Game 11: Trail 5 Meritt 4

(Paul Donaldson and myself on Mountain FM night)

Click here for the boxscore: http://www.bchl.bc.ca/leagues/hockey_boxScores.cfm?clientID=1413&leagueID=2393&gameID=573443

Tonight the Smokies host Merritt for the second of back to back games. Last night was Mountain FM night at the Cominco Arena and Trail's effort was a bit sloppy. However, Trail found a way to win on a night where they didn't necessarily play their best game. That's one of the signs of a good team. Brandon Clark proved again he can be a clutch scorer. That's another game winner for the veteran defenceman. Andrew Pickering, JF Boisvert, Ryan Bulach and Paul Mailey all had two points on the night. That being said, the Smokies are certainly hoping for a better effort tonight.


(Porterfield celebrates after setting up Dylan Walchuk's first BCHL goal - Photo Randy Emery)
How cool was it to see Smokies AP forward Dylan Walchuk score in his first BCHL game. Last year the Smokies didn't get any goals from AP players. Nice job, Dylan! He's having a great season so far for Nelson in the KIJHL as well. Hopefully he'll be a big part of the Smokies for years to come.

As it stands right now the Smokies are tied for second place in the Interior Conference and a single point out of first. They've also scored more goals per game (and goals period) than any other team in the Conference. You have to like that. I'm one of the people who wondered where the goals were going to come from for the Smokies this season. So far the answer is everywhere! Six players are averaging at least a point per game. Ten are averaging at least half a point per game. That kind of depth allows you to come up with wins when some of your guys are hurt or having off nights. Things are looking good right now.

That being said in talking to some of the guys last night they all felt it was a bit of an ugly game. Here's some audio from those discussions that we had on Mountain FM's Overtime live from the game:

• Smokies Coach Jim Ingram Part 1, Part 2
• Smokies Defenceman Brandon Clark Part 1, Part 2
• Smokies Forward Andrew Pickering
• Smokies AP Forward Dylan Walchuk

The crowd of over 800 was pretty solid for a Wednesday game! Glad to see that. Trail outdrew the Cowichan Valley Capitals game last night. Sometimes the actual attendance at Smokies games can seem smaller than it is because of how many people stand up instead of sitting in their seats. Last night was also the first time we had fans in our Mountain FM VIP section. Stay tuned to Mountain FM as you could win those seats with free food, drinks and prizes.

Merritt was much improved last night from the last time we saw them. They're a scrappy team and you have to work for everything you get when playing them. Trail learned yesterday they absolutely can not underestimate the Cents. Both teams will be scratching and clawing for two more points tonight. Trail could really use them as they have two big northern road games this weekend and would love to have positive momentum before taking off on the bus tomorrow morning.

Puck drop is 7:30pm at the Cominco Arena.

More Alumni Updates

After hearing from several former Smoke Eaters last week I got an update from G Grant Rollheiser and D Ryan Hill. Again I want to put out the word to any former Smoke Eater that I have not been able to contact; feel free to drop me a line and let me know what you're up to! You can e-mail me at shawnsamsmullin@hotmail.com or mullin@mountainfm.net



One year Smoke Eater Grant Rollheiser at Boston University

Things have been going really well here. Are first exhibition game is on Sunday against the University of New Brunswick. I am really excited about it. It will be the first time experience to actually play in a game at this level. We have our first official games next weekend against North Dakota and Michigan State which is going to be a huge test. Things have been pretty busy, balancing school and hockey isn't easy. But it is good to be going to university and it is a blast. Right now we are working out a tonne both off and on the ice. I cant wait til we start playing games.Hope everything is going well in Trail the team looks like they are off to a pretty good start.

