Smokies Turn On The Power:

This is in the Morning Star Newspaper:

Smokies turn on the power
                 
Dec 18, 2015

Black Press Sports

Last thing the Vernon Vipers were worried about going into Trail’s Cominco Arena Wednesday night was the Smoke Eaters’ 13th ranked powerplay.

Surprise. The Smokies went 5-for-11 with the man advantage, scoring three of them in the third period in a 6-3 win before 930 B.C. Hockey League fans.

“It wasn’t like they have the No. 1 powerplay in the league,” said Viper head coach Mark Ferner. “They just had good nights on the powerplay. They found that seam and made some sauce passes across the ice. We made them make the hardest passes and it was our inability to block the perfect shots.”

The Vipers, who lost a drama-jammed 5-4 double overtime tilt to the Penticton Vees before 1,750 fans Tuesday night at Kal Tire Place, are one point ahead of the Smokies for the fourth and final playoff berth in the Interior Division. Vernon hosts the Merritt Centennials tonight and entertain the Powell River Kings in a Sunday matinee to end 2015.

It was 3-3 after 40 minutes with forward Kyle Star – obtained in a recent trade with the Surrey Eagles for Kurt Black – getting the winner at 4:25 of the third. Viper winger Charlie Michalowski was off for hooking.

Kienan Scott supplied his 16th and 17th goals of the year for the Smokies (16-18), while Jake Kauppila, Connor Brown-Maliski and Nick Halloran (his 16th) completed the offence in front of Bailey MacBurnie. Scott’s first snipe came shorthanded, 6:33 into the opening period.

Joe Sacco (6th), Odeen Tufto (15th) and Jimmy Lambert (10th) answered for the Vipers (15-19-0-3) in front of Andrew Shortridge. Trail outshot Vernon 36-33.

The highly physical tilt featured more than 50 minutes in penalties, most coming in the third period when Riley Brandt of the Vipers and Evan MacEachern of the Smokies tangled in a brief fight. Brandt was assessed a major for a hit to the head seconds before the scrap. He is suspended for two games.

“There was a lot of different elements to the game tonight,” said Smoke Eater coach Nick Deschenes. “There was physicality and there was some adversity, and I think we responded really well. We have a pretty character group. We’re starting to dig in and not get pushed around. I like where we’re at right now, we’re not a team of super stars but we definitely play as a five-man unit when we’re out there and we get a lot done.”

Star’s goal came on the powerplay 4:25 into the third, when Mitch Stapley and Kale Howarth worked the puck to Star in the left circle and the Langley native sniped the top corner on Shortridge to give the Smokies a 4-3 lead.

Scott opened the scoring when Max Newton gained possession of the puck in his own end and lifted a pass to a streaking Scott who out-raced the Vernon defender and beat Shortridge with a deke.