EVERETT — If there’s an issue the Everett Silvertips have had the past month, it’s been playing with leads in the third period. And if there’s a team in particular that’s given the Tips fits in that regard, it’s the Spokane Chiefs.
Wednesday night’s game was all set for an instant replay. But this time Everett held on.
The Tips prevented another third-period disaster against Spokane, holding on for a 4-2 victory at Xfinity Arena.
Blowing third-period leads has been a problem for the Tips of late, and Spokane was the author of two of the most painful third-period defeats Everett has experienced on home ice this season — beating the Tips on a goal with less than 13 seconds remaining on Oct. 22, then scoring four goals in the third period to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 6-4 win on Nov. 8. With the Tips fumbling away a 3-0 third-period lead in a 4-3 overtime loss to Kootenay on Sunday, the third-period issues were fresh on Everett’s mind.
Then after Everett took a 3-1 lead into the third period and Spokane scored six minutes in to get back within one, there was that sense of, “Here we go again.”
But while the third-period problems weren’t completely ironed out Wednesday, the Tips did a better job of not surrendering initiative to Spokane in the third, and with Austin Lotz standing strong in goal Everett was able to close this one out.
“We were far from perfect, but we were much more consistent over 60 minutes,” Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. “Spokane the last few games in here, we’ve had these kinds of leads where we didn’t win. So tonight getting a win, and getting it with them making it 3-2 and being able to hang in there in that environment, is a good sign.
“I would tip my hat to the players and the leadership in the locker room,” Constantine added about the reasons for the better third period Wednesday. “They’re the ones who have made our inconsistency an issue in the room. They’re the ones who are fixing the issues.”
Nikita Scherbak had and electric night for Everett with two goals and an assist. His second goal, which put the game away late in the third period, was a highlight-reel effort.
Ivan Nikolishin and Kohl Bauml also scored for Everett (17-5-3-1). Lotz earned the win with 31 saves.
“It’s huge,” Lotz said of Everett’s third-period effort. “Obviously for our confidence it’s big. I think sometimes we get a little complacent in the room, then we come out a little slow in the third. Today was definitely not that case.”
Adam Helewka and Dominic Zwerger scored for Spokane (14-9-3-0). Tyson Verhelst made 21 saves in net for the Chiefs.
The third period could have gone the way so many third periods have gone for Everett of late. The Tips were solid for the first five minutes, but Spokane caught a break when Zwerger’s centering feed from the left boards deflected off Tips defenseman Cole MacDonald’s skate in front and under Lotz to get the Chiefs back within one at 5:57.
The Tips reeled for a moment, but they didn’t go into the same kind of defensive shell that’s characterized third periods in recent games, and when Everett received a power play with 4:36 remaining the Tips seemed in good shape.
But Everett hasn’t done things the easy way of late. While short-handed Helewka, Spokane’s leading scorer, found himself with what looked like a breakaway. However, Everett defenseman Kevin Davis raced back and dived to knock the puck off Helewka’s stick at the last moment, somehow avoiding taking a penalty in the process.
The Tips immediately broke the other way, and Scherbak showed just why he’s a first-round NHL draft pick, undressing Spokane defenseman Jason Fram and juking around Verhelst to give Everett the all-important two-goal lead.
“That was a huge play by Davis,” Lotz said “He gets back and gets a stick on it and avoids a penalty, then Scherbak goes down and scores. Without that the game could completely change.
“He kind of came out of nowhere,” Lotz added about Davis. “But good for him, he’s a good skater.”
Everett started the game well, forcing Verhelst to make good saves on Graham Millar and Nikita Scherbak in close.
But an Everett penalty midway through the period put the Chiefs on the power play, and they converted to take the lead and stop Everett’s momentum. Tips defenseman Jordan Wharrie had a free clear, but fluffed the attempt, allowing the Chiefs to keep the puck in the offensive zone. Shortly after Helewka sniped the top corner from the right circle to give Spokane a 1-0 lead at 9:08.
The second period saw both teams with several scoring chances, but it was Everett that had the finish as the Tips surged ahead 3-1.
It began just 1:10 into the period as Davis found Nikolishin with a backdoor pass while Nikolishin was heading to the net. Nikolishin made a quick fake, then scored at the near post to tie it up at 1-1.
The Tips then took the lead at 13:16. Spokane had the Tips pinned in their own zone for a long period, but Noah Juulsen’s long clearing pass off the boards sprung Scherbak on a breakaway. Verhelst got a piece of Scherbak’s shot, but not enough as the puck trickled in to make it 2-1.
Everett then scored again at 15:57. Bauml and Scherbak found themselves on a two-on-one, and they played a perfect give-and-go, giving Bauml a tap-in to make it 3-1.
Silvertips 4, Chiefs 2
Spokane 1 0 1 — 2
Everett 0 3 1 — 4
First Period—1, Spokane, Helewka 14 (Brooks), 9:08 (pp). Penalties—Laday, Spokane (fighting), 6:59; Low, Everett (fighting), 6:59; Davis, Everett (holding), 8:12; Scherbak, Everett (roughing), 12:07.
Second Period—2, Everett, Nikolishin 8 (Davis, MacDonald), 1:10. 3, Everett, Scherbak 13 (Juulsen, Nikolishin), 13:16. 4, Everett, Bauml 9 (Scherbak, Bajkov), 15:57. Penalties—none.
Third Period—5, Spokane, Zwerger 4 (Stewart), 5:57. 6, Everett, Scherbak 14 (Davis), 17:00 (pp). Penalties—Fiala, Spokane (boarding), 15:24.
Shots on goal—Spokane 13-12-8—33. Everett 13-7-5—25. Power-play opportunities—Spokane 1 of 2. Everett 1 of 1.
Goalies—Spokane, Verhelst 5-2-0-0 (25 shots, 21 saves). Everett, Lotz 13-4-1-1 (33 shots, 31 saves).
A—3,256.
Check out Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.
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