KELOWNA, B.C. — The Everett Silvertips were looking to find out this weekend how they stacked up against the WHL’s best.
It seems the Tips still have a ways to go to be mentioned in the same breath with the league’s contenders.
The Kelowna Rockets destroyed the Tips in the second game of the two-game showdown between division leaders, routing Everett 9-3 Saturday night.
The weekend featured back-to-back games between Kelowna, the league’s top team, and Everett, the U.S. Division leader that had won nine of its past 10. But the Rockets asserted their supremacy, winning 5-3 Friday, then taking advantage of a weary Everett team Saturday.
Tyrell Goulbourne ran riot over the Tips, tallying two goals and three assists to lead the Rockets (36-8-3-0). Nick Merkley also scored twice for Kelowna, while Madison Bowey, Rourke Chartier, Cole Linaker, Leon Draisaitl and Josh Morrissey also found the net. Jackson Whistle finished with 14 saves in goal for the Rockets.
Remi Laurencelle, Kohl Bauml and Patrick Bajkov scored for Everett (30-14-3-1), which was gassed from playing its fourth road game in five nights and 12th road contest in its past 14. Carter Hart started in goal and gave up six goals on 20 shots before being removed late in the second period. Austin Lotz stopped 10 of 12 in relief.
The game was tied 1-1 through one period, but the Rockets exploded in the second, scoring five times to turn the game into a rout.
Kelowna started by scoring three goals in five minutes to make it 4-1. Goulbourne scored a short-hander after the Tips fell asleep in the defensive zone at 4:26, Bowey made a great drag move and blasted a shot past Hart at 8:13, then Chartier caught Hart leaning at 9:25.
Everett temporarily stopped the bleeding on the power play at 12:52 as Bauml redirected a feed from Nikita Scherbak past Whistle to make it 4-2.
But the Rockets kept pouring it on. Merkley scored after a good rush by Goulbourne at 14:54, and Linaker tipped a shot past Hart at 15:45. The sixth goal sent Hart to the bench in favor of Lotz.
Everett got a power-play goal from Bajkov 7:02 into the third to get it close enough for Everett coach Kevin Constantine to pull Lotz for an extra attacker with six minutes remaining. But The Rockets immediately scored with Draisaitl finding the empty net from long range at 14:11. Then Morrissey and Merkley scored in garbage time to create the final margin.
Rockets 9, Silvertips 3
Everett 1 1 1—3
Kelowna 1 5 3—9
First Period—1, Everett, Laurencelle 11 (Pfeifer, Scherbak), 1:25. 2, Kelowna, Goulbourne 16 (Chartier, Stadel), 16:24. Penalties—Bauml, Everett (hooking), 10:27; Betker, Everett (delay of game), 12:30.
Second Period—3, Kelowna, Goulbourne 17 (Linaker), 4:26 (sh). 4, Kelowna, Bowey 11 (Baillie, Quinney), 8:13. 5, Kelowna, Chartier 40 (Merkley, Goulbourne), 9:25. 6, Everett, Bauml 24 (Scherbak, Betker), 12:52 (pp). 7, Kelowna, Merkley 15 (Goulbourne), 14:54. 8, Kelowna, Linaker 8 (Martin, Braid), 15:45. Penalties—Soustal, Kelowna (holding), 3:53; Baillie, Kelowna (interference), 11:34.
Third Period—9, Everett, Bajkov 17 (Juulsen, Stadnyk), 7:02 (pp). 10, Kelowna, Draisaitl 4 (Martin), 14:11 (en). 11, Kelowna, Jo. Morrissey 8 (Draisaitl, Southam), 17:12. 12, Kelowna, Merkley 16 (Goulbourne, Chartier), 19:31. Penalties—Jo. Morrissey, Kelowna (roughing), 6:56; Braid, Kelowna (boarding), 8:50.
Shots on goal—Everett 6-7-4—17. Kelowna 12-9-12—33. Power-play opportunities—Everett 2 of 4. Kelowna 0 of 2.
Goalies—Everett, Hart 10-4-2-0 (20 shots, 14 saves), Lotz (12 shots, 10 saves). Kelowna, Whistle 28-7-3-0 (17 shots, 14 saves).
A—5,723.
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