Now I have to admit I got this on the weekend and have been slacking in getting it posted. As a result Rollheiser has all ready played in that game he was talking about. He did quite well too! Check out the game report on his team's blog:

http://terrierhockey.blogspot.com/2008/10/terriers-exhibit-skilled-frosh-in-4-1.html

I also heard from Grant's father who said it was a very good first game for his son. Better start than last year! Rollheiser struggled in pre-season for Trail in 07-08, but was one of if not the best goaltender in the BCHL in the second half. If he starts well this season who knows how good he'll be by the new year! You can follow Rollheiser's Boston University team at terriorhockey.blogspot.com and who knows maybe someday you'll be able to follow Rollheiser on TSN when he's in goal for the Maple Leafs!

Other quick updates:

• Former Trail defenceman Ryan Hill is playing this year in the USHL for Waterloo. That's a great league with a high caliber of play. The main thing for Hill was that it's much closer to his Minnesota home. He tells me the league is a little bit younger than the BCHL, but the hockey is excellent and he's having a lot of fun. That's good to hear! Hill played solid defensive hockey for the Smokies last year. He was also the player who had his jaw broken on a controversial hit (or elbow) by Vernon forward Chris Crowell. Here's hoping he finds his way to an NCAA team next season!
• Former Smokies Captain Kevin Limbert tells me their first game of the year will be an exhibition match up with the University of Ontario at Brown on Halloween. My brother Kyle was a part of the first graduating class out of that school based in Oshawa. I can't imagine they have much of a hockey program at this point, but I certainly could be wrong!

Again I'd love to hear from any Smokies alumni out there at shawnsamsmullin@hotmail.com

Weekend Audio

Here are this weekend's boxscores:

• Salmon Arm 5 Trail 3
• Trail 5 Vernon 2

After a 1-1 weekend against Salmon Arm and Vernon I had a chance to talk to the line that helped lead the Smokies to victory this weekend. Ever since they've been put together the Bulach/Mailey/Boisvert line has been getting the job done at both ends of the ice for the Smokies. The change has helped Boisvert leap to the top of Trail's scoring race. Injuries forced each of them to play with some different guys at times over the weekend, but they produced in every situation. Tonight on Mountain FM's Overtime we took a look back at the two games with each member of the line. Here's what they had to say and some other audio from the weekend:

• Forward Paul Mailey
• Forward J.F. Boisvert
• Captain Ryan Bulach
• Assistant Coach Barry Zanier
• AM Ford Trail Smoke Eaters Hockey: Trail 3 Salmon Arm 5
• AM Ford Trail Smoke Eaters Hockey: Trail 5 Vernon 2

The Smoke Eaters have a rough outing against Salmon Arm, but those same Silverbacks were also the first team to beat Penticton in regulation. Trail rebounded nicely from the loss and played a terrific game against Vernon on Saturday. The Smokies took until January to get a win in Vernon last year, and that took a 40+ save performance by Grant Rollheiser. This time the Smokies controlled the game from whistle to whistle. They had a bit of a let down in the second half of the second period, but they weathered the storm and came back with a huge goal to put them up 4-2.

Next up for the Smokies? Oh just four games in five days. Back to back home games against Merritt on Wednesday and Thursday, Prince George on Saturday and Quesnel on Sunday. For anyone expecting Merritt to be push overs they should think again. The Cents took 5 out of 6 points on the weekend. Teams can get into funks and look a lot worse than they really are. If Merritt has turned a corner here the all ready extremely tight Interior Conference just got tighter. I don't envy Ryan Pinder as he tries to put together power rankings this week.

WEEKEND THREE STARS

1) Paul Mailey (2G, 2A)

2) Ryan Bulach (1G, 2A)

3) JF Boisvert (1G, 2A)

Other Notables: Nick Sandor (2G, 1A), Paul Barclay (1-1, strong game against Vernon)

Lastly I want to wish a speedy recovery to Marco Raimondo, Justin Brown, Riley Loyst and Chad Gehon who all missed some game time over the weekend with injuries. All four are very valuable pieces of the Smokies line-up. Marco will likely be out 4 to 8 weeks. Brown I heard more like 4 weeks. Loyst could be back soon. Gehon's injury is not expected to be a long term problem. Lets hope so! Injuries sure took a big bite out of last year's team and you'd hate to see that again.

