James D'Andrea almost stole the show for the Trail Smoke Eaters but in the end, the Powell River Kings took a 3-2 OT decsion at home.
The Kings were without Evan Richardson, Jordan Paddock, Teagan Waugh, Sean Maguire and coach Kent Lewis as they were at the Team Canada West selection camp but still put 42 shots on D'Andrea.
Powell River controlled much of the play in the second and third outshooting the Smokies 28-14 but it was Erik Cooper that tied the game for Trail near the midway point of the third. In 3-on-3 OT, Daniel Schuler got the winner.
In Coquitlam, the Victoria Grizzlies got three goals in the third period to break a deadlock and defeated the Express 5-2. Mike Moran scored the winner early in the third, set up the insurance goal by Jarryd Ten Vaanholt and took 1st Star. Brady Shaw and Jason Bird had the Coquitlam goals, both in the second.
The Alberni Valley Bulldogs got a great start in Prince George with a three-goal first and went on to down the Spruce Kings 6-1. Josh Mitchell, 1st Star Brandon Adams and Ryan Lough tallied in the first and after a Chase Golightly goal for PG in the second, the 'Dogs added three more with Adams setting up two of them.
In Cowichan Valley, the Capitals also used a three-goal first period and defeated the Westside Warriors 5-2. Matthew Grant's early goal got the Caps out in front and Brandon Mistal and Josh Monk tallied late in the period. Dru Morrison and Ben Betker got the Warriors goals in the second on around a goal by the Caps' Michael Jung. 1st Star Jake Charles scored in the third.
All the scoring in Salmon Arm was done in the first 40 minutes with the Chilliwack Chiefs skating to a 3-1 win over the SilverBacks. Salmon Arm's Devin Muller opened the scoring 38 seconds in but the 'Backs wouldn't beat Mitch Gillam for the rest of the night. David Thompson tied the game near the midway point of the first and Kit Sitterley and Chris blessing scored in the second.
In Penticton, the Vees came out on top of a spirited affair with the Merritt Centennials in a 5-4 OT win. The game was tied 3-3 after two with Jakob Reichert scoring two of the Cents goals and Joey Benik setting up all three Vees markers. Dustin Lebrun tied the game for Merritt in the third shortly after a Garrett Hendrickson goal but Connor Reilly got the winner late in the first OT.
The Nanaimo Clippers scored twice in the first with Grame McCormack and 1st Star Kyle Kramer doing the damage and it proved to be all the scoring they'd need in a 4-1 win over the Langley Rivermen. Kramer got his second of the game late in the second, Sebastien Pare got the Rivermen on the board early in the third but Brett Hartskamp's empty-netter clinched it.
