Herald staff
BRANDON, Manitoba — It’s been a volatile week for the Everett Silvertips, but Friday night they earned vindication.
Everett opened its longest road trip of the season with a big comeback victory, defeating the Brandon Wheat Kings 3-2 in overtime.
Everett’s week began with uncertainty surrounding its goaltending, then saw two core players depart. Friday, the Tips found themselves behind 2-0 after 12 minutes.
But goals from Manraj Hayer and Trent Lofthouse got the game into overtime, then Landon Oslanski won it for the Tips in the extra period.
Everett received a big game in goal from Daniel Cotton, who was acquired as the emergency backup last Sunday. He got his first start for the Tips and earned his first career win after going 0-8 with Seattle last season. Cotton finished with 23 saves.
The Tips also received a contribution from new defenseman Connor Cox. Cox, acquired Thursday at the overager cutdown — a move that forced the Tips to release winger Cody Fowlie — had an assist and was plus-2 in his Everett debut.
The victory, which began Everett’s six-game swing through the Western Hockey League’s East Division, ended Everett’s three-game losing streak as the Tips improved to 2-5-0-1.
John Quenneville and Jens Meilleur scored for Brandon (5-2-1-0). Curtis Honey made 30 saves in net for the Wheat Kings.
Everett trailed 2-1 with time winding down when Lofthouse got the Tips even, finding a shooting lane and wiring a shot into the top of the net to tie teh game 2-2 with 5 minutes, 27 seconds remaining in regulation.
Then in overtime, Hayer went coast-to-coast before dropping a pass to Oslanski, who one-timed a shot into the corner to end it.
The Tips turned the puck over twice in their own zone in the first period, and the Wheat Kings punished them both times, Quenneville scoring at 5:26 and Meilleur scoring at 11:29.
Everett then dominated the second period, outshooting Brandon 19-8, and the Tips pulled back within one at 9:32. The teams were skating four-on-four when the Tips broke two-on-one. Hayer converted Reid Petryk’s feed to make it 2-1.
Silvertips 3, Wheat Kings 2 (OT)
Everett0111—3
Brandon2000—2
First Period—1, Brandon, Quenneville 1 (Cooper, Meilleur), 5:26. 2, Brandon, Meilleur 4 (Quenneville), 11:29. Penalties—Pulock, Brandon (hooking), 14:12; Nikkel, Brandon (interference), 19:48.
Second Period—3, Everett, Hayer 3 (Petryk, Walters), 9:32. Penalties—Buonassisi, Brandon (slashing), 7:39; Winquist, Everett (cross checking), 8:14; Winquist, Everett (checking from behind), 10:20; Betker, Everett (cross checking), 12:23; Palmer, Brandon (kneeing), 16:41; Leedahl, Everett (tripping), 19:05.
Third Period—4, Everett, Lofthouse 2 (Cox), 14:33. Penalties—Bertaggia, Brandon (hooking), 0:25; Sandhu, Everett (slashing), 5:51; Lofthouse, Everett (slashing), 9:58.
Overtime—5, Everett, Oslanski 4 (Hayer, Cotton), 1:17. Penalties—none.
Shots on goal—Everett 8-19-5-1—33. Brandon 9-8-8-0—25. Power-play opportunities—Everett 0 of 6. Brandon 0 of 6.
Goalies—Everett, Cotton 1-0-0-0 (25 shots, 23 saves). Brandon, Honey 1-0-1-0 (33 shots, 30 saves).
A—3,834.