Coming up on the blog this week we'll get an update on more former Smokies including Grant Rollheiser and Ryan Hill, I'll tell you about my European Smoke Eater discovery and we'll open the floor to NHL predictions for this season. Yeah it started on the weekend, but the North American season really doesn't start until Thursday.

See you Wednesday and Thursday Smokies fans!

Trail 3 at Salmon Arm 5

The Smoke Eaters have unfortunately been bit hard by the injury bug this week. With forward Riley Loyst out before this week, they have now also lost forward Justin Brown and goaltender Marco Raimondo for extended periods of time. Raimondo's injury could put him out for anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks. It's a big blow to the Smokies who have been running with the best goaltending duo in the BCHL in my view. Thankfully they have veteran Paul Barclay ready to step in and assume the #1 duties all to himself while Marco is recovering. Barclay has shown he is more than up to the task.

The Smokies also brought a couple of AP players with them this weekend. Local goaltender Alex Ross will be backing up Barclay tonight against Salmon Arm and tomorrow in Vernon. Ross will also have to head into Kelowna tomorrow afternoon for his Kootenay Ice Major Midget midget game at 3pm. Talk about a busy weekend. The Raimondo injury happened late in the week and didn't leave a lot of room for planning. There are lots of options for Trail in the area when they have more time to get things set up.

Forward Jacob Perich will also be in the line-up for the Smokies during the two game trip here. He had a very strong showing in Trail's camp this year and has a couple of goals in his first six games playing for Simon Wheeldon's Nelson Leafs in the KIJHL. Perich will be our player profile tonight in the Re/Max All Pro Realty first intermission. I'll let him tell you more about what he brings to the table.

Sean Nugent is suspended for tonight's game. With him, Loyst and Brown out (and Perich in) that leaves the Smokies with 11 forwards. There will be 7 D in the line-up, but one of them may jump up to the forward lines depending on how things are going.

Game time is 7:30pm tonight, with the City of Trail pre-game show at 7:15pm. Should be a fun game tonight. Tune in on Mountain FM.

(Update - Click here for the boxscore: http://www.bchl.bc.ca/leagues/hockey_boxScores.cfm?clientID=1413&leagueID=2393&gameID=573428)

Updates from former Smokies

I've been able to get some brief updates from former Smokies on how their seasons are going so far. Hopefully we'll be able to keep track of these guys as they continue on their new paths this season and beyond. Last year's team has faced its share of criticism, but one thing you can never attack is their character. They were and still are a great group of guys who I have all the respect in the world for. Guys who wore the Smokies jersey with pride and respect. Guys who have made Trail proud by taking their game and their lives to the next level. Few teams sent so many players to the NCAA last season. So lets see what they're up to!

Former Captain and four year Smoke Eater Kevin Limbert at Yale University:

"Hey Shawn, things are going well. Extremely busy with classes and workouts. The Ivy leagues have a late start so for the next couple weeks still most of our training is off ice. Its enjoyable to be back in class, its been a long time since high school haha. Other than that I'm just really looking forward to the season getting underway."

I have to say I'd expect the school to be harder than the hockey at Yale. That says a lot. Limbert is the kind of player who they can put in any situation on that team. He's a guy who can succeed as a scorer and a defensive or gritty player. He'll make waves.

Two year Smoke Eater Stefan Decosse at State University of New York - Geneseo:

"I am in Geneseo, NY and I am loving every second of my time here, it is an incredible group of guys, can not say enough of them! Class is going great, I am keeping up so that's good. We just had our first practise today and it went really well. The team looks to be really good this year, and I think I will have a chance to make an impact! From the sounds of it, you are following a great group (Smokies) of guys this year. It has been fun to be able to listening to the games on Mountain FM, you're doing a great job like always. Can you please do me a favour and say hi to the boys and the coaching staff for me, wish the boys good luck for the upcoming weekend, and hi to the fans of Trail! I would appreciate it, keep up with the updates on the blogs, it has been awesome to be able to follow the Smokies from New York."

