In a do-or-die situation, the Salmon Arm Silverbacks staved off elimination, defeating the Penticton Vees 3-2 in overtime – the only team that’s been able to beat the Vees in the 2023 BCHL Playoffs.
The last time the Penticton Vees lost a game was Feb. 4 during the regular season — a 4-3 shoutout loss at the hands of the Victoria Grizzlies. The Vees swept their first two playoff series and were looking to complete a series-sweep hattrick, but the Silverbacks had other ideas.
In the opening frame, it was the visiting Vees who would jump out to an early 1-0 lead, courtesy of Callum Arnott, registering his second goal of the playoffs. The Vees doubled up on the Silverbacks in the shot department in period one, but Salmon Arm netminder Matthew Lovell stopped nine of 10 shots to give his team a chance going into the second.
With just over five minutes remaining in the second period, Ethan Ullrick deposited his fourth goal of the postseason, assisted by Mathieu Bourgault and Maddux Martin, tying the game at one-a-piece, and the score would remain even going into the final period.
To start the third, the Silverbacks were down a man after a Nathan Mackie was penalized for holding the stick with just five seconds remaining in the second, and the Vees made the Silverbacks pay. Penticton forward Aydar Suniev ripped a heavy shot from the blueline, beating Lovell high-blocker side to give the visitors a 2-1 edge.
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With their season on the line, the physicality began to elevate — giving the 1,200-plus fans at Shaw Centre life — which would ultimately spark the home team. As the game approached the midway mark of the final period with the crowd buzzing, Ullrick gave his team and the fans hope, beating Vees netminder Luca Di Pasquo to tie the affair at two.
Regulation solved nothing, setting the stage for an epic overtime between these two Okanagan rivals. Both teams traded chances early on in the extra stanza to end the game, but just over three minutes into period four, Silverbacks forward Issac Lambert scored the game-winner, to extend the series to five games while also handing the Vees their first loss in three months.
The Silverbacks’ effort against a team that has been heavily favoured to win the series, earned some high praises from the team’s head coach following the win.
“They’re the best team in the league for the last two years, right, so it’s one of those measuring stick games for guys,” said Silverbacks head coach, Tyler Shattock.
“That’s what you want to see out of your team, is a bunch of guys that will compete against the best guys.”
Despite being down 3-1 in the series, Shattock said Wednesday’s win should provide life for his group.
“Anything can happen, you just have to win one,” said Shattock.”
“We’ll take it one game at a time — obviously we’ve got to go back to Penticton and steal one out of there.”
Game 5 in Penticton gets underway at 7 p.m. on Friday, and once again it’s a must-win situation for Salmon Arm. Meanwhile, a win for Penticton would send them to the BCHL Final for the second-consecutive season.
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