EVERETT – The Kelowna Rockets showed Friday night they’re not ready to surrender their crown just yet.
In a thrilling game that lasted deep into the night, Troy Bodie scored midway through the second overtime to give the Rockets a 3-2 victory over the Everett Silvertips in Game 5 of their second-round WHL playoff series.
“We had our chances, they just didn’t go in,” Everett captain Torrie Wheat said. “It’s disappointing, but Game 6 is in front of our home crowd. Hopefully we can take the energy from the crowd.”
Everett would have finished off the defending league champions with a victory. Instead the best-of-seven series heads to Game 6 in Everett on Sunday, with the Tips still leading 3-2.
Through nearly 28 minutes of overtime the teams raced up and down the ice, with the puck coming inches away from going into either net on countless occasions. Gary Nylander / The Daily Courier
But Kelowna finally got the breakthrough 7 minutes, 50 seconds into the second overtime. Bodie deflected Mark Kress’ pass along the blue line into the neutral zone, outraced Jonathan Harty to the puck, skated in free and put his shot between goaltender Leland Irving’s legs to keep the Rockets alive in the best-of-seven series.
“I stuck out my skate, deflected it out and had a burst of speed,” Bodie said. “I didn’t think I was closer than (Harty), but I realized I had more speed than him. So I went after it, grabbed it and decided to shoot quick to try and catch them off guard.”
Everett appeared to have won it just moments earlier. Zach Hamill stickhandled around Kelowna goaltender Derek Yeomans, but couldn’t get the puck across the goal line from an acute angle. Then on the rebound Shaun Heshka seemed to have a certain goal with the net gaping, but Yeomans made a miraculous, diving glove save to keep the game alive.
“It was a great game for sure,” Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. “They got ahead, we battled back, and in overtime either team could have won. Both teams had good chances, they just got the break they needed to win.”
Troy Ofukany and Chris Ray also scored for Kelowna – Ray’s goal tying it 2-2 midway through the third period – and Yeomans finished with 32 saves.
Ondrej Fiala and John Lammers scored goals and Irving made 38 saves in goal for Everett.
Kelowna opened the scoring at 9:36 of the first period. Alexander Edler’s shot from the left point was saved by Irving, but Ofukany, camped out at the left post, put the rebound in to make it 1-0.
The Rockets continued to carry play in the first period thanks to a 3-1 advantage in power plays, but Everett had the better scoring chances, with Jason Fransoo hitting the post and Yeomans gloving Karel Hromas’ short-handed breakaway attempt.
Everett took the lead in the second period with a pair of gorgeous goals. The Tips tied it up at 1:13 on the power play, tic-tac-toe passing by Heshka and Peter Mueller opening up an easy tap in at the right post for Fiala. Then at 17:35, Heshka found Hamill cutting across the slot, and Hamill made a beautiful no-look, backhand pass so Lammers could tap it in at the left post, making it 2-0.
Everett tried to sit on the lead in the third period, but Kelowna’s pressure eventually led to the tying goal at 9:34, Brent Howarth threw the puck toward goal from the right boards, and the puck deflected off Ray and into the net to make it 2-2.
Both teams had golden opportunities to win in the final four minutes of regulation, but couldn’t find the net. For Kelowna, Blake Comeau shot wide when he skated in free, and the Rockets had several scrambles in front of the tips goal. For Everett, Mueller’s redirect attempt in front missed just wide, and Yeomans recovered just in time to stop Jesse Smyke’s effort when caught out of position.
The first overtime was a wild, all-action affair with both teams having many good scoring opportunities. Less than two minutes in Irving made a big pad save on another Comeau breakaway. Kelowna had some other chances deflect wide, but Everett gradually began to grab control of the play because of its superior depth. Yeomans had to make good saves on Hamill and Hromas, and he was rescued twice when the net came off its pegs just before Tips fired off shots from good positions.
Slap shots: Friday’s game was the first time Everett played a game beyond one overtime in franchise history. The Tips’ 10 previous playoff overtime games were all decided in the first overtime. Everett was 7-3 in those games. … Both teams dressed the same lineups they used in Game 4. Everett was at full strength while Kelowna was still without left wing Lauris Darzins because of a lower-body injury. … Tickets are on sale for Sunday’s Game 6 at the Everett Events Center. The EEC box office opens at 10 a.m. today. Tickets can already be purchased by calling 866-332-8499 or online at www.everettsilvertips.com. The start time is 6 p.m. … No penalties were called in the third period or the overtimes as referee Derek Herman let things go.
Rockets 3, Silvertips 2 (2OT)
Everett 0 2 0 0 0-2
Kelowna 1 0 1 0 1-3
First Period-1, Kelowna, Ofukany 3 (Keller, Edler), 9:36. Penalties-Lammers, Everett (delay of game), 0:34; Howarth, Kelowna (checking from behind), 13:48; Hromas, Everett (hooking), 14:07; Ellington, Everett (holding), 18:46.
Second Period-2, Everett, Fiala 2 (Mueller, Heshka), 1:13 (pp). 3, Everett, Lammers 4 (Heshka, Hamill), 17:35. Penalties-Dowzak, Kelowna (holding), 0:58; Potuer, Everett (holding), 1:36; Schenn, Kelowna (high sticking), 14:37; Kress, Everett (tripping), 19:30.
Third Period-4, Kelowna, Ray 3 (Howarth, Bodie), 9:34. Penalties-None.
First overtime-No goals. Penalties-None.
Second overtime-5, Kelowna, Bodie 5, 7:50. Penalties-None
Shots on goal-Everett 6-6-7-9-6-34. Kelowna 13-4-11-6-7-41. Power-play opportunities-Everett 1 of 3. Kelowna 0 of 5.
Goalies-Everett, Irving 7-3 (41 shots, 38 saves). Kelowna, Yeomans 6-5 (34 shots, 32 saves).
A-6,286.
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