The Cranbrook Bucks will hope to put last weekend’s action in the rear view after losses to the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and Trail Smoke Eaters.
On Friday, the Bucks fell 7-3 to the Silverbacks at home. After a scoreless first period, the Silverbacks began to establish a firm grasp on the action in the second period, with goals from four different skaters. The Bucks answered with markers from Bake Cotton and Rasmus Svartstrom.
Salmon Arm put the game away in the third period, adding three more goals. Cranbrook got one more tally from Svartstrom, but ended up missing out on a chance to climb the Interior Conference standings by way of a 7-3 setback to Salmon Arm.
The Bucks were outshot 41-23. On special teams, Cranbrook’s power play went 1/3 and they finished 3/4 on the penalty kill.
Cranbrook did not have much better of a night Saturday, taking a 6-3 road loss to the Smoke Eaters in Trail.
Both clubs swapped early first period goals, and battled to a 1-1 draw after twenty minutes. The game stayed close through the second period as well, though the middle frame produced more offense. The Bucks got goals from Blake Cotton and Shane Baker while Trail added three tallies to take a 4-3 lead into second intermission. The Bucks appeared to run out of steam in the third period, and coughed up three goals to take a 6-3 loss in Trail.
Following last weekend’s action, Cranbrook’s record stands at 27-18-2. The Bucks return to action Wednesday at home in a rare midweek clash with the Victoria Grizzlies.
Buck Tracks:
- With three goals over the weekend, Rasmus Svartstrom becomes the first Buck to hit the 40 goal barrier.
- Goalie Kolten Bourret sees his first action since the first game of the regular season in Friday’s loss to Salmon Arm.
- Despite a pair of losses over the weekend, the Cranbrook Bucks have officially cliched a spot in the 2025 Fred Page Cup playoffs.
