T-birds eliminate Silvertips with 3-2 win in Game 5

KENT — Given the style with which the Everett Silvertips play — with discipline and attention to detail — they figure they’re never out of a game.

That was the prevailing feeling yet again Saturday night as the Tips saw their season come to an end with a 3-2 loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds before 4,339 fans at ShoWare Center in Game 5 the Western Conference semifinals.

Seattle advances to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2003 with the 4-1 series win. Everett remains in search of its first trip to the conference finals since 2006.

Twice Saturday the Tips trailed by two goals, but battled back each time.

“Every game against these guys we were right there behind them,” Everett defenseman Cole MacDonald said. “We just kept working hard, but it didn’t go our way.”

With the exception of a 5-0 blowout loss in Game 3, the Tips hung right with the favored Thunderbirds during the series. The four losses came consecutively after taking a 1-0 series lead, but were by scores of 3-1, 5-0, 2-1 and 3-2.

“It just shows that we competed no matter what and I think that’s something you have to be excited about — maybe not excited — but you have to keep your head up for how hard you worked,” Everett forward Remi Laurencelle said. “We kept fighting. You can’t win them all.”

Everett found itself battered and beat up as the series wore on. The Tips lost star defenseman Noah Juulsen and first-line forward Carson Stadnyk for the series after Game 2 and forward Graham Millar after Game 3. They also played without captain Dawson Leedahl in Game 4 due to a one-game suspension.

Leedahl returned for Saturday’s game.

“Losing (Leedahl) and losing Juulsen, you take the biggest playoff style players at each position — forward and D — out of your lineup,” Everett head coach Kevin Constantine said. “Those were massive losses. So getting half of that back, the biggest forward, was important.”

The Silvertips started the final period with a power play and trailing 3-2. That was quickly made null when Leedahl was whistled for tripping and the Tips could not convert.

The Tips received a power play with less than two minutes to play and pulled goaltender Carter Hart for an extra skater. With three seconds to play Seattle was assessed a delay of game penalty and Everett had a 6-on-3 situation, but Seattle’s Mathew Barzal won the faceoff and the game ended.

The Tips found themselves down 2-0 after the opening period, but Brandon Ralph scored on a rebound from the slot at 10:11 in the second to cut Everett’s deficit in half.

However, Ryan Gropp killed whatever modicum of momentum the Tips had gained when he skated in from the left boards and fed Calvin Leth at the mouth of the goal. Hart saved Leth’s shot, but Gropp was there to clean up the rebound and make it 3-1 at 11:43.

But the Tips refused to go away. Everett got a power play late in the second period. Yan Khomenko fired the puck to the net and Devon Skoleski was at the right post to pot the rebound at 18:49 as the Tips trailed 3-2 after two stanzas.

Scott Eansor scored Seattle’s first goal on a wraparound that he tucked underneath Hart’s left blocker for a 1-0 lead at 12:16.

The T-birds doubled their lead at 15:41 when Nick Holowko scored with a wrister over Hart’s blocker on the rush for a 2-0 advantage.

Seattle held a 15-3 shot advantage through the opening period. Everett’s best chance came on a two-on-one feed from Ralph to Skoleski at the mouth of the crease, but Landon Bow smothered Skoleski’s shot with six minutes remaining in the first.

Hart finished with 39 saves in a losing effort. Bow had 17 saves.

Thunderbirds 3, Silvertips 2

Everett 0 2 0 — 2

Seattle 2 1 0 — 3

1st Period—1, Seattle, Eansor 4 (Neuls, Volcan), 12:16. 2, Seattle, Holowko 2 (Leth, True), 15:41. Penalties—No Penalties

2nd Period—3, Everett, Ralph 4 (Davis, Fonteyne), 10:11. 4, Seattle, Gropp 2 (Ottenbreit, Wedman), 11:43. 5, Everett, Skoleski 1 (Khomenko, Fonteyne), 18:49 (PP). Penalties—Smith Sea (holding), 0:30; Leedahl Evt (tripping), 5:00; Leth Sea (tripping), 7:27; Barzal Sea (high sticking), 17:04; Neuls Sea (inter. on goaltender), 20:00.

3rd Period—No Scoring. Penalties—Leedahl Evt (tripping), 0:41; Skrumeda Evt (embellishment), 11:44; Volcan Sea (boarding), 11:44; Ralph Evt (cross checking), 16:13; Gropp Sea (slashing), 18:13; Neuls Sea (delay of game), 19:57.

Shots on Goal—Everett 3-12-4-19. Seattle 15-9-18-42.

Power Play Opportunities—Everett 1 / 6; Seattle 0 / 3.

Goalies—Everett, Hart 2-4-0-0 (42 shots-39 saves). Seattle, Bow 8-1-0-0 (19 shots-17 saves).

A—4,339

For the latest Silvertips news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter @jessegeleynse.