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REFLECTIONS: Hart makes it two straight shutouts in win over PG

Published 12:30 am Sunday, November 27, 2016

By Jesse Geleynse Herald Writer

The Game

The Prince George Cougars, ranked first in the CHL poll, have handled everyone they’ve played this year. Everyone, that is, but the seventh-ranked Everett Silvertips.

Per head coach Kevin Constantine, the Tips weren’t at their best during Saturday’s 3-0 win over the visiting Cougars:

“They got a lot of different dimensions to their game (and) that’s why they’re good,” he said. “We’re fortunate to have beat them. We were probably not as sharp on all parts of our game tonight. I think a little of that had to do with playing three (games) in four nights. Plus they’re pretty good. They don’t make the game easy for you. So I think they controlled the game a little bit. But we got good goaltending, and some timely goals and it’s a big win. It was important to our guys.”

The Tips did indeed get good goaltending. Carter Hart turned in his second consecutive shutout to out-duel Prince George netminder Ty Edmonds.

Oh, and the mild-mannered, soft-spoken Hart shoved Brogan O’Brien after O’Brien was whistled for goaltender interference in the second.

“He sort of cross-checked me so I gave him one back,” Hart said with a wry grin playing beneath the wispy Movember whiskers on his upper lip. “I’m not going to take any of that.”

The Tips survived the scare of losing Dominic Zwerger for the final four-plus minutes of the second period when he took a knee from Ryan Schoettler. Zwerger hobbled off the ice and to the dressing room, but emerged for the third period and garnered an assist.

“The knee into a guy’s knee or thigh can be year-ending, so it’s a dangerous hit,” Constantine said. “I’m sure when he got kneed he was pretty nervous about what the end result of that would have been. He wasn’t 100 percent in the third period either. But they said he was OK to go, so he went.”

The Turning Point

Bryce Kindopp’s goal at at 3:16 in the third gave Everett a two-goal cushion.

Three Stars

1. Everett G Carter Hart: The current WHL Goaltender of the Week saved 26 shots for his second consecutive 3-0 shutout. (Look for him to make it back-to-back honors on Monday).

2. Everett F Bryce Kindopp: The rookie forward scored a key insurance goal and was plus-one.

3. Everett D Montana Onyebuchi: The rookie defenseman scored the game’s first goal and was plus-two.

The Box Score

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