EVERETT — Many fans probably thought this playoff start was improbable, particularly with star Everett Silvertips goaltender Carter Hart out with a lower-body injury.
Yet the Tips, backstopped by backup Mario Petit, upended the visiting Portland Winterhawks 3-1 Saturday at Xfinity Arena before 3,621 fans to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven first-round Western Hockey League playoff series.
“You never can be too comfortable with a lead in a game or a series,” said Everett forward Matt Fonteyne, whose first-period power-play goal proved the game-winner. “Last year we were up on Portland and they came back and won four in a row so anything can happen in this league. We just have to stay focused on every game.”
Petit wasn’t tested as frequently as he was when he recorded the shutout in Friday’s opener, but he allowed only one goal — that coming on the power play less than three minutes into the game.
In fact, most of Petit’s toughest assignments came in the game’s opening minutes as the Winterhawks piled up the contest’s first half-dozen shots before sneaking one through. It was Tips killer Rihards Bukarts who scored five seconds into Portland’s first power play as he potted a rebound past Petit into the net at 2:06 in the opening period
“What I expected was that Portland would come hard and they dominated the first shift, drew the penalty and scored on the power play,” Everett head coach Kevin Constantine said. “That’s the nature of playoffs. A team is going to push back. Were we really ready for that? I don’t know.”
Everett then kept the Winterhawks off the board for the remaining 57:54. Portland has yet to score a goal with both teams at even strength in the series. The Tips held the Winterhawks to a 1-for-4 showing on the power play in the game and Portland is 1-for-9 in the series.
“I wouldn’t say we shut them down,” Everett defenseman Lucas Skrumeda said. “They definitely got some chances, but we’re a proud team too. We know what our role is on the back end and we want to get the puck to the forwards and we want to get the puck in deep. And I think the forwards have been doing a tremendous job of staying in the offensive zone.”
The Tips were able to hold Bukarts off the score sheet for the remainder of the game. That was something Everett found difficult as the Latvian tallied seven goals in six games against the Tips this season.
“We kind of felt like they were going to do that,” Fonteyne said. “They came out hard and they’re a good team. It’s going to be a hard-fought battle right to the end. We were expecting them to come out hard like they did, so we’ll look for that in the rest of the series.”
The Tips answered right back as Brandon Ralph tied it at 4:22 in the first with his second goal of the postseason. Portland goalie Adin Hill saved Ralph’s first attempt, but Ralph collected his own rebound and put it away to draw Everett even.
“The good news was we had a little push of our own,” Constantine said. “The Ralph goal was really important to make sure we responded to that. I wish it wouldn’t have happened — that we wouldn’t have given up that first goal — but I did like our response to that.”
Then Fonteyne walked in from the left circle and fired a wrister past Hill on Everett’s first power play for a 2-1 advantage at 12:40 in the first.
Remi Laurencelle made it 3-1 when his one-timer from the high slot snuck past Hill at 7:14 in the second.
That was it for the scoring, though Everett’s Carson Stadnyk hit the post while shooting at the open net after the Winterhawks pulled Hill.
Petit finished with 24 saves while facing 25 shots. Hill managed 34 saves on 37 shots faced.
The Tips outshot Portland 28-15 through the first two periods, but the Winterhawks held a 10-9 shot advantage in the final frame.
The series now shifts to Portland for games three and four on Tuesday and Wednesday. The teams would return to Everett for game five Friday if necessary.
“I don’t think we’re looking at it as a rest,” Skrumeda said. “We have to obviously get our bodies better, but it’s more like we have to gear up to go, because they’re going to want to bounce back too.”
Silvertips 3, Winterhawks 1
Portland 1 0 0 — 1
Everett 2 1 0 — 3
1st Period—1, Portland, Bukarts 1 (Turgeon, Dougherty), 2:06 (PP). 2, Everett, Ralph 2 (Skoleski, King), 4:22. 3, Everett, Fonteyne 1 (MacDonald, Leedahl), 12:40 (PP). Penalties—Skoleski Evt (hooking), 2:01; Overhardt Por (holding), 11:24; Dewar Evt (tripping), 16:29.
2nd Period—4, Everett, Laurencelle 1 (Millar, Khomenko), 7:14. Penalties—Juulsen Evt (tripping), 2:40; Dougherty Por (tripping), 3:48; Bukarts Por (roughing), 9:09; MacEachern Por (cross checking), 9:09; Skrumeda Evt (roughing), 9:09.
3rd Period—No Scoring. Penalties—Christiansen Evt (holding), 1:26; Bukarts Por (10-minute misconduct), 19:58; Schoenborn Por (tripping, roughing), 19:58.
Shots on Goal—Portland 8-7-10-25. Everett 12-16-9-37.
Power Play Opportunities—Portland 1 / 4; Everett 1 / 5.
Goalies—Portland, Hill 0-2-0-0 (37 shots-34 saves). Everett, Petit 2-0-0-0 (25 shots-24 saves).
A—3,621
For the latest Silvertips news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter @jessegeleynse.
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