He's a class act as always. I know we're all hoping Decosse has an injury free and very successful start to his college career. I'm expecting he's going to light that league up. I also know he's coming for my broadcasting job when he's done with hockey.

Three year Smoke Eater Casey Shade at Wentworth Institute:

"It's going good. I like Boston a lot. My school is a little different cause you have to choose your major your freshmen year and I started out in Construction management but decided to change to civil engineering. All we have had are captains practices and dry land. The training is way harder than Trail was and the school takes up a lot of my time. Was fortunate enough to catch a Red Sox and Yankees game. It's kinda cool seeing people walking around down here with Jason Bay's jersey on."

No kidding, that would be awesome. I was lucky enough to see a game at Yankee stadium a few years back. I still have never been to Fenway. Casey will really make some noise at Wentworth. He'll fill the back of the net. He was kind of the godfather of Trail's Alaska connection. A lot of great players come from that part of the world.

Two year Smoke Eater Scott Warner at West Point Academy:

"We have had non official practices and are skating everyday with workouts after. I just go to school everyday then come to the rink and practice and go to the gym. Things are looking really good. The facilities are unbelievable. School is pretty tuff just getting back into it after being out for a couple years but that's how it goes. Our first game is on the 18th of this month."

Warner made huge strides from one season to the next in the BCHL. I'm sure that will continue as he moves up to the next level. He'll be joined by Patrick Copeland as the former Smokies take over West Point. Certainly speaks to their character.

Two year Smoke Eater David Arduin at Quinnipiac University:

Been here for about a month and a half now, still anxiously waiting the first time I can lace em up in a game. This Saturday October 4th is our annual blue vs gold game, an intrasquad game and this date signifies the official start of the season where we can start practicing as a team for the first time regularly. Upto this point we went through 4 vs 1 sessions for 3 weeks. These are 4 players and a coach on the ice for about 40 minutes. Each player did this twice a week along with conditioning skates as a team with no pucks Tuesday and Thursdays and then a captains practice on Friday which is basically a scrimmage. Intense scrimmage at that. Workouts are everyday with Sunday off, and the workouts are intense and very beneficial for all of us. The rink is amazing the facilities are amazing and treatment is 1st class. Our new gear keeps rolling in and that's always a good feeling. We have our exhibition tournament in Omaha, Nebraska the Oct 19th weekend so that will be good to get in my first real game and then the regular season starts with us hosting UCONN in a non conference game against Matt Turner and the Huskies.

Classes are classes, they are going well. I'm a undecided business major but really enjoying what I'm learning and narrowing it down with what i enjoy studying. I might step up and try and be a double major, marketing and management but well see. A few seniors on the team are doing it and experiencing heavy heavy work loads but i think those are my 2 favourite categories so far.

Dorm life is..... tight. Every billet I ever had has given me a room bigger than my dorm room, only difference is my dorm here has 3 guys in it haha. Its fun tho, the college experience is an amazing one and I truly am having the time of my life. Ive also been watching the BCHL closely and want to give my congrats to the Smokies who are off to a good start with a lot of new faces and hope they can keep it going throughout the season.

That's the most feedback I got from anyone. It seems like things are really going well so far for David at a school that seems very fond of BCHL players. Just this season they locked up Prince George's Zach Davies. The Jones twins will be playing there in a couple of years as well. It's too bad David couldn't end his BCHL career with Trail, but I'd say that is certainly where he made his push to the next level and got himself this scholarship. I'm sure he'll take advantage of it.

One year Smoke Eater Steve Oursov with the WHL's Red Deer Rebels:

Everything is really good. Getting good ice time got a shoot out goal and an
assist so far, but everything is doing good. How is everything in Trail?

Good of course, but wouldn't it be nice to have Oursov back in the line-up this season one year older and better? Sounds like his opinion of the Smoke Eaters played a big part in getting his friend Graeme Strukoff to Trail. That's a big part of how you build a program. He's not the only former Smoke Eater in the WHL right now. Logan Proulx (though he never played a regular season game) is with Edmonton. Lucas Bloodoff is with Kelowna. I'm sure I could be missing some others.

