Trail, BC – Coming off a stretch of five wins in six games, the Langley Rivermen kick off a two-game road trip tonight in the West Kootenay as they visit the Trail Smoke Eaters.
It's been a tale of opposites for these two clubs as the Rivermen enter the game at 19-10-1-2 and in first place in the BCHL's Mainland division while the 7-20-2-1 Smoke Eaters sit in last place in the Interior, 18 points out of the final playoff spot. Trail has lost four in a row and already in the midst of change going into next season. The Smoke Eaters roster will look a whole lot different tonight than when they played the Rivermen back at the season opening showcase in Chilliwack where Langley earned the 4-3 overtime win.
Tonight will also mark the Rivermen debut for former Smoke Eaters goaltender Lyndon Stanwood who gets the start between the pipes. Stanwood played two seasons with Trail before moving to Chilliwack prior to the start of the year. The 20-year old Vancouver native adds veteran BCHL experience to the Rivermen roster as he and Brock Crossthwaite will share goaltending duties for Langley going forward.
Looking at the special teams battle going into tonight, the Rivermen remain on top in the penalty killing department with a league best 87.1% success rate while Trail is min 10th at at 80.2%. Langley and Trail are both middle of the pack when it comes to the power play although the Rivermen have scored on the man advantage in six of their last seven games.
Tonight marks the only visit for the Rivermen to Cominco arena during the regular season. Puck drop is set for 7:30pm.
