Power-play success lifts Silvertips to 4-1 win over Tri-City

Published 10:50 pm Friday, December 16, 2016

EVERETT — The Everett Silvertips and Tri-City Americans are among the top special teams practitioners in the Western Hockey League.

And, special teams played a central role in Everett’s 4-1 win over Tri-City before 4,211 fans Friday night at Xfinity Arena.

The Tips scored three power-play goals and finished 3-for-9 on the man advantage against Tri-City’s fifth-ranked penalty kill. Everett also held the Americans’ third-ranked power-play unit 0-for-2 while killing off what amounted to a four-minute penalty in the second period.

“I think it might be the first game they didn’t score a power-play goal on us and they’re among the best in the league on the power play,” Everett head coach Kevin Constantine said. “They don’t need a lot so any time you get the job done on the power play against them it’s a real positive because their special teams are really good.”

More importantly the U.S. Division-leading Silvertips (23-4-5-0, 51 points) extended their division lead to 10 points over road-weary and second-place Tri-City (19-14-3-0, 41 points). The Americans played at Prince George Tuesday and Wednesday before trekking to Everett Thursday.

“Maybe we got crisper, maybe the 12-hour drive they had to make yesterday was a factor,” Constantine said. “I don’t really know. We did start getting a few more opportunities and a few more shots as it went on so something was probably a little bit of a factor tonight.”

The Tips didn’t score their first goal at even strength until Eetu Tuulola’s perfect feed to Devon Skoleski in the slot ended with Skoleski putting it between Tri-City goalie Evan Sarthou’s legs.

That came at 8:48 in the final period and pushed Everett’s lead to 4-1.

Overage forward Graham Millar set up Skoleski’s goal by digging the puck out of a wall battle and finding Tuulola. Millar, who returned several games ago from injury, finished with a goal and an assist.

“You never want to feel too comfortable,” Millar said. “I just keep preparing like I should and getting back in the swing of things was the main thing.”

The Tips took a 2-1 lead in the opening period and entered the third with that same score. Patrick Bajkov needed just six seconds into Everett’s sixth power play to push the Tips’ lead to 3-1 at 1:39 in the final period.

Everett killed off what essentially amounted to a four-minute penalty in the second when Lucas Skrumeda was whistled for tripping with three seconds remaining on Bradly Goethals’ holding penalty.

The Silvertips erased a 1-0 lead with a pair of first-period power-play goals after Tri-City’s Dalton Yorke was assessed a four-minute penalty after high-sticking Matt Fonteyne in the face.

Riley Sutter scored when he tipped in Kevin Davis’s shot from the high slot at 9:22 for a 1-1 tie. Everett took the lead at 11:03 when Sarthou deflected Brian King’s shot from the right circle directly to Millar, who walked in for the easy tap-in at the left post.

“I think we just generated a lot of chances,” Davis said. “They actually did a good job on their forecheck on our breakouts. But I think guys battled hard and shot a lot of pucks.”

Everett goaltender Mario Petit turned away a pair of strong short-handed looks as the Tips earned a total of four power plays in the opening period. Petit finished with 22 saves on 23 shots.

The Americans took the initial lead with Morgan Geekie’s one-timer from the slot at 5:31 in the first.

The Tips finished with 47 shots against Sarthou, a native of Black Diamond, Washington, to finish with a 47-23 shot advantage.

Everett returns to action at 7:05 p.m. Saturday against Portland for its annual Teddy Bear Toss.

Silvertips 4, Americans 1

Tri-City 1 0 0 ­— 1

Everett 2 0 2 — 4

1st Period—1, Tri-City, Geekie 19 (Topping, Coghlan), 5:31. 2, Everett, Sutter 11 (Davis, Zwerger), 9:22 (PP). 3, Everett, Millar 8 (King, Skrumeda), 11:03 (PP). Penalties—Yorke Tc (high sticking, high sticking), 8:13; Sarthou Tc (delay of game), 12:49; Yaremko Tc (major-fighting), 16:08; Onyebuchi Evt (major-fighting), 16:08; Geekie Tc (cross checking), 17:34.

2nd Period—No Scoring. Penalties—Wotherspoon Tc (roughing), 3:00; Goethals Evt (holding opp. stick), 12:00; Skrumeda Evt (tripping), 13:57.

3rd Period—4, Everett, Bajkov 17 (Davis), 1:39 (PP). 5, Everett, Skoleski 4 (Tuulola, Millar), 8:38. Penalties—Bafaro Tc (holding), 1:33; Topping Tc (roughing), 10:36; Wotherspoon Tc (interference), 14:46; Rasmussen Tc (slashing), 18:16.

Shots on Goal—Tri-City 11-6-6-23. Everett 15-15-17-47.

Power Play Opportunities—Tri-City 0 / 2; Everett 3 / 9.

Goalies—Tri-City, Sarthou 4-3-2-0 (47 shots-43 saves). Everett, Petit 6-1-1-0 (23 shots-22 saves).

A—4,211

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