Silvertips blow lead, lose in shootout

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — It may have been a different venue, but it followed the exact same script.

The Kamloops Blazers overcame a two-goal third-period deficit, then won in a shootout, defeating the Everett Silvertips 4-3 Wednesday night.

It was an instant replay of the last time the teams met, on Jan. 18 in Everett, when the Blazers also erased a two-goal, third-period deficit before prevailing in a shootout to win 5-4.

Scott Wasden and Shayne Wiebe scored third-period goals to force overtime, then C.J. Stretch and Kenton Dulle converted in the shootout that Kamloops won 2-1.

Dulle also scored in regulation and Justin Leclerc made 26 saves as the Blazers (26-25-1-4) stretched their lead over Everett for fifth place in the Western Conference to five points. The Tips still have three games in hand.

Dan Iwanski, Byron Froese and Zack Dailey scored for Everett (22-23-6-2). Thomas Heemskerk made 31 saves in goal for the Tips.

Everett took early control of the game with two goals in a minute midway through the first period. First, at 8 minutes, 39 seconds, Iwanski put a shot into the net off the underside of the crossbar after being fed on the break by Dailey. Then 53 seconds later, the Tips made it 2-0, Froese deflecting a shot from the point by Taylor Ellington past Leclerc.

Kamloops pulled a goal back at 12:56 when Seth Compton fed Dulle out front, making it 2-1.

Everett restored its two-goal lead on the power play at 12:28 of the second period. Harper and Dale Hunt had chances they couldn’t convert, but Dailey was there to fire the puck home on the third attempt to boost the score to 3-1.

But just like in their previous meeting, Kamloops erased that two-goal deficit in the third period. The Blazers pulled within one at 9:38, Wasden scoring after a nice move and feed from Brendan Ranford just as a Kamloops power play expired. Then the Blazers tied it on the power play at 13:35, Wiebe scoring on a backhander down low.

Blazers 4, Silvertips 3 (SO)

Everett2100—3

Kamloops1020—4

@5. NHL box :Kamloops won shootout 2-1

First Period — 1, Everett, Iwanski 5 (Dailey, Harper), 8:39. 2, Everett, Froese 15 (Ellington), 9:32. 3, Kamloops, Dulle 21 (Compton, Nyren), 12:56. Penalties — Lyon, Kamloops (roughing), 2:21; Maxwell, Everett (interference), 3:45; Stebner, Kamloops (cross checking), 16:09; Torbohm, Kamloops (delay of game), 17:52.

Second Period — 4, Everett, Dailey 9 (Hunt, Harper), 12:28 (pp). Penalties — Abney, Everett (fighting), 5:26; Caron, Kamloops (fighting), 5:26; Ellington, Everett (fighting), 5:58; Grbavac, Kamloops (fighting), 5:58; Kulchar, Kamloops (holding), 9:49; Wiebe, Kamloops (tripping), 12:03; Torbohm, Kamloops (high sticking), 13:31; Harper, Everett (holding), 13:53.

Third Period — 5, Kamloops, Wasden 6 (Ranford, Stebner), 9:38. 6, Kamloops, Wiebe 24 (Shattock, Nyren), 12:35 (pp). Penalties — Bortnak, Kamloops (slashing), 2:27; Bauer, Everett (roughing), 7:34; Ellington, Everett (roughing), 7:34; Stretch, Kamloops (roughing), 7:34; Potuer, Everett (delay of game), 12:47.

Overtime — No goals. Penalties — none.

Shootout — Kamloops 2 (Stretch G, Dulle G, Bubnick NG); Everett 1 (Harper NG, Maxwell G, Tochkin NG).

Shots on goal — Everett 14-5-8-2 — 29. Kamloops 11-11-8-4 — 34. Power-play opportunities — Everett 1 of 7. Kamloops 1 of 4.

Goalies — Everett, Heemskerk 11-13-2-3 (34 shots, 31 saves). Kamloops, Leclerc 22-17-1-3 (29 shots, 26 saves).

A — 4,290.