Silvertips lose to Tri-City

KENNEWICK — The Everett Silvertips had the chance to measure themselves against the best the WHL’s Western Conference had to offer Friday night.

And they were found wanting. Big time.

In their first matchup of the season against the U.S. Division-leading Tri-City Americans, the Tips were thumped 6-0.

Tri-City scored four goals in the first period and cruised the rest of the way as Everett was never in it.

Johnny Lazo scored twice to lead Tri-City (18-5-0-0), which remained perfect at home at 9-0. Brett Plouffe, Adam Hughesman, Neal Prokop and Justin Feser also scored for the Americans, while Drew Owsley stopped all 25 shots he faced to earn the shutout in goal.

Thomas Heemskerk made 33 saves in goal for Everett (13-7-1-0), which fell nine points behind the Americans in the division race. The Tips have played two fewer games.

The shutout continued an Everett offensive dry spell. After opening the season by going 18 games without scoring fewer than two goals, the Tips have been shut out in two of their past three.

The first period was all Tri-City as the Americans, using an aggressive forecheck that confounded the Tips, raced out to a 4-0 lead.

The first good scoring chance actually came to Everett as the Tips were handed an early five-on-three power play. However, the Tips didn’t threaten and the Americans headed off to the races.

The deluge began at 5 minutes, 10 seconds when Plouffe opened the scoring with a shot from the point on the power play. It was 2-0 two minutes later when Lazo banged in a rebound off the rush. Tri-City scored again at 12:44 when Hughesman scored as the trailer on the rush, and the Americans put an exclamation point on the period at 17:03, Prokop tipping in a shot from the point.

The Americans kept piling it on in the second period. Lazo scored his second at 7:05 when he was found all alone at the far post. Then Tri-City made it 6-0 at 13:29 when Feser scored on a breakaway.

Americans 6, Silvertips 0

Everett 0 0 0 — 0

Tri-City 4 2 0 — 6

First Period—1, Tri-City, Plouffe 3 (Macek, Drozd), 5:10 (pp). 2, Tri-City, Lazo 9 (Hughesman, Plouffe), 7:16. 3, Tri-City, Hughesman 12 (Shinnimin), 12:44. 4, Tri-City, Prokop 4 (Schmidt, Messier), 17:03. Penalties—Messier, Tri-City (hooking), 0:25; Shinnimin, Tri-City (tripping), 1:36; Froese, Everett (tripping), 4:32; Rissanen, Everett (hooking), 19:13.

Second Period—5, Tri-City, Lazo 10 (Hughesman, Toll), 7:05. 6, Tri-City, Feser 9 (Mestery), 13:29. Penalties—Messier, Tri-City (cross checking), 19:32.

Third Period—No goals. Penalties—Winquist, Everett (hooking), 8:07; Winquist, Everett (high sticking), 10:23; Winquist, Everett (fighting), 18:15; Messier, Tri-City (fighting), 18:15; Theriau, Everett (fighting), 19:15; Moser, Tri-City (fighting), 19:15.

Shots on goal—Everett 10-10-5—25. Tri-City 16-12-11—39. Power-play opportunities—Everett 0 of 3. Tri-City 1 of 4.

Goalies—Everett, Heemskerk 9-3-1-0 (39 shots, 33 saves). Tri-City, Owsley 17-4-0-0 (25 shots, 25 saves).

A—4,614.