Cowichan Valley Capitals - Powered By esportsdesk.com

Duncan, BC - The Capitals laid an egg in the first two periods and suffered just a second regulation loss on home ice this season falling 7-3 to the visiting Trail Smoke Eaters Sunday.

In a nightmare of a first period, the Smokies scored four times on just 10 shots before staking themselves out to a 7-0 lead in the third. The Capitals battled back scoring once late in the second before adding a shorthanded goal and a power play marker in the third but the deficit was just too great.

Earning first star honours, Trail forward Cooper Leitch opened scoring at the 7:14 mark of the first after the Caps coughed up the puck behind Lane Michasiw as Harlan Orr fed the puck out to the slot. Two and a half minutes later Ross Armour released a wicked wrist shot from the right wing going bar down for his eighth of the season. Jake Kauppila banked the puck from below the goal line to make it 3-0 with his eighth of the season with six minutes to go in the first. Kienan Scott was sprung on a short handed breakaway during the Capitals' first power play of the game scoring his 14th of the year giving the Smokies a 4-0 lead, the third short handed goal allowed by Cowichan this season.

The second period didn't start any better than the first for the Caps as Scott scored his second of the game just 1:22 in while on the power play. Then just 30 seconds later Orr got his 6th of the season after the puck went off the end boards bouncing out to the slot where he was unattended. Trail captain Evan MacEachern made it a 7-0 lead with six minutes remaining in the period with his fourth of the season.

The Capitals got on the board 90 seconds later when Luke Santerno buried his 10th of the season and fourth in the last five games. Matt Hudie dumped the puck in while Jared Domin streaked in to recover it along the end boards feeding to Santerno who broke Bailey MacBurnie's shutout bid.

The third period started much better for the Caps drawing a power play in the first minute. Pat Geary deflected a Josh Owings shot on the man advantage with the rebound coming out to Connor Russell who scored his first of the season cutting Trail's lead to five. Five minutes later while on the penalty kill, Ayden MacDonald skated the puck into the offensive zone and made a power drive to the net backhanding it underneath the bar finishing for his 10th of the season and by far his most beautiful goal. But the Caps were unable to muster any more falling to 16-11-2-3 on the season, still in a tie with Powell River for second place in the division.

The Caps finished 1/5 on the power play killing off five of six Trail man advantages. The Capitals outshot the Smokies 33-21 with MacBurnie picking up the win. Linden Marshall played out the third period for the Smoke Eaters allowing two goals on 14 shots.

The Caps will look to rebound in a big four point game Wednesday night paying a visit to Frank Crane Arena in a battle against the division leading Clippers.