EVERETT — Consider this two points dropped by the Everett Silvertips. This one was there for the taking.
The Chilliwack Bruins were ripe for the picking Friday night, but the Silvertips stumbled in the process of gathering those fruits, falling 3-2 at Comcast Arena.
Everett was the better team and dominated the game’s final two periods. However, first-period penalties gifted an offensively challenged Chilliwack squad a 2-0 lead, and the Tips never caught back up.
“After the first period, from what I saw it looked like we generated all the offense the rest of the game,” Everett coach John Becanic lamented. “I think they had nine shots the rest of the game and I think four were on icings that hit on net. Other than one short-handed chance they didn’t threaten us the rest of the game. It was there for the taking, we just couldn’t seem to get ahead.”
Nick Holden scored what proved to be the game-winning goal early in the third period to lead the Bruins (19-17-3-1), who caught the Tips for fifth place in the Western Conference. Jeff Einhorn and Mark Santorelli also scored as all three of Chilliwack’s goals came on point shots on the power play.
Former Silvertip Matt Esposito, fighting to maintain his No. 1 goaltender status with the Bruins, had a solid outing with 26 saves.
Dan Gendur had a goal and an assist to lead Everett (20-19-0-2). Clayton Bauer also scored and Leland Irving finished with 16 saves.
This was a game Everett probably should have won. Chilliwack was without its most dynamic offensive player Oscar Moller, had won just once in its past seven games and scored just 10 goals during that stretch.
And the way the game went supported that. Everett outshot Chilliwack 28-19 and kept the puck in the Bruins end most of the second and third periods. Chilliwack never did generate much around the Everett net.
But by the time the second period rolled around the Tips found themselves in a 2-0 hole, thanks to five Chilliwack power plays during an 11-minute span of the first period. Some of those calls appeared to be soft, others were poor penalties taken by the Tips. Either way, a Bruins team that created little offensively all game cashed in twice as shots from the point beat Irving clean.
“They’re questionable, but Chilliwack worked hard,” Gendur said about the first-period calls. “When you work hard and spend time in the offensive zone that’s how you draw penalties. The ref sees what he sees and it might be a little different to us, but (the Bruins) worked for every call they got in the first period.”
It was a rare breakdown in penalty killing for Everett. The Tips came into the game ranked second in the league in penalty killing. However, they allowed the Bruins to go 3-for-7 with the advantage.
“The goaltending needs to be better,” Becanic said of Everett’s penalty kill. “All three were shots from the blue line. We didn’t see a whole lot of tic-tac-toe plays.”
Holden’s goal was a different type of goal from the point. A scramble ensued in front, with Everett defenseman Mike Alexander clearing the puck off the goal line with Irving down. However, Alexander’s clearance went right to Holden, who rifled the puck back on goal and into the net before Irving recovered, giving the Bruins a 3-1 lead at 1:49 of the third.
Everett got back into it shortly after when, at 4:13, Gendur caught Esposito with a shot from the left circle, beating the Chilliwack netminder with a shot to the short side. The Tips continued to pressure the Bruins goal, but Esposito made good saves on Bauer and Taylor Ellington to preserve the victory.
Everett never really had a chance in the first as Chilliwack was given five power plays in the first 14:53 of the game, and the Bruins cashed in on two of those to take a 2-0 lead.
First, at 7:09, Einhorn wristed a shot from the right point that found the top corner to make it 1-0. Then, at 14:57 and on a brief five-on-three advantage, Santorelli blasted a one-timer from the top of the left circle into the top corner to make it 2-0.
The officials evened up the penalties in the second period and Everett got one back on the power play at 9:58. Dan Gendur wristed a shot from the point that deflected off a screened Esposito, and Bauer poked the rebound under the goaltender to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Slap shots: Everett defenseman Tyler Kieffer, who was added to the roster last weekend, made his WHL debut Friday. … The Tips played without center Zack Dailey, who missed his third straight game with a groin injury. … Moller was away with the Swedish team that’s playing for the gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championships.
Bruins 3, Silvertips 2
Chilliwack201—3
Everett011—2
First Period—1, Chilliwack, Einhorn 2 (Smuk, Proudley), 7:09 (pp). 2, Chilliwack, Santorelli 19 (Holden, Campos), 14:57 (pp). Penalties—Beach, Everett (interference), 4:42; Alexander, Everett (hooking), 6:52; Hamill, Everett (slashing), 8:53; Proudley, Chilliwack (interference), 12:12; Campos, Chilliwack (roughing), 12:12; Gendur, Everett (roughing), 12:12; Bauer, Everett (roughing), 13:07; Potuer, Everett (cross checking), 14:53; Meropoulis, Chilliwack (boarding-fighting), 16:25; Smuk, Chilliwack (fighting-game misconduct), 16:25; Alexander, Everett (instigatior-fighting-10-minute misconduct), 16:25; Harty, Everett (fighting-game misconduct), 16:25.
Second Period—3, Everett, Bauer 15 (Gendur, Beach), 9:58 (pp). Penalties—Darragh, Chilliwack (interference), 4:51; Santorelli, Chilliwack (hooking), 9:12; Holden, Chilliwack (interference), 11:38; Holden, Chilliwack (boarding), 15:04.
Third Period—4, Chilliwack, Holden n9 (Potter), 1:49 (pp). 5, Everett, Gendur 13, 4:13. Penalties—Hamill, Everett (hooking), 1:19; McCue, Chilliwack (tripping), 10:40; Campos, Chilliwack (hooking), 13:17; Hamill, Everett (goaltender interference), 14:34; Robinson, Chilliwack (roughing), 14:49; Crowley, Everett (roughing), 14:49.
Shots on goal—Chilliwack 10-3-6—19. Everett 5-11-12—28. Power-play opportunities—Chilliwack 3 of 7. Everett 1 of 7. Goalies—Chilliwack, Esposito 15-13-1-1 (28 shots, 26 saves). Everett, Irving 15-15-0-2 (19 shots, 16 saves). A—6,232.
Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog
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