There's a boat load of them in university of pro. Grant Rollheiser, August Aiken and Kevin Koopman starting their first NCAA seasons this year. Several others are still in the NCAA and Canadian schools. Travis Gawryletz is going out for the AHL's Rochester Americans with a spot in the ECHL waiting for him if he doesn't get there. There are current Junior A players scattered throughout North America. We'll do our best to keep you updated on them as the season goes on. It was great to hear from some of the guys. I'm sure they will all continue to make positive steps forward in life. Sometimes that means a hockey career, for others that means taking advantage of these educational opportunities to start a different life. I'm sure they all look back on their time in the BCHL as a great part of their life that taught them a ton of lessons they'll use in whatever they do.

If you have anything to report as a former player or about a former player, please feel free to e-mail me at shawnsamsmullin@hotmail.com or add me on Facebook. I'm easy to get a hold of.

The current Smoke Eaters continue their season with games Friday and Saturday in Salmon Arm and Vernon. You can hear all the action on Mountain FM with AM Ford Trail Smoke Eaters Hockey.

Pinder's Power Rankings Week 4

Here's the link: http://pentictonvees.podbean.com/2008/09/30/weekly-power-rankings-4/

The Smokies jump from 7th to 4th on Ryan's list. I still say almost nothing separates teams 2 through 7. It's kind of exciting that only 4 points separate 1rst through 7th in the Interior. I hope that keeps up.

Prince George Notes and Audio

(Barclay and Muchalla were dueling all night - Photo by Randy Emery)

The Trail Smoke Eaters picked up three out of four points in their back to back games with the Prince George Spruce Kings last weekend. Their goal was to win both games and get all four points, but realistically they have to be somewhat satisfied with the result. Friday's game was as complete a performance as we've seen from the young Smokies. The first period was pretty even and slow, but Trail took over from the drop of the puck in the second period. We also saw what was probably the best fight I've ever seen since I started following Trail. Jadon Porterfield and Jordan Simpson had a terrific battle. Awesome to watch.

This group never seems to react negatively to a deficit. They were down 1-0 in the first game and 2-0 in the second, but came back both times. We saw the same thing several times in the pre-season, against Penticton in the season opener, and it's becoming a routine. I'm sure they'd rather not have to stage these come backs, but it's nice to know they're not rattled by getting down early.

The Smokies completely dominated the Spruce Kings in the second and third periods of Friday's game. There were a few spurts of pressure from Prince George in the third, but Marco Raimondo was always there to shut the door. We also saw Patrick Raley score his first as a Smoke Eater on a beauty. He was deservedly named first star of the game for the goal and strong, physical play in his own zone. Talking to Patrick he really worked hard to improve all elements of his game over the summer. Raley's stronger, faster, in better shape and his slap shot is much improved. That's the kind of off season dedication you need to succeed.

The second game started pretty evenly and slowly. I had the pleasure of broadcasting it on BCHL PPV and in the Fanzone with Shaun Johnson (also of Mountain FM) on our new system up there. Daryl Taylor did a great job with the city to get it set up for us, and apparently the feed back on how the broadcast looked and sounded was very positive. I'll be doing every weekend home game on the internet as well as every single Smokies road game on Mountain FM.

The Smokies sat Travis St. Denis out on Saturday meaning they were running with 11 forwards out there. As a result I felt that things were a little jumbled even in the first period, and it got much worse when both Andrew Pickering and Sean Nugent got kicked out of the game in a big jumbled mess behind the goal. Pickering (though I saw no signal for it initially) was thrown out of the game for a hit from behind. The hit sparked a shoving match between Baldassarre and CJ Legassic and a fight Nugent and Derickson. Since the Legassic/Baldassarre show down was called a fight both Nugent and Derickson got the gate for the second fight after the whistle. If my information is correct, that means both will likely be suspended this weekend as well. The same thing happened with Steve Ourosov last year when he and Paul Mailey each got in a fight right off a draw. Ourosov's was a couple of seconds after Mailey's so he ended up sitting out two games as a result. Without Nugent the Smokies may end up with 11 forwards again for their road games this weekend, but Coach Ingram says they may also end up bringing an AP player. I'll keep you up to date on that. It can't be too far away from the return of Riley Loyst from injury either.

