REFLECTIONS: Carter Hart does it again in 3-0 Silvertips win
Published 12:00 am Saturday, December 9, 2017
First of all, here’s the story I had in Friday’s Herald that looked at the ridiculous season Carter Hart is having. After his Friday night shutout over the Spokane Chiefs his numbers are 12-3-0-1, 1.34 GAA and .960. So insert those numbers when reading Friday’s preview piece. Also, watch this video of Hart talking about his impending second straight Team Canada World Junior camp:
The Game
Hart stole this game for the Tips. Spokane thoroughly outplayed Everett, but Hart set the tone early by stoning short-handed attempts from Kailer Yamamoto and Jaret Anderson-Dolan on Everett’s power play in the first period. The Tips killed all five penalties. While that adds its league-best PK average, the fact Everett took so many penalties was a symptom of not utilizing its team speed and aggressiveness.
Updated Carter Hart numbers: 12-3-0-1, five SO (24 career), 1.34 GAA, .960 save percentage. Tips have won seven straight.
There was nothing cheap about Hart's 39-save tonight against a Spokane team featuring Kailer Yamamoto, Elynuik, Jaret A-D, Fischer and Ty Smith pic.twitter.com/Hy0eTZFNs1
— Jesse Geleynse (@JesseGeleynse) December 9, 2017
Sean Richards says he saw a window on his goal at the end of the second period and we’ll have to take him at his word. He basically willed the goal to happen. It provided ample momentum for the third when Matt Fonteyne got lucky following an errant pass from Patrick Bajkov. Everett finished with 20 shots on net, but had just 11 through the first two periods. The Tips came up empty on three power plays so their string of seven straight games with power-play goals came to an end.
Defenseman Gianni Fairbrother had his left arm in a sling and is out the rest of the weekend, head coach Dennis Williams said afterward. Fairbrother didn’t return for the third period of Wednesday’s win over Portland.
The Turning Point
Richards broke the deadlock with less than a minute to go in the second. That gave the Tips momentum heading into the third.
Three Stars
1. Everett G Carter Hart: You know why.
2. Everett F Sean Richards: Richards had the game-winning goal and was plus-three.
3. Everett D Kevin Davis: The co-captain had an assist and was plus-two.
