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Goaltenders battle ends in single point for Trail Smoke Eaters

The Trail Smoke Eaters and Salmon Arm Silverbacks battled to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday in Salmon Arm.
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Trail captain Connor Brown-Maloski scored the loan Smoke Eater goal and Linden Marshall stopped 42 shots in a 1-1 tie with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in Salmon Arm on Tuesday.

A classic goaltenders’ duel ended in a draw on Tuesday night in Salmon Arm, as the Trail Smoke Eaters and Salmon Arm Silverbacks battled to a rare 1-1 tie.

For the second game in a row, Smoke Eaters captain Connor Brown-Maloski netted the lone Smokies goal at 11:16 of the third period on a setup from Mitchell Barker and Jeremy Lucchini to give Trail a 1-0 lead. But with 5:22 remaining, the Silverbacks Carter Stephenson beat Smokies goalie Linden Marshall to tie it and send the game to overtime.

After a four-game win streak came to an end in Vernon in a 5-1 loss on Saturday, the Smoke Eaters embarked on one its busiest weeks in the BCHL season with four-games-in-five-days starting with Salmon Arm on Tuesday and the Penticton Vees last night.

Trail held an edge in shots in the first period 15-11 but couldn’t solve Salmon Arm goalie Nic Tallarico who was named the game’s first star. But the Silverbacks owned the second period, enjoying a five-minute penalty after Josh Laframboise was sent off and given a game misconduct for a blow-to-the-head penalty. The ‘Backs fired 16 shots at the game’s second-star, Marshall, who was unbeatable, while Trail replied with just four shots at the Salmon Arm goal.

The teams traded goals in the third, but solved nothing in the first 4-on-4 overtime with Trail owning a 3-2 edge in shot. The Smoke Eaters enjoyed a power play in the second OT when Carson Bolduc was sent off for tripping, but did not capitalize, as both teams earned a point.

Salmon Arm outshot Trail 43-35 and were 0-for-3 on the power play, with Trail going 0-for-4. Trail remains three points ahead of West Kelowna and Merritt for third place in the Interior Division, and 10 points back of the Vernon Vipers.

Trail played Penticton on Wednesday, however, the Smokies-Vees score was unavailable at press time and will be updated in Friday’s Trail Times. Trail finishes off its season series with the Vees at the Cominco Arena on Friday at 7:30 p.m.