SPOKANE — Allowing two short-handed goals contributed to a pair of Everett Silvertips losses during their Alberta trip two weeks ago.
On Sunday, it was the Tips’ first short-handed goal of the season that spurred them to a 5-1 Western Hockey League victory over the Spokane Chiefs before 4,077 fans at Spokane Arena.
The Tips trailed 1-0 late in the first period when Everett rookie Connor Dewar was sent to the penalty box for goaltender interference. Matt Fonteyne then took advantage of a Spokane turnover near the blue line for a breakaway and beat Chiefs goaltender Matt Berlin for an unassisted goal at 19:43 to tie the game 1-1.
Buoyed by the late first-period tally, the Tips scored three times in the second period, leading to Berlin being pulled. Overage assistant captain Remi Laurencelle continued his torrid pace with two goals and an assist as he increased his point streak to nine games.
Everett (14-7-0-2, 30 points) won its third straight game and moved to within one point of the Chiefs for second place in the U.S. Division, but the Tips have four games in hand. Spokane, playing its fourth game in five days, fell to 14-10-2-1.
Carson Stadnyk gave the Tips the lead for good as he broke a 13-game scoreless drought. His second-period goal gave Everett a 2-1 lead at 7:51 in the second. Stadnyk’s shot from the right circle came off a feed from the middle by Laurencelle.
The Tips extended their lead to 3-1 at 14:28 when Brandon Ralph scored his first goal of the season as Everett caught Spokane in a line change.
Laurencelle tallied Everett’s third goal of the second period off a feed from Mackenzie Dwyer at 15:31 for a 4-1 lead, at which point Spokane pulled Berlin.
Laurencelle scored again from the right circle at 4:28 in the third for his team-leading 12th goal of the season.
The offensive onslaught came despite the Chiefs scoring the game’s first goal just 1:13 in. Adam Helewka shot from the left circle, and Riley Whittingham tipped it past Carter Hart for the 1-0 advantage.
The Silvertips dominated from that moment forward.
Hart earned the win with 25 saves. The Tips finished with a 27-26 shot advantage. Berlin took the loss with 12 saves on 16 shots.
Notes
Captain Dawson Leedahl (lower body injury) and defenseman Kevin Davis (undisclosed injury) were among Everett’s scratches. Spencer Gerth also was scratched . … Jujhar Khaira became the 15th former Silvertip to play in the NHL when he debuted Saturday for the Edmonton Oilers. The 21-year-old had one shot, a blocked shot and three hits in 10 minutes of ice time in Edmonton’s 3-2 shootout win at Pittsburgh. Khaira scored 16 goals with 28 assists in 59 games for the Silvertips during the 2013-14 season.
For the game box, see the Scoreboard.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
