Cougars top Silvertips 4-3 in matchup of West’s best

Published 10:30 pm Friday, December 30, 2016

EVERETT — The Everett Silvertips have alternated with the Prince George Cougars atop the Western Conference standings for much of the 2016-17 season.

Friday’s 4-3 Prince George win before 5,323 fans at Xfinity Arena was the final set in the four-game regular-season series. With the win the Cougars (27-10-2-0, 56 points) moved back into a tie with Everett for the conference lead.

The Tips (25-5-6-0, 56 points) won the first three contests in the season series, first announcing their status as a title contender with a two-game sweep at Prince George in October, followed by a 3-0 home victory two days after Thanksgiving.

“I’m not shocked that we had beaten them three in a row, but based on what I saw going into the year I didn’t think we’d win the first three games against them,” Everett head coach Kevin Constantine said. “I’m not surprised at all that they won one if not more of the four-game series.”

The loss was just Everett’s third in regulation at home this season. The loss spoiled a three-assist effort from Kevin Davis and a two-goal performance from Matt Fonteyne.

Friday’s game put a bow on the regular-season series, but if these teams avoid costly injuries and continue to play as well as they have, an intense postseason series could appear in the future.

“It was definitely a playoff atmosphere,” Fonteyne said. “We mentioned that after the game to some of the younger guys who haven’t been in a playoff (situation). It’s a playoff atmosphere, every battle matters, every shift matters. The intensity was ramped up and that’s how it’s going to be from this point on.”

Prince George’s Josh Curtis scored what proved the game-winner off a rebound at 14:16 in the third to put the Cougars up 4-3.

“They’ve got a combination of everything,” Constantine said. “They’re well-coached so they have some structure, they are extremely competitive, they’re big and physical. To me that’s kind of what a playoff game would look like.”

The teams entered the final stanza knotted at 2-2, but it didn’t stay tied for long as Fonteyne redirected a Davis point shot on the power play for the go-ahead goal and a 3-2 advantage at 2:16. It was Everett’s first lead of the game after spotting the Cougars a 2-0 lead. It was also Everett’s second power-play goal against the the Cougars’ league-leading penalty kill.

But Guhle tied it back up less than two minutes later when he converted from the right side of the crease.

The Cougars had a potential go-ahead goal waved off at 10:03 in the third when video replay showed the puck hit the crossbar, only to take the lead for good four minutes later.

“We hung in there, we came back and didn’t quit,” Constantine said. “We got ourselves back in the game and it was clearly anybody’s game in the last five (minutes). It was kind of a weird bounce at the end for them to win it. I think we played with them from the 13-minute mark (in the first period).”

Prince George appeared in control when Jansen Harkins’ second goal of the game at 1:04 in the second came on a tap-in off a cross-ice pass from Guhle and pushed Prince Georges lead to 2-0.

But the Silvertips rallied.

Fonteyne put the Tips on the board when he potted a rebound off the stick of Davis at 9:19. Then Cougars defenseman Tate Olson was assessed a four-minute high-sticking penalty at 11:39, and Dominic Zwerger capitalized from the left side of the crease at 13:49 to tie the game at 2-2.

Davis extended his point streak to an Everett season-high 11 games while Zwerger now has his second 10-game point streak of the season.

The Cougars took the lead early. Brad Morrison found Harkins on a two-on-one and Harkins finished at the net past Mario Petit to make it 1-0 just 1:02 into the contest.

The Silvertips didn’t record their first shot until they went on their first power play more than 13 minutes into the contest.

“They were the much-better team in the first 10 minutes for sure,” Constantine said. “Getting on the power play got us a little bit of momentum back in the game, but they were clearly the better team for the first 13 (minutes) and I’m sure the fact they lost their last two games and hadn’t beaten us in the year was important to them.”

Everett doesn’t play again until they head to Kent next Friday for a 7:35 p.m. matchup with the Thunderbirds at ShoWare Center.

Cougars 4, Silvertips 3

Prince George 1 1 2 — 4

Everett 0 2 1 — 3

1st Period—1, Prince George, Harkins 8 (Morrison, McDonald), 1:02. Penalties—Tuulola Evt (tripping), 7:01; Khomenko Pg (tripping), 12:32; served by Morrison Pg (too many men), 13:31.

2nd Period—2, Prince George, Harkins 9 (Guhle, Morrison), 1:04. 3, Everett, Fonteyne 9 (Dewar, Davis), 9:19. 4, Everett, Zwerger 17 (Davis, Bajkov), 13:48 (PP). Penalties—Wylie Evt (interference), 1:19; Khomenko Pg (interference), 2:13; Olson Pg (high sticking, high sticking), 11:39; Harkins Pg (roughing, charging), 14:24; Dewar Evt (checking from behind), 14:24; Onyebuchi Evt (roughing), 14:24.

3rd Period—5, Everett, Fonteyne 10 (Davis, Bajkov), 2:16 (PP). 6, Prince George, Guhle 9 (McDonald, Harkins), 4:15. 7, Prince George, Curtis 6 (Almeida, Ruopp), 14:16. Penalties—Edmonds Pg (tripping), 1:33; Dewar Evt (holding), 11:54; Ruopp Pg (tripping), 14:53.

Shots on Goal—Prince George 8-12-5-25. Everett 5-10-5-20.

Power Play Opportunities—Prince George 0 / 3; Everett 2 / 7.

Goalies—Prince George, Edmonds 21-6-1-0 (20 shots-17 saves). Everett, Petit 8-2-2-0 (25 shots-21 saves).

A—5,323

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