KAMLOOPS, B.C. — The Everett Silvertips broke out in a big way early Tuesday night. Then they had to hold on late.
Everett scored the game’s first five goals, then withstood a furious comeback as the Tips held off the Kamloops Blazers 5-3.
Five different players scored goals for Everett, which led 5-0 early in the third period before the Blazers rallied.
Curtis Kulchar, Rasmus Rissanen, Kellan Tochkin, Shane Harper and Byron Froese scored for the Tips (22-16-2-1), who dominated the game’s first two periods. Four of the goals came during the second as the Tips built a 5-0 lead.
Dylan Willick, Tyler Shattock and Zak Stebner scored in the final 15 minutes as Kamloops (17-20-2-3) turned it into a game late.
Thomas Heemskerk made 27 saves to earn the win in goal for Everett.
Everett also had defenseman Radko Gudas back in the lineup for the first time since Dec. 16. Gudas was playing for the Czech Republic at the World Junior Hockey Championships.
Kurtis Mucha finished with 28 saves in goal for Kamloops.
Everett grabbed the lead 14 minutes, 37 seconds into the first period thanks to a former Blazer. Kulchar, whom the Tips acquired from Kamloops prior to the Christmas break, fired a slap shot from the point through traffic and past Mucha for his first goal as a Silvertip and his first goal of the season.
The Tips then took command in the second period, scoring four goals to go ahead 5-0.
Everett got things going quickly in the period. Rissanen opened the barrage on the power play 52 seconds into the period, pinching in from the point and putting home a loose puck. Tochkin then scored just 1:52 later, putting in a rebound of a Gudas shot to make it 3-0.
Harper made it 4-0 at 9:46, converting a two-on-one feed from Zack Dailey. Then Froese finished it off with a power-play goal at 13:17, deflecting in Chris de la Lande’s shot from the point.
Kamloops snapped the shutout on the power play 5:53 into the third period, Willick deflecting Ryan Funk’s shot past Heemskerk. Shattock then scored on a tip at 13:09 and Stebner scored just 1:10 later, making it 5-3 and providing the game some late intrigue.
Silvertips 5, Blazers 3
Everett140—5
Kamloops003—3
First Period—1, Everett, Kulchar 1, 14:37. Penalties—Rissanen, Everett (interference), 3:07; Bortnak, Kamloops (diving), 12:09; Elynuik, Everett (fighting), 14:19; Underwood, Kamloops (fighting), 14:19; Funk, Kamloops (charging), 19:00.
Second Period—2, Everett, Rissanen 4 (Harper), 0:52 (pp). 3, Everett, Tochkin 13 (Gudas), 2:44. 4, Everett, Harper 24 (Dailey), 9:46. 5, Everett, Froese 12 (de la Lande), 13:17 (pp). Penalties—McCrea, Everett (slashing), 5:47; Stretch, Kamloops (slashing), 11:33; Kulchar, Everett (holding), 18:55.
Third Period—6, Kamloops, Willick 9 (Funk, Hansen), 5:53 (pp). 7, Kamloops, Shattock 21 (Hansen, Bortnak), 13:09. 8, Kamloops, Stebner 7 (Saip), 14:19. Penalties—Gudas, Everett (roughing), 5:22.
Shots on goal—Everett 11-17-5—33. Kamloops 3-13-14—30. Power-play opportunities—Everett 2 of 3. Kamloops 1 of 4.
Goalies—Everett, Heemskerk 12-8-1-1 (30 shots, 27 saves). Kamloops, Mucha 13-9-0-2 (33 shots, 28 saves).
A—3,589.
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