KENT — The Everett Silvertips are on the brink of another U.S. Division title.
With their 3-2 victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds Saturday, the Tips reduced their magic number to clinch the division to three points.
Sunday’s game at Portland represents a four-point swing, so an Everett victory of any sort would give the Tips their second straight U.S. Division title and third in four years.
The Tips never trailed Saturday, but were forced to hold on late for yet another one-goal game against Seattle before 6,039 fans at ShoWare Center.
“We never make it easy, do we?” Everett head coach Dennis Williams quipped.
Everett (45-18-2-3, 95 points) has won four consecutive games overall and won three straight to end its 10-game season series against Seattle. The Tips have also won three consecutive times at ShoWare Center after dropping their previous 11 regular and postseason games combined.
Seattle fell to 32-26-8-2 (74 points).
Bryce Kindopp scored twice including tipping in a Jake Christiansen point shot at 15:02 in the third period that proved the game-winner.
“I knew he was going to get a shot off, and I went backdoor toward the net and it just hit off me and went in,” Kindopp said.
It came during 4-on-4 play after Everett’s Connor Dewar and Seattle’s Austin Strand took simultaneous penalties.
But Strand drew the T-birds back within a goal with a point shot at 17:56 that beat Carter Hart through traffic with Seattle goalie Liam Hughes on the bench for the extra skater.
Everett managed to keep Seattle at bay the rest of the game.
“I thought our guys did a good job there the last minute, keeping their composure and keeping pucks to the outside and walling guys off there netfront,” Williams said.
The Tips took a 2-0 lead into the second period. The Thunderbirds cut it to 2-1 at 11:03 when Nolan Volcan walked in from the right circle and beat Carter Hart for a power-play goal.
Everett’s Ondrej Vala ran Zack Andrusiak into the end boards with 30 seconds to play in the second period. Vala and Turner Ottenbreit exchanged blows and Vala was assessed a five-minute major penalty, five for fighting and a game misconduct.
But Everett managed to kill what amounted to a three-minute penalty in the third period that resulted from the Vala penalty.
“I thought we did a really good job of not really letting them set up, and we were able to get a few different other guys involved on the penalty kill that maybe don’t do it as much with the three minutes,” Williams said. “This time of year it’s special teams. We had a power-play goal and we had a big kill in the third. That’s what you expect.”
Everett took the game’s initial lead when capitalized on an early power play. Following a scramble in front of the net, Garrett Pilon cycled the puck out from in front and found Matt Fonteyne for a one-timer from the slot that beat Hughes for a 1-0 lead at 3:41.
Patrick Bajkov earned the second assist on the play for his 93rd point of the season. That moved the overager into a tie with Zach Hamill and Josh Winquist for the franchise record for most points in a season.
Everett pushed the lead to 2-0 when Reece Vitelli fed Kindopp on a two-on-one break at 13:38 in the first.
It wasn’t the prettiest goal Kindopp has ever scored.
“Reece made a really nice pass to me and I kind of fanned on it,” Kindopp said. “It just kind of rainbowed over (Hughes’) stick and went in. I was happy either way. I’ll take it.”
Both teams finished 1-for-2 on the power play and Everett finished with a 37-35 shot advantage.
Hart earned the win with 33 saves while Hughes took the loss with 34 saves.
Everett’s game Sunday at Portland begins at 5:05 p.m.
For the latest Silvertips news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter.
Silvertips 3, Thunderbirds 2
Everett 2 0 1 — 3
Seattle 0 1 1 — 2
1st Period—1, Everett, Fonteyne 33 (Pilon, Bajkov), 3:41 (PP). 2, Everett, Kindopp 21 (Vitelli, Fasko-Rudas), 13:38. Penalties—Katzalay Sea (tripping), 2:36.
2nd Period—3, Seattle, Volcan 31 (Neuls, Tyszka), 11:03 (PP). Penalties—Strand Sea (tripping), 3:38; Kindopp Evt (hooking), 9:30; Vala Evt (major-fighting, major-cross checking, game misconduct), 19:29; Ottenbreit Sea (unsportsmanlike cnd., major-fighting), 19:29.
3rd Period—4, Everett, Kindopp 22 (Christiansen, Davis), 15:02. 5, Seattle, Strand 24 (Neuls, Ottenbreit), 17:56. Penalties—Dewar Evt (inter. on goaltender), 13:45; Strand Sea (slashing), 13:45.
Shots on Goal—Everett 13-9-15-37. Seattle 9-16-10-35.
Power Play Opportunities—Everett 1 / 2; Seattle 1 / 2.
Goalies—Everett, Hart 29-4-1-3 (35 shots-33 saves). Seattle, Hughes 14-11-5-1 (37 shots-34 saves).
A—6,039
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
