KENT — Joshua Winquist put himself into the Everett Silvertips record book Saturday night, and the Tips fulfilled a guarantee.
Winquist scored two goals to break the franchise record for goals in a season as Everett defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 5-2.
Winquist’s goals gave the 20-year-old from St. Albert, Alberta, 43 this season. That breaks the previous record of 42, set by Shane Harper in 2009-10. Winquist tied the record with the second-period goal that gave Everett a 2-1 lead it wouldn’t relinquish. Then he broke the record with the empty netter that sealed the victory.
Everett’s win, combined with Vancouver’s 4-1 loss to Portland, also assured the Tips at least sixth place in the Western Conference. Everett issued a guarantee to season ticket holders before the season that the Tips would finish no worse than sixth, or else those season ticket holders would receive a $100 credit toward next season.
Patrick Bajkov, Dawson Leedahl and Zane Jones also scored for Everett (36-23-7-2), which won its sixth straight game and suddenly finds itself in the hunt for home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Tips pulled within three points of fourth-place Seattle, with fifth-place Spokane one point ahead of the Tips. Everett and Spokane have four games remaining, Seattle has five.
Austin Lotz picked up the victory in goal, making 31 saves. He did most of his work in the third period as the T-birds dominated play after Everett went ahead 4-1.
Shea Theodore and Russell Maxwell scored for Seattle (39-22-2-4), which dropped its third straight. Taran Kozun stopped 23 of the 27 shots he faced before being pulled early in the third period. Danny Mumaugh stopped both shots he faced in relief.
After a scoreless first period, Everett opened the scoring 5 minutes, 33 seconds into the second when Bajkov banged home a rebound following Kevin Davis’ shot from the point.
Seattle tied it at 7:32. Jaimen Yakubowski drove the net on the rush, and although Lotz made the save, Theodore followed up to put in the rebound and knot it at 1-1.
But the Tips regained their lead at 13:02. Winquist got free on goal and scored past Kozun to give Everett the lead and match Harper’s record. Then the Tips took a two-goal advantage on the power play at 16:12 when Leedahl tipped Matt Pufahl’s shot past Kozun to make it 3-1.
Jones made it 4-1 2:14 into the third, benefitting from Remi Laurencelle’s hustle play to score his first goal as a Silvertip. Seattle made its goalie change and used a series of power plays to gain control of the game, with Maxwell putting in a rebound on the power play at 8:44 to get the T-birds within two. Seattle continued to pressure, but Lotz kept the puck out, and Winquist assured both the game and the record with 1:45 remaining.
Silvertips 5, Thunderbirds 2
Everett032—5
Seattle01 1—2
First Period—No goals. Penalties—Smith, Seattle (holding), 5:55.
Second Period—1, Everett, Bajkov 9 (Davis, Mueller), 5:33. 2, Seattle, Theodore 20 (Yakubowski, McKechnie), 7:32. 3, Everett, Winquist 42 (Nikolishin, Khaira), 13:02. 4, Everett, Leedahl 7 (Pufahl, Nikolishin), 16:12 (pp). Penalties—Hauf, Seattle (charging), 1:00; Bear, Seattle (hooking), 9:24; Lipsbergs, Seattle (delay of game), 14:51; Aasman, Everett (slashing), 16:53.
Third Period—5, Everett, Jones 12 (Laurencelle), 2:14. 6, Seattle, Maxwell 15 (Delnov, Yakubowski), 8:44 (pp). 7, Everett, Winquist 43 (Nikolishin), 18:15 (en). Penalties—Everett bench (too many men, served by Bajkov), 2:48; Pufahl, Everett (cross checking), 4:03; Yakubowski, Seattle (embellishment), 4:03; Leedahl, Everett (hooking), 7:42; Bajkov, Everett (kneeing), 8:58; MacDonald, Everett (cross checking), 13:14.
Shots on goal—Everett 11-15-4—30. Seattle 8-6-19—33. Power-play opportunities—Everett 1 of 4. Seattle 1 of 5.
Goalies—Everett, Lotz 28-18-3-2 (33 shots, 31 saves). Seattle, Kozun 18-26-2-2 (27 shots, 23 saves), Mumaugh (2 shots, 2 saves).
A—6,150.
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