Game Day | NAN at TRA
Tonight’s BCHL tilt in Trail is a tale of two teams on contrasting streaks.
The Smoke Eaters are looking to put the brakes on a four game slide and recapture the magic of the preceding franchise record 14-game winning streak.
The Nanaimo Clippers cruise into Cominco Arena on a league-high 10-game points streak, with eight wins and two overtime losses during that stretch.
The Smokies outshot and out chanced Cranbrook on Wednesday, but a pair of pucks off goal posts and a solid 33-save performance by Bucks goalie Jaden Cholette contributed to the 3-2 win by Trail’s Kootenay rival.
The Smoke Eaters remain the third highest scoring team in the BCHL, despite being held to a total of five goals over the last four games.
The Smokies have continued to create numerous scoring opportunities, but in addition to hitting posts and cross bars, they have had many near misses from prime scoring areas.
Jason Stefanek scored his 25th goal of the season Wednesday and continues to lead the team with 51 points; one ahead of line mate and fellow California kid, Christian Kim. They are 9th and 10th respectively in the BCHL points race.
Another two assists on Wednesday gives line mate Zach Coutu 19 points in his 15 games in a Smoke Eaters uniform.
The Clippers are paced by a pair of proficient point producers.
Dylan Kinch is tied for fourth atop the BCHL points parade with 57, while Cole Lonsdale is tied for sixth, just a pair of points back at 55.
The Clippers also have a prolific power play.
They boast the BCHL’s second highest percentage for goals with the man advantage at 30.4% overall and are also second best on the road at 28.6%
Nanaimo got off to a slow start to the season and despite sitting seventh in the Coastal Conference, are just four points out of fourth place which means home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
The Smokies remain third in the Interior, eight points up on Salmon Arm and Sherwood Park, while hoping to reel in second place Brooks, whom they trail by five points. Trail’s primary goal remains securing home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Ryan Parker is the projected starter in goal tonight for Trail.
The 19-year-old from the Victoria area has been stellar in his last five starts with a goals against average of 2.60 and a save percentage of .930.
That includes a superlative 49-save effort in a sensational 4-3 overtime victory in Penticton two weeks ago.
Game time at Cominco Arena is 7 p.m. Great seats are still available at Tickets.TrailSmokeEaters.com.