Clark Steals Another Game For Salmon Arm:

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Clark Steals Another Game For Salmon Arm
 
Friday, February 22, 2013 - Submitted by Don Klepp

Big Adam Clark has made a habit of thwarting the Vipers this season and he did it again as the Silverbacks beat the Vipers 3-2 in Salmon Arm’s last home game of the season.

Clark stopped 28 of 30 shots, many from in close as the Vipers did their level best to make things difficult for the 6'5" netminder. He kept his team in the game and then the ‘Backs broke a 1-1 tie with two goals in 37 seconds in the third period.

Harlan Orr’s power play marker at 4:55 gave the ‘Backs their first lead of the game. The Vernon minor hockey product powered a shot past Danny Todosychuk from the left faceoff circle after he came off the side wall. Then, with the Vipers reeling slightly and the Silverbacks sensing a chance to drive a nail in the Viper coffin, a concerted forecheck resulted in Ryan Schwalbe converting a rebound chance at 5:32.

The two quick strikes culminated fierce Salmon Arm pressure at the beginning of the third period, a bounce back from the second period when the Vipers were all over their hosts. In that second frame, they generated 10 scoring chances but were unable to get the puck past Clark, who was particularly adept at sprawling and lunging to smother second and third chance shots.

After the Silverback pair of goals in the third, the Vipers rebounded with a determined effort, so Clark once again was forced to make a series of desperation saves while on his back or on his side.

The Vipers did break through at 12:25 when Jason Bird joined a raiding party at the Salmon Arm crease and banged in a rebound, but the desperate Vipers could not breach the Clark wall a third time.

This game began with a display of exciting end-to-end action. The Silverbacks outshot the Vipers 12-5 in the opening 20 minutes, largely due to a strategy of shooting from any position at any opportunity. By contrast, Vernon’s strategy was to send players hard to the net for rebounds and attempted tap-ins.

Salmon Arm’s defence did a good job of blocking shots in the opening period, but a Viper forecheck led by Craig Martin created a turnover that resulted in Ryan Renz getting off a shot that was blocked. Mitch McAllister vacuumed up the bouncing disk and fired a high shot that was only partially blocked by Clark.

The Viper elation lasted only 32 seconds because Alex Gillies scored with a rocket following a turnover at centre and a crisp cross-ice pass by Steven Iacobellis to the wide-open Gillies on the left wing.

One of the larger Salmon Arm crowds of the year, including a busload of Viper fans, was treated to an intense, hard-hitting affair that saw the Vipers dish out 46 hits while the ‘Backs responded with 32.   

The Silverback win, their sixth in seven games with the Vipers this season, restores their seven-point lead over Vernon for the last playoff spot in the Interior. However, the Vipers still have a game in hand and the Silverbacks will finish their season with five road games, so that fourth place finish is still possible for the Vipers. Meanwhile, the Vipers have three home games remaining, including the February 23 tilt with Langley.