The second period was a disaster for the Smokies. They were completely outplayed. It seemed like being down to 9 forwards sucked the life out of the team. Ingram told me he thought the line confusion also caused problems for the guys and that they have to be able to adapt better. It is tough to be down to only three lines, but as the coach said lots of teams play two or three lines for most of the game and these guys should be in good enough shape to handle it. Paul Barclay was playing spectacularly in goal so the deficit wasn't as huge as it could be. However, when shifty Sam Muchalla got behind the D to deflect a point shot in from McLeod it seemed to deflate Trail. Prince George responded my immediately creating an odd man rush on a very smart play by Zach Davies to jump into the rush.

Trail was lucky to be down only 2-0 after that period. So strange to see each team have such awful second periods in back to back games.


(Gehon scores as Sandor creates traffic - Photo by Randy Emery)

The Smokies didn't look like they had much left in their tank, but they proved otherwise with an inspired third period. The addition of Paul Mailey to the Gehon/Sandor line seemed to give them some life in third. Mailey did a great job digging the puck out of the corner and feeding Gehon for Trail's first goal. Sandor was instrumental in that goal as well. He was creating a ton of traffic in front and gave Gehon a great shooting lane. The goal certainly invigorated the Smokies. Shaun (Johnson my broadcast partner) told me it just felt like the tying goal was inevitable. The Smokies soon delivered on a terrific play by Danny DeKeyser to keep the puck inside the PG zone. He caught the puck, dropped it to his stick and immediate moved it to Patrik Martin who caught the Spruce Kings players moving in the wrong direction. Martin didn't give Genoe time to get set as he quickly released his back hand to tie the game. Both DeKeyser and Martin acted very quickly and that fast judgement and action is absolutely key in executing those kinds of plays.


(Patrik Martin celebrates his goal - Photo by Randy Emery)

The cheer for the Trail bench was louder than usual with Martin scoring the goal. He is clearly very respected in that dressing room. This is a guy who probably won't score 50 points, but he doesn't take a single shift off and rarely if ever makes a mistake out there.

Trail nearly lost their guaranteed point when Sam Muchalla created a couple of great chances. Paul Barclay had to make on unbelievable save, and Patrick Raley made a great defensive play on another. Barclay had at least three sensational stops in the game. The cross crease save is his speciality, but these stops would've made the honour role on Sportscentre any day. Barclay (though he didn't say as much) had to be a little nervous coming back in after the rough start in Quesnel and two straight strong games by Marco Raimondo. These goalies are constantly pushing each other and I know neither wants to let any start slide. Barclay was terrific again and showed why in my opinion Trail has the best one/two punch in the entire league. A lot of teams have great goaltenders (like Genoe) but don't have the depth the Smokies have. One guy struggles or goes down to injury, and Trail can still count on top level netminding. I don't know if you can say that for most other teams. I'd say you can't.

Overtime was tough. The Smokies got penalized for interference early in the 4 on 4. You hate to see that because that format is so exciting to watch at even strength. However, a power play can be absolutely deadly with all that room. The fans and my broadcast partner were both very clear in their distaste with referee Grant Tyson's call. A couple of the players told me they thought it was a little questionable too. However, CJ Legassic's penalty won't be protested back home! His dad posted to this blog to tell me that his son was trying to draw the PG player offside and got caught. Fair enough. I try not to get too into talking about referees and their calls. That being said, I'm one of those people who thinks that borderline calls should probably be left alone in overtime. As Shaun said, if it was a high stick, a cross check, a trip... fine. A borderline interference call like that is hard to swallow.


