Looking For A Silver Lining
Tonight, the Surrey Eagles (5-10-0-1) get set to do battle against the B.C Hockey League’s best team, the Salmon Arm Silverbacks (12-3-1-0). The Eagles are looking to bounce back in October, a month which hasn’t treated them kindly, and start their climb back to .500. Their test tonight features the team with the best record in the league coming in, the 2 time defending BCHL Player of the week, and one of the best lines in hockey. If the Eagles can go up to Salmon Arm and steal a victory, it could do wonders for the confidence of this group.
In goal, it’ll be Cal Schell in the net tonight for the Eagles, and he’ll be gunning for his 2nd win in a row. The Eagles might have some changes up front, so check out the full lineup on our social media channels later today.
Who To Watch Out For
The Eagles are going up against a team who’ll look to stifle them at every turn, and the Silverbacks have proved it through the first 2 months, sporting the 3rd best goal differential in the league (+14). The Eagles are going to need their offensive leaders to step up, and they’re going to need to be stingy in their own zone. Here are tonight’s key players to watch.
Surrey Eagles: Hudson Schandor
It wasn’t too long ago the former Salmon Arm Silverback was struggling, with just 1 goal through his first 7 games. Since then, Schandor has been on a tear and it captivated in a 4 goal, 5 point last weekend in just 2 games played. Schandor was an honorable mention for BCHL player of the week, and he’ll look to stay red hot against his former team tonight.
Salmon Arm Silverbacks: Ethan Langenegger
The 2 time defending BCHL player of the week has been an absolute monster in the net for Salmon Arm this year. The 19 year old netminder from Kamloops, BC has a .938 save percentage to go along with a miniscule 1.83 goals against average. He gives the Silverbacks a chance to win every night, and he’s been great lately. His last 4 starts have been otherworldly, with 2 shutouts, a save percentage that hasn’t dipped under .950%, and 4 straight wins. Eagles have their work cut out for them tonight against the Lake Superior State University commit.
3 Keys To The Game
When you’re going up against one of the best teams in the league, playing the full 60 minutes is an absolute must. The Eagles laid an egg their last game in their loss against the Langley Rivermen, and will look to display a better effort against the Silverbacks. They’ll need to do more than just play hard, and without further adieu, here are tonight’s 3 keys to the game.
– Get traffic in front: When you’re facing a goaltender as hot as Langenegger, chances are you’re not going to snipe one past him. The Eagles are going to have to make his life miserable tonight. Get in his face, don’t let him see pucks, bang at rebounds, and hopefully get a few garbage goals. If the Eagles can find a way to get him off his game, they’ll open up more opportunities for themselves.
– Get more shots: A theme for this Eagles team has seen them overplay themselves into trouble, and trail in the shot column for a majority of their games in this 2019-20 season. This team needs to start hammering pucks on net and hoping for some rebound opportunities. If they can do this effectively, and possibly pot one early, then it might allow them to play with more skill later in the game.
– Stay disciplined: The Silverbacks have a potent offense, but more importantly the Eagles need as much of the 60 minutes at even strength or better tonight. While the Silverbacks powerplay is only clicking at an 18.7% clip this season, the loss of momentum will hurt the Eagles every time one of their players has to take a seat in the penalty box. It’s imperative to stay out of the box, not just for the threat of a powerplay goal, but to give them more confidence in themselves they can get the job done.
Summary
The Eagles head back onto the road to face another top team in the BCHL tonight, and the boys will need to be on their game. If the Eagles can get traffic in front of the reigning BCHL player of the week, get more shots on net, and stay disciplined, they’ll give themselves the best possible chance of beating the Silverbacks. It’s not going to be easy, but a win tonight could be huge for this group’s overall confidence level and propel them through the rest of October and into the remainder of the season. You can catch the broadcast on HockeyTV and Mixlr tonight, starting at 6:50pm. Puck drop from the Shaw Centre will be at 7:00pm.
