PRINCE ALBERT, Saskatchewan – One down, four to go.
Mike Wall stopped 20 shots and Curtis Billsten scored the game’s lone goal as the Everett Silvertips opened their longest road trip of the season – 11 days, five games, 3,000 miles – with a 1-0 Western Hockey League victory over the Prince Albert Raiders Friday night.
“Certainly their play dictated how the game was played,” Prince Albert coach Peter Anholt said of the Silvertips, who improved to 8-5-2-2. “They are a very patient team and don’t hesitate to ice the puck. They made it very hard to get a shot through.”
Billsten scored on a first-period power play. Defenseman Ivan Baranka had his shot from the point stopped by Raiders goalie Alex Archibald, but Billsten gathered the rebound and beat Archibald for his third goal of the season.
On the night, the Tips were 1-for-4 on the power play. The Raiders were 0-for-2.
Silvertips coach Kevin Constantine said the early lead was key to his team’s success.
“Getting that lead in the first period was good because we felt less pressure to gamble and take chances,” Constantine said. “We could play a more defensive game.”
Still, Constantine would have liked to have seen his team do more with its offensive opportunities.
“In the second period … we had three 2-on-1 chances that I wish we could have capitalized on,” he said.
Wall collected his third shutout of the season. Archibald stopped 18 shots for Prince Albert.
The Silvertips’ swing through the WHL’s Eastern Conference continues tonight with a game at Saskatoon.
“It’s good to get the first win, but I think if you are going to consider yourself an above average team, you have to be able to compete no matter what,” Constantine said.
The struggling Raiders, who have won just two of their past 11 games, fell to 5-11-2-1.
“I thought we played better tonight,” Anholt said. “Basically from the top of the circle down we’re just not in sync. We had a couple chances, but we just couldn’t seem to get a break.”
Silvertips 1, Raiders 0
Everett100-1
Prince Albert000-0
First Period-1, Everett, Billsten 3 (Baranka) 7:00 (pp)
Shots on goal: Everett 6-7-6-19; Prince Albert 7-6-7-20.
Goalies- Everett Wall 6-5-2 (20 shots, 20 saves); Prince Albert Archibald 0-2-1 (19 shots, 18 saves).
Attendance: 2,180.
Courtney Gillies of the (Prince Albert) Daily Herald contributed to this story.
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