EVERETT — Home is where most people enjoy spending the holidays, and Xfinity Arena’s home ice has proven quite hospitable to the Everett Silvertips during Thanksgiving week indeed.
Graham Millar and Remi Laurencelle each scored twice as the Silvertips won their second straight at Xfinity Arena 5-0 before 5,278 fans Friday.
It was something of a breakout game for Millar, who added an assist to his fifth and sixth goals of the season.
“I think I was just going to the net and that’s where you’ll find the puck usually,” Millar said. “(Noah) Juulsen made a nice play to me backdoor (on the first goal), and the other one I just kind of banged it.”
Birthday-boy Patrick Bajkov, who turned 18 Friday, added two assists, and Carson Stadnyk tallied two helpers as the Silvertips (13-7-0-2, 28 points) won their ninth home game in 12 outings this season.
“We’ve got good fan support,” defenseman Lucas Skrumeda said. “They’re loud, they’re intimidating for the other team. I don’t know what it is — we’ve got to find a way to play like that on the road.”
Moose Jaw (12-9-4-1, 29 points) continued to struggle on its swing through the U.S. Division. The Warriors have won only once in their last seven games and are still without WHL leading scorer in Brayden Point. The Moose Jaw forward has now missed five games with an undisclosed upper body injury.
The Tips have their own injury concerns. Captain Dawson Leedahl started the game, but left after his first shift with a lower-body injury. Leedahl was taken to the hospital for tests and head coach Kevin Constantine said there is concern the injury “might be fairly serious.”
Leedahl’s absence forced the Everett coaching staff to juggle its offensive lines, but that didn’t seem to hinder the Tips, who out-shot Moose Jaw 30-14.
“I thought the forwards forechecked well, the back backchecked well, the ‘D,’ we worked together,” Skrumeda said. “Carter Hart was back there whenever we needed him.”
A first-period fight seemed to jumpstart the Silvertips offense. Everett’s Brandon Ralph and Moose Jaw’s Marc McNulty dropped gloves in the first period. Ralph garnered a five-minute penalty for fighting, while McNulty received two for instigating, five for fighting and 10 for misconduct.
Everett took advantage of the ensuing power play as Millar forced his way into a scrum just outside the crease and slipped the puck past Brody Willms at 10:06 in the first period for a 1-0 lead as the Tips.
Laurencelle extended his point streak at 2:15 in the second period as Stadnyk found Laurencelle at the right circle and Laurencelle redirected the shot in for a 2-0 lead.
Millar’s second goal came off an impressive feed from Noah Juulsen, who took the puck into the high slot, then fired a pass to Millar at the left side of the crease. Millar put it past Willms for a 3-0 advantage at 8:22 in the second.
Tristen Pfeifer scored his first goal of the year from the right circle at 15:23 in the third, and Laurencelle’s second of the game came at 16:20 to push the lead to 5-0.
Everett goaltender Carter Hart recorded 14 saves for his sixth shutout of the season and his fourth in his last six games.
The Silvertips play at Spokane at 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Silvertips 5, Warriors 0
Moose Jaw 0 0 0 — 0
Everett 1 2 2 — 5
1st Period—1, Everett, Millar 5 (Stadnyk, Bajkov), 10:06 (PP). Penalties—McNulty M.j (instigator, major-fighting, 10-minute misconduct), 9:29; Ralph Evt (major-fighting), 9:29; Skoleski Evt (holding), 13:58.
2nd Period—2, Everett, Laurencelle 9 (Stadnyk, Dewar), 2:15. 3, Everett, Millar 6 (Juulsen, Bajkov), 8:22. Penalties—Brown M.j (cross checking), 9:06.
3rd Period—4, Everett, Pfeifer 1 (Christiansen, Skoleski), 15:23. 5, Everett, Laurencelle 10 (Millar, Pfeifer), 16:20. Penalties—Pfeifer Evt (hooking), 18:35.
Shots on Goal—Moose Jaw 1-6-7-14. Everett 9-12-9-30.
Power Play Opportunities—Moose Jaw 0 / 2; Everett 1 / 2.
Goalies—Moose Jaw, Willms 3-4-2-0 (30 shots-25 saves). Everett, Hart 13-6-0-2 (14 shots-14 saves).
A—5,278
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