Game Day | TRA at BRK
The Trail Smoke Eaters outshot and outchanced Blackfalds, but the Bulldogs’ last line of defense was the difference.
Import goalie Kirill Kapustin made 38 saves, including 15 in the first period to secure the 2-1 victory for the basement bound Bulldogs who recorded their fifth straight win, to remain the hottest team in the BCHL.
The 20-year-old Russian’s biggest saves came during a Blackfalds power play in the third period.
He stopped Ridge Dawson on a breakaway as he tried to find the five-hole and stretched his long leg to the near post to stop Judah Makway on the rebound.
Dawson was awarded a penalty shot after being slashed, but Kapustin sprawled with his goal stick extended and prevented the Smoke Eaters captain from getting a shot away.
The Bulldogs took the lead on a late first period power play tap-in by Joey Melo.
Trail tied it during a pressure-packed second period.
Josh Evaschesen made a great move through traffic in front of the net and fed a wide-open Cade De St. Hubert who fired his seventh goal of the season into a yawning cage just past the nine minute mark.
A five-minute checking from behind penalty to Max Hense just over three minutes later led to the winning goal.
A Thomas Neu shot from the point was deflected wide by Luke Dahlen with Melo stationed at the opposite post.
The 19-year-old who was the BCHL’s first star of last week, ripped the bounce off the back boards into the top corner with just less than seven minutes left in the middle frame.
Smokies netminder Teagan Kendrick made his greatest save late in the third period, stretching his leg to rob Dean Toskos who tried a forehand-backhand move in close.
The Smokies were unable to produce the tying tally, including the final 1:33 with Kendrick on the bench for a sixth attacker.
Trail was 0-for-3 on the power play and 1-for-3 on the penalty kill which had shut down 16 straight manpower disadvantages.
The Smokies close out the weekend road trip tonight in Brooks, hoping to follow-up on last Friday’s furious 4-1 win over the Bandits in Trail.
It’s essentially a must-win if they are going to catch the second-place Bandits who beat Okotoks 6-4 last night to sit six points ahead of Trail with five games remaining for both, while Brooks is hoping to close the four-point gap on the league-leading Penticton Vees.
The Smoke Eaters would capture the season series with a win in regulation.
The puck drops at 6 p.m. Pacific Time, with all the action on Mixlr and FloHockey.
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