“The Comeback Kids are Alright” Cents sweep Smokies in Trail

MERRITT — Put some ketchup, mustard, and relish on these Smokies, they’re done! 

It all started with a 5-1 dominant win at the NVMA, the second 5-1 win against Trail in a week in Merritt. The “Luke Pfoh Show” was on display as he scored two goals and added an assist in the win. Sam Grabner dropped the gloves and Jack Ziliotto had a goal and assist in the win.

Leading scorer Michael Felsing also chipped in with two helpers while Andrew Ballantyne continued his stellar play stopping 28 of 29 shots. 

What was most impressive was the fact the Cents would give up less than 30 shots both nights, something that has been a rarity this season.

It seems the team is finally buying into Brian Passmore’s message to the team about focussing more on defense.

The Cents have averaged 38-40 shots against per game often this season.

After a 5-1 win last week the Smoke Eaters avenged that loss with a 5-3 win in Trail.

Both home teams had won all five matchups in the season series.

That would change in the sixth and final matchup.

The Cents capped off an emphatic sweep of the Trail Smoke Eaters with a 4-3 come-from-behind victory in Trail Saturday (February, 17th 2024) erasing an early 3-0 deficit.

In fact Merritt was down 3-0 with just 3:41 left in the second period making the comeback win even more dramatic. 

The first period was an absolute mess for the Centennials, it was looking like Merritt would have another miserable bus ride home after the Smoke Eaters jumped on the Cents early and often.

The Cents had lost 9 of 10 road games and hadn’t won on the road in over two months since a December 10th (2023) win in Alberni Valley on their Teddy Bear Toss night.

Ridge Dawson would score the first goal of the game at the 1:43 mark which would lead to the Smokies chirping the Centennials bench. There was some carry over from the night before with Trail holding onto some sour grapes after being beat down 5-1 for the second time in a week in Merritt. 

That chirping would prove to be costly as Ray Hamlin and the Cents would get the last laugh in the third period. 

Adam Parsons and Chase Stefanek would give the host Smokies a 3-0 lead heading to the first period.

In the second Merritt finally broke through on offense with Slovenian defenseman Maks Percic netting his first as a Centennial with 3:41 left in the second period.

The goal would spark the Cents as Charles-Thomas Larochelle would add another with 1:58 left in the period, it was Larochelle’s third goal in three games in Trail.

Two goals in one minute and 43 seconds to send the Cents to the 2nd intermission down just one goal, all of a sudden we had a game again.

In the third period it only took three minutes and 46 seconds for Easton Ryan to use his signature charge the net move and beat Teagan Kendrick low to knot things up at 3-3. Ray Hamlin would get the helper, setting himself up for a “player of the game” type of night and Michael Stenberg would add a helper, in his first game back from injury.

Just 2 minutes and 30 seconds later Ray Hamlin would finish off the magical four goal outburst tipping in a Sawyer Prokopetz shot from the point after Ocean Fancy dished the puck over at the point.  

The Cents would hang on for the final 16 minutes playing some of the best defensive hockey of the season and close out the season series winning four games to two over Trail.

It was Brian Passmore’s 16th win, the most he has ever amassed as a coach in the BCHL. It was also the Centennials first season series win over an Interior team since the 2018/19 season.

Now Merritt will have their hands full with one of the best teams in the league, the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. They will play three straight against Salmon Arm starting on the road next Friday (February 23rd, 2024) then playing two straight at home against them to start a four game homestand. 

Salmon Arm is 16-3-1 at home winning 7-1 over Merritt earlier in the season at the Shaw Centre, but the Centennials should be much more confident this time around with new players having more time to gel and develop chemistry. That loss was just two games into a new roster overhaul that saw Passmore completely shake up the team. 

As for the games in Merritt the Cents are clicking at home and the Silverbacks are not the same team on the road as they are at home with a 10-11-1 away record.

The Cents wrap up the home stand with games against Prince George and Vernon before embarking on a five game road trip.

Merritt then has two home games against Prince George and Cranbrook to close out the regular season. 

As of today, February 20th (2024,) the Centennials are in seventh place. They are four points back of the Cranbrook Bucks with two games in hand and seven points clear of Prince George for 8th place with the exact same amount of games played. 

If the playoffs started today they would face the West Kelowna Warriors.