Tigers hand Silvertips third consecutive defeat

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, October 11, 2017

MEDICINE HAT, Alberta — Each time the Everett Silvertips closed the gap the Medicine Hat Tigers responded.

Everett found itself in an early two-goal hole and never managed to tie it up in a 5-4 loss to the Tigers before 3,247 fans at Canalta Centre.

Medicine Hat (4-3, six points) dealt Everett (3-6, six points) its third consecutive loss as the Tips continue their Central Division swing. Everett is 1-3 against the Central so far with games remaining Friday at Lethbridge and Saturday versus Kootenay in Cranbrook, B.C.

Everett received a pregame boost when defenseman Kevin Davis returned after missing Tuesday’s game due to illness. The overage power-play specialist had an assist as the Tips finished 1-for-4 on the power play a night after going 0-for-6.

The four goals snapped a string of three straight games in which the Tips tallied only a single goal.

Everett trailed 4-3 through two periods. Mark Rassell’s second goal of the game came via the power play at 4:56 in the third and stretched the lead to 5-3.

Montana Onyebuchi’s first goal of the season cut it back to a single goal at 14:35 in the third, but that was as close as Everett got.

Trailing by two after the opening period, the Tips cut it to 3-2 when Patrick Bajkov blasted a wrister from the right circle on the power play at 9:58.

Rassell, Medicine Hat’s leading scorer, pushed the lead back to 4-2 at 12:27, but Brandson Hein’s backhanded wrap-around goal brought the Silvertips back within a goal at 4-3 at 13:50.

That’s how the second period ended.

Kyle Dumba earned his first start in net since the Tips signed him last week. It lasted only two minutes.

David Quenneville scored off a wrister through traffic at 1:33 in the first, and Dawson Heathcote redirected a point shot at 2:02 as the Tigers quickly took a 2-0 lead.

That was it for Dumba as he was replaced by Dorrin Luding.

Matt Fonteyne beat Michael Bullion blocker-side at 19:47 to cut the deficit to 2-1, but Tyler Preziuso answered right back 12 seconds later to push the lead back to two with only a second remaining in the first period.

Bajkov and Fonteyne each finished with a goal and an assist.

Both teams had 34 shots on the night. Everett won 30 faceoffs to Medicine Hat’s 18.

Tigers 5, Silvertips 4

Everett 1 2 1 — 4

Medicine Hat 3 1 1 — 5

1st Period—1, Medicine Hat, Quenneville 1 (MacPherson, Chyzowski), 1:33. 2, Medicine Hat, Heathcote 1 (Haden, Rybinski), 2:02. 3, Everett, Fonteyne 6 (Centazzo, Bajkov), 19:47. 4, Medicine Hat, Preziuso 2 (Jevne, Chyzowski), 19:59. Penalties—Richards Evt (slashing), 7:58; Sutter Evt (high sticking), 20:00.

2nd Period—5, Everett, Bajkov 3 (Davis, Fonteyne), 9:58 (PP). 6, Medicine Hat, Rassell 7 (Haden, Rybinski), 12:27. 7, Everett, Hein 1 (Fairbrother, Christiansen), 13:50. Penalties—Rybinski Mh (hooking), 7:15; Clayton Mh (slashing), 9:53; Rubins Mh (hooking), 19:03.

3rd Period—8, Medicine Hat, Rassell 8 (Quenneville, Hamblin), 4:56 (PP). 9, Everett, Onyebuchi 1 (Sutter, Wylie), 14:26. Penalties—Centazzo Evt (slashing), 3:30; Williams Mh (holding), 8:25.

Shots on Goal—Everett 13-10-11-34. Medicine Hat 13-12-9-34.

Power Play Opportunities—Everett 1 / 4; Medicine Hat 1 / 3.

Goalies—Everett, Dumba 0-0-0-0 (3 shots-1 saves); Luding 2-4-0-0 (31 shots-28 saves). Medicine Hat, Bullion 3-2-0-0 (34 shots-30 saves).

A—3,247