The Trail Smoke Eaters hit a couple of bumps on their weekend road trip with a 7-4 loss to Salmon Arm on Friday, followed by a 4-1 setback to Prince George Spruce Kings Saturday.
Spruce Kings forward Brent Lashuk broke a 1-1 tie 8:38 into the third period to give Prince George its ninth win of the season. The loss drops the Smoke Eaters into a tie for fourth in the Interior division with Salmon Arm and West Kelowna.
Brian Basilico opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal 57 seconds into the second period. Two minutes later Prince George’s Adam Clements would tie it on the power play as the Spruce Kings outshot the Smokies 20-13 through two periods.
Marco Ballarin would net an insurance marker after Lashuk’s goal, and Lashuk would score his second of the night into an empty net with 1:45 to play to make the final 4-1.
In Friday’s 7-4 win, Salmon Arm gained a measure of revenge for a 4-1 loss to the Smokies on Wednesday in Trail. Taro Hirose scored twice and added an assist for the ‘Backs while Kienan Scott had two goals for the Smokies, and former Silverbacks Harlan Orr and Connor Brown-Maloski each scored a goal for Trail.
See Tuesday’s Trail Times for more on the Smoke Eaters.