GAME 6 PREVIEW: Salmon Arm Silverbacks @ Merritt Centennials (Silverbacks lead series 3-2)

Salmon Arm Silverbacks —  (Lead Series 3-2)

The Silverbacks are here with one mission on their mind. End the Merritt Centennials 51 year reign in the BCHL. They are here to take care of business and march their way into a second round matchup with the West Kelowna Warriors. Salmon Arm would like to prepare for a two game road trip to Royal Lepage Place next week while the Cents would like to book their bus plans for Monday at the Shaw Centre. The Silverbacks would love more than anything to put the final nail in the coffin here tonight and avoid a daunting winner takes all Monday matchup. Can Merritt make that a reality tonight?

Merritt Centennials — (Trail Series 3-2)

The Centennials hope a Saturday night crowd at the NVMA can spark them to a 3-3 series tie and force an all or nothing Game 7. This is the game the Cents need to keep their season going. Could this be their last game in the BCHL or will the Cents live another day? The team is 9-3-1 in their last 13 home games and made Smoked Salmon out of the Silverbacks by the score of 5-4 in their last visit here. Salmon Arm is 2-2 this season at the NVMA. Can the Cents control their own destiny tonight and bring a Never Say Attitude style of hockey? How will the Cents react with their season on the line! We’ll find out soon on a Saturday night do or die Game 6 at the NVMA. 

NVMA | Merritt Centennials

Previous Meetings;

Salmon Arm has now won 7 of 11 matchups between these two teams this year. In the playoffs they erased a 2-0 deficit to win Game One 3-2 in Overtime, Lost Game 2 after going down 3-0 then pushing the game to 3-2 and falling short. Game 3 Merritt scored three minutes in then surrendered 4 straight goals to fall 4-1 in their home opener. Game 4 they would storm the gates on Salmon Arm going up 5-2 and hanging on for a 5-4 series tying victory. Game 5 last night was a tight 1-0 victory for the Silverbacks who have a chance to end it all tonight. 

Merritt Centennials | Zach Amin Photography

Special Teams Comparison;

Cents PP:   39/182 (21.4 %) (T8th) PK: 40/195 (79.5 %) (7th)

Backs PP: 34/159 (21.4 %) (T8th) PK: 29/158 (81.6 %) (3rd)

Players to Watch:

For the Cents their top line has carried them so far in this series. Jaxson Murray, Luke Pfoh and Michael Felsing will be relied upon to force a deciding Game 7. In two games in this series where they didn’t record a point they went 0-2. They have two wins and an overtime loss in games in which they’ve gotten points. 

For Salmon Arm Cole Cooksey and Maddux Martin are definitely the two Silverbacks that Merritt will have to keep in check tonight. Eli Pulver rebounded from a 5-4 loss at the NVMA with a 1-0 shutout win last night although he did only face 18 shots. 

Centennials Celebrating | Joey Jones Photography

Keys to Victory:

Key number 1 – Put it all on the line. This could be the last dance tonight. Make sure you are giving 110 percent every shift, hit, pass, whatever you’re doing out there. You’ve got to give everything you’ve got and play your best tonight or the Cents are saying Sayonara to round two.

Key Number 2 – Get back to creating havoc in front of Pulver. While a 17–10 first period showed lots of positive signs the rest of the game was a dominant display by the Silverbacks. The Cents were shut down through the neutral zone and closed off of any opportunity to create traffic on the net. 7 shots in periods two and three were the Cents’ demise.

Key number 3 – Keep up the strong starts tonight. Merritt continues to have their best stats in this series in the first period. They’re going to have to keep going in that regard because Salmon Arm has gone 2-0 in games where they’ve had at least a one goal lead. The Cents need to come out the gates flying if they want to sound the sire and the NVMA and send the Silverbacks packing for a live or say die Game 7 Monday!