(Muchalle scores the winner - Photo by Randy Emery)

In hockey though you're not going to get all the calls and you have to buck up and kill the penalty. Trail was doing a pretty solid job of it until a pass hit Jeff Zmurchyk's skate and went right to Sam Muchalla. That lucky bounce gave the Spruce Kings the winner and at least two points for their trip to Trail. That's hockey. Bad bounce to the wrong place and the wrong guy. Muchalla was deadly on Saturday and was absolutely not going to miss a wide open net from that spot. Given how things went down in overtime, the Smokies can still hold their heads high. They played a lousy second period, but responded big time in the third and can be proud of their effort.

Everyone wants to win every game, but Prince George is a darn good hockey team. To get 4 out of 6 points against them so far is a good sign for the Smokies. 10 points in 8 games so far this season is a nice start for a team I expected to struggle a little out of the gate. Not because they lack talent, but with all the new faces and all the rookies I thought their adjustment would be a little bit slower. You have to be optimistic right now about Trail. These guys are only going to get better. Their chemistry is only going to get better. The rookies are going to get more and more comfortable in the BCHL. With all that room to grow and a strong start all ready what's not to like?

This weekend will be another big test for Trail with games in Salmon Arm and Vernon. Only 4 points seperate 1rst and 7th in the Interior Conference right now. There's no room to breath and little room for failure with this much parody. Nobody wants to get left behind or left out. Should be a lot of fun to watch. Tune in to Mountain FM for AM Ford Trail Smoke Eaters hockey both tomorrow and Saturday night to catch the games at 104.1 in Trail, 99.3 in Castlegar, 103.5 in Nelson.

THREE STARS OF THE WEEKEND

Some terrific performances over the weekend so it was tough to narrow down.

1) J.F. Boisvert: 3 assists to lead the Smokies in points over the weekend. He's looked very good with Ryan Bulach and Paul Mailey. Boisvert shows no quit on pucks in the corners and has very good vision with the puck. Has created some great chances with his passing and with his willingness to go to the net. Needs to put home some of the great chances that he missed this weekend though. The puck bounced off his stick a little when he had scoring chances. If he can find the back of the net on those we're talking about a 4 or 5 points weekend instead of a strong 3. Boisvert now leads the Smokies in points.

2) Paul Mailey: 2 assists and both big ones in each game. Has continued to play his very solid all around game all season long. Just now starting to find the score sheet regularly. His insertion to the line with Gehon and Sandor in the third period on Saturday gave them new life. Did a great job digging a puck out in the corner and getting it to Gehon on the 2-1 goal. Showed he is versitile too as he was able to play centre when Trail was short players. Always a very reliable penalty killer as well. Needs to let go of his great, quick shot more than he does. Could be a 30 goal scorer if he did.

3) Patrick Raley: The first star of Friday's game played a strong, physical and reliable game both nights. Made a great play on his first goal of the season. Jumping into the rush more confidently, his shot is better and his play improved a lot after sitting out two games the previous weekend. Made a fantastic defensive play on Muchalla to take away what looked like a sure goal on Saturday.

Without any real break out offensive performances this weekend these stars could have gone to any number of players. Both goalies were very good in their starts, but since they only played one of the games each it felt odd to put them here. They each delivered big time. The whole defensive group played well. DeKeyser's new confidence is really showing in how he is carrying the puck now after he scored against Merritt. Clark and Koshey are making a terrific pairing right now. Bulach has been an extremely hot goal scorer lately with his ability to go to the net and tip pucks from anywhere. Chad Gehon continues to be a game breaking offensive player who make something happen at any time. I could name everyone on the team and talk about something they did well over the weekend. The biggest thing was showing no quit and playing great in the period after they were trailing in both games. That kind of resiliency is huge for a young team like this.

They are passionate, together and mentally strong. Obviously they are still making their share of mistakes. They still run around too much in their zone. However, they are getting better every game and the sky is the limit honestly. It's really fun to watch. I can only hope it continues.

AUDIO

-Smokies Coach Jim Ingram Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
-Smokies forward Patrik Martin
-Smokies forward Chad Gehon
-Smokies goalie Paul Barclay