It's the final game of the season series between the two clubs and could be a factor in creating a re-match of last year's first round playoff series. If Trail gets a couple of more points and finishes 6th they'll play the Warriors. However, a win here could also propel them into a run that leaves them in 5th place and sets up a series with Salmon Arm. A loss could be a step towards finishing 7th and a series with Penticton. This could still go several ways.
I've read some talk on the internet about how the Warriors were using the weekend games to give their 3rd and 4th line guys some ice time. I don't think anyone who was at the games would question the level of Westside's competitive spirit or make that kind of comment about ice time. I didn't notice anything different about their ice distribution outside of injuries messing with the usual mix. This team was competing hard... they just got beat. I think it's fair to say Trail had more to play for and perhaps that gave them an emotional edge. That doesn't mean the Warriors handed those games over.
The bigger issue is not how hard the Warriors compete so much as how much did they miss Trevor Bailey. I don't know if he'll be back in the line-up for this game. If he is maybe we'll see if Bailey was the x-factor. Either way, the Smoke Eaters deserve credit for their wins now just as Westside did for their wins in the first three games of the season series. Now we'll see if Trail can take the kind of game they played at the Cominco Arena on the road. That'll be key if they're going to make some playoff noise. Here's how the season series breaks down...
- Sept 24: Trail 2 at Westside 9
- Dec 9: Westside 3 at Trail 0
- Jan 17: Trail 3 at Westside 7
- Feb 12: Westside 2 at Trail 4
- Feb 13: Westside 1 at Trail 4
Trail: 19-30-1-6 (7-6-0-3 in 2010)
Westside: 35-17-1-2 (9-6-0-1 in 2010)
Just interesting to note how Trail and Westside have both earned points in 10 of 16 games since the new year. If the season had started in January the Smokies would only be 2 points behind the Warriors in the standings. It's a smaller sample size, but it does show that Trail's young roster has made some big strides. Especially when you realize that 5/6 of Trail's regulation losses were during a streak where 6 regulars were hurt. These guys are a serious threat to good teams. At least they unquestionably are in their own building. They still need to prove they can get it done when jumping onto the bus.
POWER PLAY
Trail: 3/21 (14%)
Westside: 6/21 (29%)
TRAIL TOP SCORERS
Nick Sandor (2-3-5)
Scott Jacklin (1-4-5)
Mike Betz (1-3-4)
Paul Mailey (1-2-3)
Travis St. Denis (1-2-3)
Josh McEwan (0-3-3)
WESTSIDE TOP SCORERS
Trevor Bailey (3-3-6)
Quinn Gould (3-3-6)
Alex Grieve (0-6-6)
Kyle Singleton (2-4-6)
Brendan Ellis (2-3-5)
Max French (4-0-4)
Cam Reid (2-2-4)
Tyler Krause (2-2-4)
Grayson Downing (2-2-4)
GOALTENDERS
Kiefer Smiley (TRA) 2-2, 2.75GAA, 0.929%
Kevin Jebson (WES) 3-1, 3.01GAA, 0.924%
Cam Gorchynski (WES) 0-1, 3.01GAA, 0.909%
Garrett Beckwith (TRA) 0-0, 8.00GAA, 0.805%
ROSTER
TRAIL
WESTSIDE
BROADCAST
We'll have the game for you with Nelson Ford Trail Smoke Eaters Play by Play on Mountain FM in the West Kootenay and at www.mountainfm.net
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