Merritt B.C. – CanucksBanter

By Andrew Chernoff CanucksBanter

The Trail Smoke Eaters were looking to get the monkey off their back and get their first win of the season in Merritt on the back end of a two game road trip to start their new season.

Besides a win, Trail was looking for their first lead of the season and their first power play goal, which escaped them in a 7-1 loss to Penticton the night before.

Trail accomplished both but it wasn’t pretty. The Smokies were led offensively by Adam Parsons (2-2=4) and Nicholas Remissong (2-0=2) with 2 goals each; Mathieu Cobetto-Roy (1-1=2); Jordan Hendry (1-0=1); Juck Brody (1-0=1); Adam Marshall (0-2=2); Brady Hunter (0-2=2); Judah Makway (0-1=1); Alec Whipple (0-1=1).

Merritt outshot Trail 30-28. Trail 3 for 4 on the power play and 3 for 3 on the penalty kill.

Trail goalie Teagan Kendrick stopped 22 of 23 shots in relief while Smokie starter Cole Tisdale was 4 for 7.

The Smokies continued to struggle though falling behind 1-0 just over two minutes into the opening period before they settled down and tried to play their game and find the equalizing goal to tie the game.

Instead Merritt scored two quick goals in the last two minutes of the first half of the period to take a 3-0 advantage resulting in Trail goalie Cole Tisdale being replaced by Teagan Kendrick after 3 goals on 7 shots.

The Smoke Eaters played with desperation after that and began to take the game to Merritt, drawing a penalty and scoring their first power play goal of the season by Jordan Hendry to pull within two goals at 3-1.

Juck Brody, 47 seconds later would bring Trail within one goal of tieing up the game at 3-2.

Less than three minutes later Nicholas Remissong would erase the three goal deficit knotting the game at 3-3 for Trail going into the first period intermission.

Trail would continue to play well early on in the second period continuing to put pressure on the Centennials in their own end, moving the puck around in the offensive zone and getting scoring chances, with Smokie goalie Teagan Kendrick not too busy.

Remissong and Adam Parsons would make it five unanswered goals for Trail and a 5-3 lead before the Centennials would finally answer in the final minute of the middle period, to get Merritt within one goal at 5-4.

Smokies Jordan Hendry would leave the game in the second period after being brought down behind the Merritt net racing for the puck, and would not return to the game.

Shots were 24-21 after two periods for Merritt. Trail 3 for 4 on the power play and 3 for3 on the penalty kill.

The Smokies continued to feel it at the start of the final period as Trail took a two goal lead at 6-4, on an unassisted goal by Adam Parsons, his second of the game, 18 seconds into the 3rd.

Trail played well defensively in the final frame while continuing to get scoring chances and offensive time in the Merritt end to extend their lead, keeping the Centennials at bay.

With less than two minutes left Merritt pulled their starting goalie to pull within a goal but Trail would score into an empty net to seal their first victory of the young season, at 7-4. Mathieu Cobetto-Roy with the empty-netter.

September 24, 2022

Smoke Eaters Suffer 7-1 Opening Season Loss To Penticton Vees Last Night

By Trail Smoke Eaters

The Smoke Eaters will look to bounce back from their opening night loss to the Penticton Vees as they head over the Okanagan Connector into Merritt to take on the Centennials.

The Smoke Eaters will look to go into Merritt and pick up their first two points of the new campaign.

The Smoke Eaters had success against the Centennials last season with a 4-1-0 record. But Nicola Valley has been a tough building to play in with the Smoke Eaters 4-5-0 in Merritt over the last few season’s, Pod season excluded.

The Smoke Eaters will look to build off the positives of Friday night, in parts of the first and third periods.

To be fair, there was also parts of the penalty kill the Smoke Eaters will like, despite allowing three goals. But when you get a 7 minute major penalty power play assessed against you, and one of the best offences in the league in Penticton, a goal is surely bound to end up in the net.

After the opening night nerves the Smoke Eaters will look to play more of their game tonight in Merritt.

Smoke Eaters leading scorers:

Parsons (1-0-1)
Bushy (0-1-1)

The Centennials are also coming off an opening night loss, as they hosted the Cranbrook Bucks on Friday night.

Cranbrook jumped out to a early lead on the road quickly putting three up on the Centennials in the opening period, and hung on for a 5-2 win.

Merritt will have some familiar faces in their lineup that Smoke Eaters fans will recognize, with Walker Erickson, Jackson Krill and Christian Lowe all members of the Centennials this season. The Cents will look to be more like the team of the second half from last year, hard to play against.

As they turn the page on their 50th anniversary season, Head Coach Curtis Toneff will be looking to get his side back in playoff contention.

Centennials leading scorers:

Farren (1-0-1)
Johnson (1-0-1)
Erickson (0-1-1)
Murray (0-1-1)
Patella (0-1-1)

Source: trailsmokeeaters.com