PREVIEW: Merritt @ Salmon Arm

Merritt: 19-10-2-5 (45 pts) - 2nd in Interior
LAST GAME: 1-0 win over Chilliwack on Dec 30

Salmon Arm 13-17-0-6 (32 pts) - 6th in Interior
LAST GAME: 5-4 OT win over Trail on Jan 4

Season Series: Merritt 4-1, but it's a little deceiving. The games have been very tight, and the Cents have only outscored Salmon Arm by a slim 19-16 margin... none of the games have been decided by more than 2 goals... 2 of Merritt's wins were in overtime, and they lost the last meeting 5-3 on Dec 16

-This is the first of a mini 2-game road trip for the Cents before starting a 4-game home stand

-Cents are coming off the most crucial win of the season, a 1-0 win over Chilliwack, but it was a game that left much to be desired, especially offensively... it's a little easier to give them a mulligan after an emotional, rollercoaster game vs Westside the night before, but you would hope that game was a one-off, because with 24 games left, the games will only become tougher and tougher to win, and it will take much more to pick up points

-only this game and Saturday vs Vernon are left before the final Jan 10 carding/trading deadline, so the team needs to come up with a couple of encouraging efforts, and most importantly, results, to give coach Luke Pierce the confidence he needs to keep the status quo and let these guys run with it

-this begs the question, what happens at the deadline? Yes Merritt is still 2nd, and have been for over a month in the Interior Conference, but with 5 overtimes losses and 2 ties, the Cents have won just over half their games this season. And over the last month or so, in 11 games, they have been treading water with a record of 5-4-1-1... a far cry from the 12-2-0-3 record they had in the 17 games prior to that. We were wondering what kind of team we would see after the Christmas break, the dominant one or the mediocre one, and so far, it's been only 2 games, but it would be hard to say Merritt is once again "dominant". They would love to, and need to, re-establish that reputation leading up to the playoffs. Especially when you look at who they have to beat, mainly Penticton, coming off a dominant 6-1 win over Vernon, and winners of 19 in a row (very much thanks to the addition of Bryce Gervais who's been a part of 15 of these wins, and contributed 15 goals and 5 assists). Also when you look at the Coast, Cowichan Valley has recently added Richard Vanderhoek from Westside and now Brett Knowles from Salmon Arm, to add to an already dominant 1st place team. So although it's easy to be "content" with Merritt's record up to now, you can't help but think about the playoffs, and what it would take to knock out those 2 powerhouses, if they manage to get past the first one. After all, it's not just about getting in anymore... this year the Cents want to do some damage and make a run.

-Salmon Arm has seen plenty of turnover this season, including as of late. Like I mentioned, after trading away Bryce Gervais to Penticton about a month and a half ago, their latest move has captain Brett Knowles going to the Coastal-Conference leading Cowichan Valley Capitals in exchange for promising, but still up-and-coming 18 year old forward Travis Stephens and future considerations. They also moved 20 year old defenseman Matt Brown to Calgary in the AJHL for future considerations, and brought in 19-year old journeyman defenseman Taylor Love from Coquitlam in exchange for future considerations. They've also lost another player in forward Bradley Robinson, who they signed from the Revelstoke Grizzlies of the KIJHL midway through the season, but is now gone for the remainder of the season due to a shoulder injury

-in addition to all the roster moves, Salmon Arm has already dealt with an assistant coaching change earlier this season, and after a loss to Vernon last weekend in which they led 3-0, there were rumours that head coach Colin O'Hara had quit the team, only to come back shortly later after a conversation with ownership/management. But clearly, there is turmoil behind the scenes in Salmon Arm, and coming off a shaky game against the last place Trail Smoke-Eaters on Wednesday, the Silverbacks should be, as the saying goes, "ripe for the picking"

-for Merritt, the key in this game will be to get a quick start and don't allow the Apes to get any confidence... take away their will to win, and don't give them any hope to work with. Although Salmon Arm does have other guys who can score, the reality is that they only have 2 big weapons left in Devin Muller and Morgan Zulinick, both of whom might be targeted at the deadline as well... Merritt will need to key on these guys... shutting them down will be the biggest necessity in taking 2 points. And it won't hurt to fire the puck from everywhere, as both Kurt Williams and Adam Clark have been shaky of late between the pipes for Salmon Arm, and likely battling with their confidence as well.

*Lineup for Merritt is staying exactly the same as last Saturday in Chilliwack. Brayden Low will skate on the 2nd line with Reichert and Harper, while Fletcher will skate on the 4th line with Shaefer and Lamont. Ross Mancuso remains a scratch, and coming off his 2nd shutout of the season, Lino Chimienti will once again get the start between the pipes.

Face-off: 7:00pm / Pre-game show: 6:30 on Q101 FM and online at Q101.ca