BRANDON, Manitoba — The Everett Silvertips made an emphatic statement Tuesday night.
The Tips produced arguably their biggest result of the season as the knocked off the high-flying Brandon Wheat Kings 5-0 to continue their fantastic start to their eastern road trip.
Brandon is leading the WHL’s Eastern Conference, had won five straight, and the Wheat Kings have already made some major trades to load up for a potential title run.
But behind a brilliant performance by goaltender Austin Lotz, who was playing for the first time in his home province of Manitoba, the Tips improved to 3-0 on their six-game swing through the East Division. Lotz finished with 39 saves, including 21 during a sensational first period that kept Everett in the game.
Carson Stadnyk scored two goals, while Remi Laurencelle, Patrick Bajkov and Brayden Low also found the net for Everett (24-11-3-1), which took full advantage on the power play, scoring three times with the advantage.
Jordan Papirny made 23 saves in net for Brandon (29-8-3-1).
Everett was indebted to Lotz for escaping the first period with a scoreless tie. Brandon outshot the Tips 21-8 in the first — the most shots Everett has allowed in a period this season. But Lotz made three huge saves, first robbing Jayce Hawryluk with a diving glove save, then twice denying Eric Roy during a late power play, keeping it scoreless.
Everett then took the lead on the power play 6 minutes, 45 seconds into the second period. Ben Betker’s shot from the point created a scramble in front, and Stadnyk backhanded in the rebound to give the Tips an unexpected lead.
Lotz made another huge save to maintain Everett’s lead, stoning Tim McGauley on a breakaway. Then the Tips erupted in the final minute of the second to take command on the scoreboard. Everett scored its second power-play goal of the game at 19:10 as Laurencelle tipped Noah Juulsen’s shot under Papirny. Then just 11 seconds later it was 3-0 as Bajkov converted a back-door feed from Matt Fonteyne. Everett had other scoring chances before the period ended, but Papirny made some good saves to keep it 3-0.
The Tips kept the Wheat Kings contained in the third, and Stadnyk put it away with another rebound goal on the power play at 13:44. Low finished off in transition at 17:23 to put the icing on the cake.
Silvertips 5, Wheat Kings 0
Everett 0 3 2 — 5
Brandon 0 0 0 — 0
First Period—no goals. Penalties—Waltz, Brandon (checking from behind), 0:22; Betker, Everett (cross checking), 12:20; Scherbak, Everett (slashing), 18:16.
Second Period—1, Everett, Stadnyk 14 (Betker, Millar), 6:45 (pp). 2, Everett, Laurencelle 8 (Juulsen, Bauml), 19:10 (pp). 3, Everett, Bajkov 13 (Fonteyne, Nikolishin), 19:21. Penalties—Duke, Brandon (boarding), 5:37; Duke, Brandon (high sticking), 8:40; Betker, Everett (holding), 10:23; Bauml, Everett (slashing), 14:37; Gow, Brandon (tripping), 15:25.
Third Period—4, Everett, Stadnyk 15 (Nikolishin, Bajkov), 13:44 (pp). Penalties—P. Quenneville (high sticking), 4:54. J. Quenneville, Brandon (high sticking), 12:52.
Shots on goal—Everett 8-10-10—28. Brandon 21-8-10—39. Power-play opportunities—Everett 3 of 7. Brandon 0 of 4.
Goalies—Everett, Lotz 17-8-1-1 (39 shots, 39 saves). Brandon, Papirny 24-7-3-0 (28 shots, 23 saves).
A—3,525.
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