The Trail Smoke Eaters won their fourth straight game with a crucial Interior Conference victory over the Vernon Vipers on Saturday at the Cominco Arena.
The Smoke Eaters skated to a dominant 6-2 victory over the Vipers, after a 5-2 conference win over the Prince George Spruce Kings at home on Friday.
Trail also defeated conference rivals West Kelowna Warriors and Salmon Arm Silverbacks the previous week, a positive and promising move in the right direction with just six games remaining and the BCHL playoffs on the horizon.
Christian Kim scored the game winner, notching his ninth of the season on the power play to give the Smoke Eaters a 3-1 lead 4:18 into the second period.
The wins lift the 25-17-6-0 Smoke Eaters to within one point of the fourth place Vipers, and a possible home ice advantage in the playoffs. With the two victories, the Smoke Eaters are guaranteed a winning record this season.
Mathieu Cobetto-Roy scored his first of two on the night at 4:54 of the opening frame, finishing a setup from Gryphon Bucci and Lucas Lemieux for a 1-0 Smoke Eaters lead.
Vernon forward Hank Cleaves tied it 2:30 into the second, but Trail forward Ridge Dawson set up Jason Stefanek to make it 2-1 at 4:18.
After Kim’s game winner, Trail product Nathan Dominici and Kailus Green found an open Judah Makway who beat Vernon goalie Ethan David for a 4-1 Smokies lead midway through the middle frame.
Viper Luke Pakulak beat Trail goalie Teagan Kendrick to cut the lead to two heading into the third period.
However, added insurance from Cobetto-Roy, his 25th of the season, and Adam Marshall’s 16th rounded out the scoring and the 6-2 final.
Trail outshot Vernon 48-26, and went 2-for-7 on the power play, and 2-for-4 on the penalty kill.
Cobetto-Roy (2G, 1A) earned first star honour, Cleaves second star, and Bucci third star.
Dawson earned the Fortis Energy player of the Game with three assists on the night. Dawson has been on fire, scoring seven goals and 13 points in the last nine games, while contributing 21 goals and 37 points in 46 games this season.
On Friday, the Smoke Eaters played tight defensively allowing just 14 shots through three periods on their way to a 5-2 win over Prince George.
After a scoreless first period, the Spruce Kings were first to strike on a Ben LeFranc goal 3:45 into the middle frame.
Smokies forward Maxim Potvin tied it, before Spruce Kings forward Luca Primerano put the visitors up 2-1.
Marshall tied it midway through the second, and Nathan Dominici scored the game winner, tallying his first goal of the season with 2:06 on the clock to take a 3-2 lead.
Kim and Dawson completed the scoring in the third period for the 5-3 victory.
Trail outshot Prince George 30-14 and went 1-for-2 on the power play.
Dominici earned the game’s first star, Dawson the second and LeFranc third star.
The Smoke Eaters are on the road Friday as they travel to Salmon Arm to face the Silverbacks, before returning to the Trail Memorial Centre for a Saturday tilt against the Cranbrook Bucks. The puck drop is at 7 p.m.