The Game
It was bad news from the get-go as stalwart Everett Silvertips defenseman Kevin Davis was scratched due to illness. Consequently the Tips started three 17-year-olds and three 18-year-olds on the blue line.
Davis out due to illness
— Jesse Geleynse (@JesseGeleynse) October 11, 2017
Nevertheless, the defense wasn’t bad in a 4-1 loss to the Red Deer Rebels. Goaltender Dorrin Luding surrendered three goals, but just a pair at even strength. Red Deer’s final goal came thanks to a late-game empty-netter.
Davis perhaps was more greatly missed on the power play unit as the Tips came up empty in a half-dozen chances on the man advantage.
Greater cause for concern is the Tips’ continuing struggle to score. They’ve now scored just once in each of the last three games after averaging nearly four goals through their first five contests. As I noted earlier it’s not for lack of shots, so we’ll see if they can rectify that in the coming games.
Everett’s lone goal Tuesday came from Orrin Centazzo and that’s an encouraging sign. The second-year forward is a popular pick to have a big year after his rookie season was cut short due to a broken collarbone. Centazzo has two goals on the season.
More concerning is that Matt Fonteyne, Patrick Bajkov and Riley Sutter – Everett’s primary goal producers – haven’t scored in three straight.
The Tips coaching staff continued to juggle the lines:
The crew in Red Deer. #LetsGoTips pic.twitter.com/YX8IqNzIGy
— Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) October 11, 2017
Fasko-Rudas jumped up to join Fonteyne and Bajkov on the top line while Centazzo and Sutter skated with Connor Dewar on the second line. Ethan Browne centered the third line and has now played two straight after missing the first six games of the season with an upper body injury.
The Turning Point
The game was still far from decided when the Tips went on the power play at 17:12 in the third while trailing 3-1. They elected to go 6-on-4 and pulled Luding, but Jared Dmytriw’s empty-netter sealed it a minute later.
Three Stars
1. Red Deer G Ethan Anders: The rookie netminder saved 28 of 29 shots faced.
2. Red Deer F Lane Zablocki: Zablocki had a goal and an assist.
3. Everett G Dorrin Luding: Luding kept the Tips in it with 31 saves on 34 shots.
For the latest Silvertips news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter.
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