Royals beat Silvertips 4-3 to even playoff series at 1-1

EVERETT — The Everett Silvertips may have swept all four regular-season games from the Victoria Royals, but those four wins aren’t an indication how good Victoria, the defending Scotty Munro Trophy champion, actually is.

So it was little surprise Saturday as Victoria came from behind twice to top Everett 4-3 and even up the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series at one game apiece before 4,196 fans at Xfinity Arena.

“They’re a good, quick team and they have a lot of good players over there so it’s going to be back and forth all series,” Everett captain Noah Juulsen said. “They gotta be one of the faster teams in the league. (Medicine) Hat came in here this year and they’re pretty fast, but I think (Victoria) is one of the faster teams as well.”

Tyler Soy scored twice while Jack Walker and Chaz Reddekopp each had two assists for the Royals who won their first game in six regular and postseason tries against the Tips.

More telling was the fact the Royals scored twice on the power play and are now 4-for-7 on the man advantage in the series against an Everett team that led the WHL in penalty killing.

“That gives their forwards a chance to display their skill and they’ve got a lot of talented forwards that can make a lot of plays,” Everett head coach Kevin Constantine said. “It doesn’t surprise me that they can generate some offense off their power play and hopefully we can be a little better, but it’s not surprising based on the talent in their room and the way the regular-season series went.”

The game-winner came at even strength when Vladimir Bobylev broke a 3-3 tie at 15:01 in the third when he tucked the puck between Carter Hart’s blocker and the left post from behind the net.

Bobylev’s goal was the second of two Royals goals that originated from lost faceoffs as the absence of centers Devon Skoleski and Riley Sutter was readily apparent.

“The spot where (missing two centers) showed up (Friday) night the biggest was on faceoffs, but it didn’t cost us,” Constantine said. “Tonight the fact that we’re asking guys to play out of position showed up on the scoreboard because we lost draws that led to those goals you’re talking about. So that whole center position thing kind of bit us in the (butt) tonight.”

Trailing 3-2 through two periods, Everett drew even at 7:49 in the third when Lucas Skrumeda collected a puck at the blue line, sliced through the slot toward the net and found Brandson Hein at the left post to make it 3-3.

The Tips led twice including a 2-1 advantage on the power play just 49 seconds into the second period when Patrick Bajkov beat Griffen Outhouse with a snipe from the right circle.

It was Everett’s fourth power-play goal of the series and the Tips have scored four of their seven goals on the man advantage.

“That means our power play is doing all right, so you can look at that two ways,” Bajkov said. “Our five-on-five play, I think we’re all right. Obviously putting the puck in the net has been a little bit of issue here. But like I said we’ll look over a few things down there and hopefully get a better result.”

The Royals countered quickly when Soy’s behind-the-net shot deflected off Hart’s back to make it 2-2 at 1:40.

Victoria then took its first lead of the series when Dante Hannoun found Soy from behind the net on the power play and Soy roofed the puck past Hart at 7:30.

“I think as a group it’s our responsibility to shut those plays down when it’s behind the net and they make a little quick pass there,” Juulsen said. “I think that’s on us, not the goaltender.”

The Tips then endured a scary moment at 12:21 when Dominic Zwerger went head-first into the side boards. Regan Nagy was assessed a two-minute penalty for boarding, but the Tips weren’t able to convert. Zwerger returned to the ice before the end of the second period.

Everett opened the scoring in the first when Outhouse made a diving save on Bajkov’s shot at the right post, but wasn’t able to corral the puck. Matt Fonteyne crashed the net and flicked a back-handed shot past Outhouse for the 1-0 lead at 7:53.

The Royals drew even at 12:45 when Matthew Phillips potted a rebound of Reddekopp’s point shot to make it 1-1.

Game 3 begins at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday at Save-On-Foods Arena in Victoria.

“It takes four to win so I think moving forward here we gotta go up there and get two wins and hopefully come back here,” Juulsen said.

Royals 4, Silvertips 3

Victoria 1 2 1 — 4

Everett 1 1 1 — 3

1st Period—1, Everett, Fonteyne 1 (Bajkov, Zwerger), 7:53 (PP). 2, Victoria, Phillips 1 (Reddekopp, Hannoun), 12:45 (PP). Penalties—Gerth Vic (slashing), 7:23; Zwerger Evt (slashing), 12:03; Dmytriw Vic (hooking), 19:43.

2nd Period—3, Everett, Bajkov 2 (Zwerger, Davis), 0:49 (PP). 4, Victoria, Soy 1 (Nagy, Walker), 1:40. 5, Victoria, Soy 2 (Walker, Reddekopp), 7:30 (PP). Penalties—Fonteyne Evt (slashing), 5:54; Juulsen Evt (delay of game), 10:17; Nagy Vic (boarding), 12:21.

3rd Period—6, Everett, Hein 1 (Skrumeda), 7:49. 7, Victoria, Bobylev 1 (Dmytriw, Morrison), 15:01. Penalties—No Penalties.

Shots on Goal—Victoria 10-13-7-30. Everett 9-8-4-21.

Power Play Opportunities—Victoria 2 / 3; Everett 2 / 3.

Goalies—Victoria, Outhouse (21 shots-18 saves). Everett, Hart (30 shots-26 saves).

A—4,196

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