BLOG: Silvertips get two late goals, push Winterhawks to the brink

What. A. Game. The @WHLsilvertips take this one by a 3-2 score and lead 3-1 coming home! #EVTvsPOR #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/rWeL9yfReW

— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 13, 2018

Wow. Not sure many of us saw that coming.

The Portland Winterhawks completely outplayed the Everett Silvertips in Game 4, and Tips assistant Mitch Love said it was Portland’s best game of the series – the Winterhawks’ 5-2 Game 1 win notwithstanding.

Yet Everett scored in the penultimate minute of the opening period, and carried a 1-0 lead five minutes into the third before Portland tied it.

The Winterhawks then took advantage of an ill-timed Ondrej Vala penalty to take their first lead since Game 1 with just over two minutes to go.

No matter. Garrett Pilon answered for Everett on the ensuing shift, Wyatte Wylie scored the game-winner the shift after that, and the Tips are now one victory away from sending Portland home for the summer.

Here’s Pilon’s goal:

But then the @WHLsilvertips tie it 2-2 on a goal from @Capitals prospect @gpilon41! #WHLPlayoffs #EVTvsPOR pic.twitter.com/ixWr4kLLVv

— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 13, 2018

And here is Wylie’s game-winner:

And finally, 2018 #NHLDraft prospect Wyatte Wylie pushes the @WHLsilvertips ahead for good with 72 seconds left in regulation. #EVTvsPOR #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/QDHE3NXsR1

— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 13, 2018

“I’m not sure that’s how we drew it up, but we’ll definitely take it,” Everett head coach Dennis Williams quipped afterward.

The Tips would not have been in position for the win had Carter Hart not turned aside 42 of 44 to win his third straight. Here was the Save of the Night:

🎥 WHL Highlight of the Night 🎥
April 12, 2018@c_hart70 of @WHLsilvertips#WHLHoN #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/rMgGjWeZO7

— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 13, 2018

The Silvertips are now a win away from advancing to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2006.

For the latest Silvertips news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter.