Gameday: Smoke Eaters @ Chiefs

Who: Trail Smoke Eaters @ Chilliwack Chiefs
When: Dec. 2, 5:00 pm
Where: Prospera Centre, Chilliwack

Two teams at opposite ends of the spectrum meet tonight in the Fraser Valley. The Smokies go for their first win in six, while the Chiefs will try to ride the momentum of two shutout wins over Prince George Thursday and Friday.

Trail were behind the 8-ball off the opening faceoff last night in Coquitlam, and despite injuries and fatigue, need to be better. Passes weren't connecting, the Express' aggressiveness was too much to handle, and Daniel Urbani looked poised to collect his second shutout against the Smokies this year until Braden Pears scored on a late power-play.

Tonight, on another Teddy Bear Toss night, the Smokies will try to salvage some points from a road trip that has not been at all kind thus far. The team should get some reinforcement on the back end, though, as Marley Keca is eligible to return from a three-game suspension today.

Last Meeting: the Chiefs scored 3 times in the first 10 minutes, before a wild Trail rally turned the game into a 5-4 Smokies win one month ago in Trail. This is the final meeting of the regular season between these two clubs.

Our Opponent: The Chiefs are deservedly the top seed in the Coastal Conference entering play today, and are armed with BCHL scoring leader Luke Esposito, whose line with Josh Hansen and Austin Plevy has been arguably the best threesome in the league this season. Chilliwack's defense is big, and moves the puck well, and are more than content to slow the pace of play in the interest of physical assertion. Mitch Gillam posted back-to-back shutouts in PG this week, though it was Josh Halpenny who got the start when these two sides met in Trail last month.

In the Press Box: The Smoke Eaters are without Adam Todd, Braeden Jones, Shane Poulsen, Ryan Edwards, Jesse Knowler and Bryce Knapp. APs Cody Boeckman (G), Chandler Bruyckere and Matt Carr (D) and Colton McCarthy (F) remain with the team.

Broadcast Info: Our pregame show on FAST Hockey and Smokies Ustream begins at 4:50 with puck drop set for 5. Watch this space for links closer to game time.

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