered goals in the opening period against the visiting Vees.
Penticton began running up the score on the Silverbacks just over two minutes after the opening face off as Lukas Sillinger got one by Nic Tallarico who got the start in net for the home team. Sillinger struck again before the halfway point of the first period with a top corner snipe from Tallarico’s right side — assisted by Jonny Tychonick.
Joseph Leahy tallied Penticton’s third goal on the power play.
In the final two minutes of the period, Ryan Sandelin made the score 4-0 Vees with another power-play goal. Just seven seconds later, Sillinger skated in unassisted and completed his hat trick.
The ’Backs pulled Tallarico and put Bo Didur between the pipes for the final minute of the period.
“To be dead blunt about it, even in the first period we out-chanced them and, throughout the rest of the game, I think we outplayed them. But you can’t be giving up five easy goals like that,” said Silverbacks’ head coach Scott Atkinson.
“Tallarico is a really good kid and has done well here in the past. We’re hoping he returns to form but that clearly wasn’t his best effort. He knows that.”
After taking the intermission to regain their composure and with a fresh goalie in net, the Silverbacks came out like a new team in the second frame.
Josh Latta got his team on the board early in the period with help from Tanner Campbell and Riley Hayles.
The ’Backs second goal came from Akito Hirose — punching the puck through heavy traffic in front of the Vees net during a late period power play.
The Silverbacks were looking fit to turn the game around, out-shooting Penticton 15-11 in the second period.
Both teams traded scoring opportunities throughout the third period but both goaltenders held fast.
In the final minute of play, with Silverbacks forward Marcus Mitchell in the penalty box on a slashing call, Jared Nash was able to sneak one by Didur to wrap up a 6-2 win for Penticton.
The home team lost a narrow decision against Trail the following night in front of 803 spectators.
The Smokies’ Jeremy Lucchini opened the scoring, beating Didur with a power-play goal.
Nearing the end of the first frame, Latta got the equalizer for the Silverbacks, assisted by Justin Wilson and Rhett Kingston.
The ’Backs pressured Smoke Eaters’ goalie Tanner Marshall throughout the first period, peppering the net with 25 shots.
Trail forward Kale Howarth gave his team the lead four minutes into the second period.
Demetri Kambeitz tied the game up for Salmon Arm — the first ever BCHL goal for the Parker, Colorado product. Just over a minute later, Kingston gave the Silverbacks their first lead of the game.
The home team held onto their lead until the final two minutes of the period when Howarth and Andre Ghantous tallied up two goals for Trail in quick succession.
Marshall held on, preserving Trail’s lead through the third for the win.
The Silverbacks out-shot the visitors 54-28.
“There wasn’t just 54 shots – we were all over them,” Atkinson said.
Atkinson said that goaltending impacted the team’s results in both games. He said both ’Backs goaltenders recognize they have played better in their careers and also had stronger outings in the preseason.
Up next for the Silverbacks is the BCHL showcase held at the Prospera Centre in Chilliwack from Sept. 20 to 24. The ’Backs will meet the Surrey Eagles and the Cowichan Valley Capitals on the ice, and have a chance to watch the rest of the league’s teams in action.
Atkinson says he can’t gripe about the team’s work ethic as he feels there is reason for optimism going forward.