BLOG: Thunderbirds even series with 5-4 win in overtime

First off, how about that game-winning goal?

Zack Andrusiak won it for Seattle with a beautiful move and finish that was the WHL highlight of the night:

🎥 WHL Highlight of the Night 🎥
March 24, 2018@ZackAndrusiak27 of @SeattleTbirds#WHLHoN #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/zGU8Sdo9y9

— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 25, 2018

Andrusiak’s goal came as he split Everett’s top defensive pairing in Kevin Davis and Jake Christiansen, making it that much more impressive. Seattle also got its fourth goal from unlikely hero Mike MacLean who had all of two goals and four points during the regular season. MacLean found himself all alone at the top of the crease for the go-ahead goal midway through the final period.

Mike MacLean gives @SeattleTbirds the lead! It’s 4-3! #EVTvsSEA #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/vgCPT6sGlz

— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 25, 2018

All told the Thunderbirds beat Carter Hart an uncharacteristic five times Saturday in a 5-4 overtime victory that evened the series at a game apiece. You can also read colleague Andy Eide’s take from the victorious Seattle side. The series shifts to Kent for Game 3 on Tuesday.

The loss overshadowed a tremendous effort from Tips forward Garrett Pilon who recorded a hat trick and forced overtime with less than a minute to go with his third goal of the game. No doubt it rang hollow in defeat.

Break out the 🎩🎩🎩 for @Capitals prospect @gpilon41! The @WHLsilvertips have forced overtime in the final minute of regulation! #WHLPlayoffs #EVTvsSEA pic.twitter.com/OvAR6ByDTq

— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 25, 2018

There was some consternation early when the Tips and most of the arena thought Gianni Fairbrother had tied the game 2-2 with his wrister. The goal was immediately waved off and play continued before the officials checked the video at the next whistle. The view shown multiple times on the video board during the delay appeared to show the puck crossing the goal line, but that angle is not directly above the goal line and the no-goal call was upheld.

here is the no goal #EVTvsSEA pic.twitter.com/TABQaILvk7

— xy Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) March 25, 2018

Direct look as we saw on the board. Unfortunately another angle from directly above the bar – only accessible to VGJ – confirmed the puck hit post, bounced back out. Indeed, difficult to digest. https://t.co/bah5Zuhbsm

— Mike Benton (@Benton_Mike) March 25, 2018

The Silvertips did score a power-play goal Saturday, but are just 1-for-9 in the series. Everett killed off Seattle’s five-minute power play spanning the second and third periods, but allowed two other power-play goals on point shots from Turner Ottenbreit and Austin Strand. Seattle also scored its lone goal Friday through traffic from the point (albeit at full strength) and that remains its best offensive strategy.

Tips forward Riley Sutter was given the aforementioned five-minute major and also received a game misconduct for a knee-to-knee hit on Jake Lee in the second period. Lee eventually returned for overtime so it remains to be seen if Sutter will be issued a suspension. If he is it’s a big loss as Sutter is Everett’s second-line center.

The Tips also appear to be without forward Luke Ormsby for the foreseeable future. Ormsby had his right arm in a sling in the press box Saturday.

For the latest Silvertips news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter.