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Cooper blanks Silverbacks

Put the pedal down and never let off the gas. The Prince George Spruce Kings stuck to the plan as soon as the first puck was dropped Saturday night at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena and the Salmon Arm Silverbacks felt the full brunt of it, losing 5-0.

Put the pedal down and never let off the gas.
The Prince George Spruce Kings stuck to the plan as soon as the first puck was dropped Saturday night at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena and the Salmon Arm Silverbacks felt the full brunt of it, losing 5-0.
Brad Cooper, as he’s shown throughout his B.C. Hockey League career, found his shutout form once again, making 25 saves to earn his second donut in four starts this season and sixth in 19 games over two seasons.
The Kings’ power play, an abysmal failure two nights earlier, was exceptional, scoring on four of their 10 opportunities.
 “Everyone just came and showed up tonight and did their jobs and got us the win,” said the 19-year-old Cooper. “We worked a lot of penalty kill and power play this week and those things really helped us with that win. The penalty kill was awesome, power play was awesome, it was a big special teams game and things just went our way.”
This time, Cooper had plenty of run support from his teammates, who dominated a road-weary Silverbacks squad and outshot them 48-25.
Corey Cunningham’s opening goal 9:52 into the game was the only one not scored on the power play. Dustin Manz, Nick Bochen, Ben Poisson and defenceman Max Coyle, with his first career BCHL goal, all cashed in man-advantage opportunities.
“Tonight our special teams were good and we capitalized on our chances – we outchanced (the Silverbacks) by a ton tonight,” said Cunningham.
The 17-year-old rookie from Prince George scored his third goal of the season and also drew an assist for the first multipoint game of his BCHL career, playing left wing on a line with Manz and Patrick Cozzi.
“I got an opportunity (playing on the power play) because lots of guys are out of the lineup and we’re short, so lots of forwards got opportunities they didn’t expect,” said Cunningham.
“This summer I was working out with Justin Fillion and he taught me a lot of stuff I didn’t know and said I needed to gain muscle if I was going to compete with these bigger guys and I’m trying to show that on the ice every day.”
The win allowed the Spruce Kings (8-4-0-1, third place) to remain three points back of the Mainland Division-leading Chilliwack Chiefs, who also won on Saturday. Salmon Arm (6-5-1-0) dropped to fourth place in the Interior Division.
“I thought we were just brutal tonight, top to bottom,” said Silverbacks head coach Scott Atkinson. “We came off a big win last night (beating Penticton in a shootout) and it’s a big bus trip and we have a young team and we have to learn how to manage it. It’s the second time that’s happened. They’re a good team and it showed tonight.”

The Silverbacks had to consider themselves fortunate to get out of the first period trailing by just a goal after taking five minor penalties in the opening 20 minutes. The Spruce Kings were well-rested, still smarting from their 5-2 loss on home ice to the Powell River Kings on Thursday in which they gave up two power-play goals and allowed one while shorthanded. They had two full days to think about what went wrong and work out their special teams gremlins.
“Our team is just a bunch of hunters, we’re really hard on pucks and we battle hard,” said Cooper. “Teams will take penalties on us just because we’re trying harder than them and they get frustrated and that’s one of the things that helps us get on the power play more.”
The Kings used their speed to their advantage and the Silverbacks reacted by using their sticks instead of their feet to try to keep pace.
Cooper did not have to deal with much sustained pressure in his end of the ice but had to be sharp on the several odd-man rushes and a couple of breakaways.
Silverbacks goalie Ethan Langenegger probably deserved to be picked a game star. He kept Salmon Arm in the game, still within striking distance down 2-0 after two periods. Hi best of the night came near the end of the first period when he stretched out his leg to deny Nolan Welsh on a rebound attempt in tight.
Coyle’s goal made it 4-0 in the third period and it came after a face-off win. As soon as Tyler Schleppe won the draw, Coyle broke for the net and was in alone to accept the pass from Welsh just outside the crease. Coyle went to his backhand side to lift the puck over Langenegger.
“It was good to get that one over with for the year,” said the 20-year-old Coyle, who also assisted on Brar’s tip-in which capped the scoring.
“We lined up for the face-off and it was loud, I don’t know what happened the play before but the fans were on their feet and I looked at Welsh and dropped down and he hit me right on the tape. I was going to shoot but I realized I’d driven it at the goalie’s pad six or seven times and I went back door and knew I had to get it up and I got it up.”