Sam Mellor scored 2:10 into overtime Monday giving the Trail Smoke Eaters a 5-4 victory over the Westside Warriors and a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven BCHL first round series.
Mellor took advantage of a fortuitous bounce on a Warriors clearing attempt to beat Kevin Boyle with the game winner.
Special teams were the undoing for the Warriors as they have all series long.
The Smokies converted on all four of their power-play opportunities giving them seven goals on 13 chances with the man advantage.
Westside held a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes and extended it to 4-2 just three minutes in when Dru Morrison beat Kiefer Smiley with his first of the playoffs.
The Warriors ran into penalty trouble after Morrison's tally.
Ben Matthews and Travis St. Denis with his second of the night scored nearly five-and-a-half minutes apart to even the score and force overtime.
St. Denis on a penalty shot and Scott Jacklin also scored for the Smokies.
Alex Grieve with two, giving him five in the series and Max French had other goals for the Warriors.
Boyle turned aside 30 shots as Westside outshot the Smokies 40-35.
Game four in the series goes Tuesday night in Trail with game five back at Royal LePage Place Thursday night.
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