Game Day | BRK at TRA
The Smokies host the Brooks Bandits tonight with a score to settle.
The last time the defending BCHL Champions were in Trail on November 21, the visitors skated off with a 4-2 victory following a fast, emotional and physical 60 minutes of action.
The Bandits opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal on a penalty shot after a controversial call.
Trail would battle back to tie the game twice, but a defensive zone breakdown led to the winning goal with about five minutes remaining and Brooks would add an empty net goal with about 20-seconds left on the clock.
The Smokies won the season series opener 4-3 in overtime. Christian Kim capped a sensational 42 save effort by goalie Cooper Michaluk scoring about nine minutes into the tie-breaking period on October 4 in Brooks.
The two teams are second in their divisions as Trail is trying to chip away at the four points separating them and the West Kelowna Warriors.
The Bandits are six points back of Blackfalds but have two games in hand on the Bulldogs.
The Smokies have won four straight home games, while the Bandits have won four in a row on the road.
Trail will be without hulking shut-down defenseman Max Hense who is with the German National team preparing for the World Junior Hockey Championships in Minnesota.
Defenseman Owen McCarthy is doubtful with a lower body injury that has kept the 17-year-old from Trail out of the lineup for the last four games.
Tonight’s game will mark the Smokies debut of centreman Bronson Hunt.
The 20-year-old arrived earlier this week from St. Cloud, Minnesota of the North American Hockey League where he had three goals and six assists in 11 games.
Meanwhile, Matthew Keller will play his first game at Cominco Arena in a Smokies uniform after making his debut last Saturday in West Kelowna.
The 6’3″, 205-lb defenseman from Calgary joined the team on the road after being acquired in a trade with the Prince George Spruce Kings.
This is also the only game this weekend for the Trail troupe, with the puck dropping at 7 o’clock. Good seats are still available at Tickets.TrailSmokeEaters.com.