The Game (Story)
EVERETT – The only way to move on from having a winning streak snapped is to start another one.
That’s exactly what the Everett Silvertips did Wednesday as they knocked off the visiting Spokane Chiefs 5-2 Friday before 4,022 fans at Xfinity Arena.
Five different players scored for Everett (9-5-0-1, 19 points) as the Silvertips avenged Wednesday’s 3-0 road setback to the Chiefs (9-8-2-1, 21 points). The Tips victory also ended Spokane’s streak of six consecutive games without a loss in regulation.
“We had a good start the other night, but I think we got a little unfocused after a couple intermissions,” said forward Patrick Bajkov, who scored what was ultimately the decisive goal a minute into the final period. “Tonight we were focused for the full 60 and we succeeded.”
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Friday’s effort was that injuries led the Tips dressing just five healthy defensemen. Everett scratched blue liners Cole MacDonald and Mackenzie Dwyer, meaning captain Dawson Leedahl took several shifts on defense.
Leedahl handled the opportunity with aplomb as the only two goals the Tips allowed came via Kailer Yamamoto on Spokane power plays. Yamamoto’s first tally came in a 5-on-3 situation in the second period that briefly cut Everett’s two-goal lead in half.
Yamamoto later deflected in Jason Fram’s shot at 14:58 in the third when Everett had all but cinched up the contest.
“That’s going to happen a lot where we get banged up over the course of a year, and someone is going to have to jump in,” head coach Kevin Constantine said. “It’s fun for other guys to get opportunities to play, so that’s the positive part of it.”
Rookie defenseman Jake Christiansen became the latest Silvertip to score his first career goal. Christiansen did so from the left circle at 7:21 in the third to push Everett’s advantage to 4-1.
“The first one is always the hardest, so it takes a lot of weight off my back,” Christiansen said. “It’s always something you think about, so it’s awesome to get it.”
Remi Laurencelle added Everett’s final tally at 12:23 when he curled around from behind the net and snuck the puck past Spokane goaltender Lasse Petersen’s right pad for a 5-1 advantage.
The Tips led 2-1 before erupting for three goals in the final period.
Bajkov got the offense started when he took the puck in from the right side, deked defender Evan Fiala into prostrating himself on the ice to block the shot, then fired past Petersen for a 3-1 lead at 1:23 in the third period.
“We talked in the dressing room among ourselves that we’d been playing well the whole game,” Bajkov said. “It was good to get that goal early and we built off of that.”
Christiansen and Laurencelle followed as Everett displayed an offensive prowess not seen since its last five-goal outburst – a home win over Prince Albert on Oct. 16.
“We’re interested in if we’re getting scoring chances and shots – that’s where we put our emphasis along the way,” Constantine said. “The more (the players) are in those situations, shooting chances, the better they’ll get at it. We gotta be patient with the process. What would bother you is if we didn’t work hard and didn’t create chances, but we do. That’s all you can do, and hopefully we grow in the ability to put the puck in the net.”
The Tips never trailed and got on the board on their second power play opportunity in the first. Petersen saved Matt Fonteyne’s one-timer from the right circle, but it bounced right to Graham Millar on the left side of the crease. Millar fired the puck past Petersen for a 1-0 lead at 13:38 in the first.
Kevin Davis made it 2-0 just 1:09 into the second period with a wrist shot from just inside the blue line that threaded a phalanx of teammates and defenders past Petersen.
But back-to-back penalties on Carson Stadnyk and Fonteyne gave the Chiefs a 5-on-3 opportunity, and Yamamoto made the Tips pay at 8:00 in a scrum in front of the net to cut the deficit to 2-1.
That’s how the second period ended and set up the Tips’ third period offensive display.
Everett out-shot Spokane 24-17 on the night. Tips goaltender Carter Hart recorded 15 saves while Petersen had 19 in a losing effort.
The Tips return to action Saturday at 7 when they play host to Swift Current.
The Game
The Tips needed a game like this – a game where their scoring chances found the back of the net. Everett once again scored by committee and got a strong performance from Hart, though he wasn’t tested often. That speaks to the job turned in by the depleted Silvertips defense.
Constantine said he doesn’t think the injuries to Dwyer and MacDonald are serious; he hopes to get one or both back for Saturday’s game. If not, he said both should be ready to go for next week’s Alberta road trip.
What can you say about Leedahl? He took turns on defense for the first time this season, served as an enforcer by fighting Tyson Helgeson, and was a physical defensive presence all night long.
Three Stars
Everett F Matt Fonteyne: Had two assists on the evening.
Everett F Patrick Bajkov: Scored what proved to be the game-winner and added an assist.
Everett G Carter Hart: Recorded 15 saves and only allowed goals on power plays.
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