VANCOUVER, B.C. – It may not have been reflected in the final score, but the Everett Silvertips got steamrolled Friday night.
The Vancouver Giants manhandled Everett physically, and Silvertips meekly succumbed to a 3-1 defeat.
Spencer Machacek scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, and the Giants spent the rest of the night slamming the Tips hard into the boards.
“We were just good enough to lose,” Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. “I didn’t think we competed physically at all. I thought we had a lot of different opportunities in the game to be more physical, and I didn’t think we were. That part was a disappointment.”
Tim Kraus also scored and Mark Fistric added an empty-net goal for Vancouver (19-8-0-4). Dustin Slade had an easy night in goal for the Giants, needing to make just 14 saves.
Ondrej Fiala scored and Leland Irving made 24 saves in goal for Everett (17-14-1-0), which was missing six players – including key forwards Torrie Wheat, Zach Hamill and Karel Hromas – because of injury or illness.
Vancouver set the tone early, with a hard-working forecheck that pinned the Tips back into their own zone much of the first period. Led by forward Milan Lucic, the Giants threw their bodies all around the rink, laying big hit after big hit on the Everett players.
“We were good on the forecheck and if you can get that kind of forecheck, you can create a lot of energy,” Vancouver coach Don Hay said.
“I thought we did a great job in the third period,” Hay added. “When you check like that and don’t give up a lot, you give yourself a chance to win.”
However, despite the discrepancy in physical play, Everett remained in the game – thanks largely to Irving’s goaltending – and had a chance to win with the score tied 1-1 going into the third period.
But Machacek quickly drained Everett’s hope.
The Vancouver forecheck once again created a turnover in the Tips’ zone. Machacek grabbed the loose puck, skated around Everett defenseman Taylor Ellington, then his stuff attempt found a way past Irving at 3 minutes, 55 seconds, giving the Giants the lead for good.
From there Vancouver’s defense did the rest.
Despite the urgency of being a goal behind and being on a critical power play thanks to a needless delay-of-game penalty taken by Vancouver defenseman Brett Festerling, Everett created little to concern Slade. Indeed, the Tips registered just two shots on goal in the third period, 15 total in the game.
“They’re a good defensive team,” Constantine said. “They’re good at penalty killing, so they don’t give you a lot. Then the six guys out of our lineup are a major part of our offense.
“The guys who go in, they have to get it done by scrapping and competing,” Constantine continued. “That’s what was missing tonight. We didn’t create any turnovers from hard work or physical play, which would give you more offense.”
Everett played a listless first period and the Tips were fortunate to find themselves only trailing 1-0. That goal came courtesy of a five-on-three power play. Good puck movement opened up a lane for Victory Bartley to find Kraus with a cross-crease pass, and Kraus one-timed his shot into an unguarded net at 5:01. Vancouver outshot Everett 9-2 in the period.
The Tips slowly found some life in the second period and tied it up with a five-on-three goal of their own. At 17:23, John Lammers fired a shot that went just wide. The puck rebounded off the back boards to Fiala standing at the post. Fiala casually collected the puck and put it in behind a downed Slade, making it 1-1.
Slap shots: With six players out because of injury or illness, 15-year-old right wing Matt Ius made his WHL debut for Everett on Friday night and didn’t look out of place. … Everett also recalled left wing Brennan Zasitko, who arrived following the game. The 17-year-old, who was reassigned after playing one game, had one assist and 34 penalty minutes in 16 games with Selkirk of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. He is expected to be available for tonight’s game at Spokane. … Former Silvertips Tyler Dietrich and Kyle Annesley, now playing for the University of British Columbia, where among the 6,074 in attendance at Pacific Coliseum.
Giants 3, Silvertips 1
Everett 0 1 0- 1
Vancouver 1 0 2- 3
First Period-1, Vancouver, Kraus 15 (Bartley, Franson), 5:01 (pp). Penalties-Thoring, Everett (tripping), 3:32; Heshka, Everett (high sticking), 4:52; Fistric, Vancouver (holding), 7:13; Rutherford, Vancouver (interference), 13:17.
Second Period-2, Everett, Fiala 2 (Lammers, Mueller), 17:23 (pp). Penalties-Repik, Vancouver (interference), 15:17; Voytechek, Vancouver (slashing), 17:56; Fransoo, Everett (high sticking), 17:56; Heshka, Everett (cross-checking), 19:37; Albers, Vancouver (roughing), 20:00.
Third Period-3, Vancouver, Machacek 5 (Lucic, Scharff), 3:55. 4, Vancouver, Fistric 1, 19:38 (en). Penalties-Festerling, Vancouver (delay of game), 10:35.
Shots on goal-Everett 2-11-2-15. Vancouver 9-8-10-27. Power-play opportunities-Everett 1 of 6. Vancouver 1 of 4.
Goalies-Everett, Irving 16-13 (26 shots, 24 saves). Everett, Slade 14-6-0-4 (15 shots, 14 saves).
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