EVERETT — The Everett Silvertips swept the Victoria Royals during the WHL regular season, including two wins last weekend that helped the Tips clinch the U.S. Division title.
However, the Victoria team that entered Xfinity Arena Friday night for Game 1 of the 2017 WHL playoffs was a stronger one than competed a week ago, while the Tips are without centers Riley Sutter and Devon Skoleski.
The result was the same, however, as the Silvertips knocked off the Royals 4-2 before 3,241 fans to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series.
“Sometimes there are a little bit of nerves when you start a playoff series — they’re a little bit like the opening game of the season — and they’re a little bit unpredictable,” head coach Kevin Constantine said. “Obviously we weren’t hoping to start bad, but we wanted to start the game better than we did last Saturday against the same team. I think we were a little sharper to start and I think that’s important in a series of course. It’s important in any hockey game, period.”
Dominic Zwerger scored two goals and had an assist, Patrick Bajkov had a goal and two assists and Kevin Davis had a goal and an assist while Carter Hart finished with 30 saves and did not allow a goal with Victoria at full strength.
Victoria saw defensemen Ralph Jarratt and Chaz Reddekopp, and forward Ryan Peckford return from injury. All three missed significant time at the end of the regular season.
“All the guys they got back are high-level hockey players,” Constantine said. “Getting just one guy back can be a significant difference for your hockey team and they got a couple back. Over the course of a long series that’s going to be a huge boost for them.”
Meanwhile Everett had to play wingers Connor Dewar and Brian King at center, and had defensemen Ian Walker and Montana Onyebuchi on the fourth line.
“Other than two practices this week they really haven’t done it,” Constantine said. “If we’re going to win this series we’re going to have to jump over that very challenging hurdle of having guys play out of position. But we don’t have any options. We gotta do it and the guys that stepped into those roles did a good job.”
The Tips never trailed as they took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission before they erupted for three goals in the second to open up a 4-0 advantage.
“I think the team stuck together all game long,” Zwerger said. “We battled, we worked hard, we paid the price all night long and it paid off.”
Zwerger figured in all three second-period goals as his feed from behind the net allowed Bajkov to flick the puck over Griffen Outhouse’s shoulder for a 2-0 lead at 12:04.
The overager then pushed it to 3-0 at 14:27 when he skated in from the left, saw he had Outhouse beat and circled behind the net and stashed the puck inside the right post. He added his second goal of the night on the power play at 16:24 with a wrister from the high slot.
Victoria drew back-to-back penalties near the end of the second period, giving it a 5-on-3 advantage. Jack Walker broke up Hart’s shutout bid with just eight seconds remaining in the 5-on-3 to make it 4-1 at 19:03.
Dante Hannoun added a power-play goal at 14:58 in the third to complete the scoring.
Davis found the net on the power play when he took a feed from Cal Babych and fired a wrister from the point through traffic that got by Outhouse at 8:11 in the opening period for a 1-0 lead.
“To be honest it felt pretty similar (to last week), but it was a playoff game so there were a lot of emotions out there,” Davis said. “Yeah, I think it was pretty similar.”
Both teams had chances at an open net in the first period only to be foiled by incredible saves. Jarratt had a wide open net, but Hart managed to get his blocker in front to send the puck out of play.
Later in the period, Bajkov had his shot partially blocked by Matthew Phillips’ stick, allowing Outhouse the time to make a diving save.
Outhouse finished with 21 saves on Everett’s 25 shots.
Game 2 is at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at Xfinity Arena.
Silvertips 4, Royals 2
Victoria 0 1 1 — 2
Everett 1 3 0 — 4
1st Period—1, Everett, Davis 1 (Babych), 8:11 (PP). Penalties—Reddekopp Vic (roughing), 6:53.
2nd Period—2, Everett, Bajkov 1 (Zwerger, Fonteyne), 12:04. 3, Everett, Zwerger 1 (Onyebuchi, Bajkov), 14:27. 4, Everett, Zwerger 2 (Bajkov, Davis), 16:24 (PP). 5, Victoria, Walker 1 19:03 (PP). Penalties—Reddekopp Vic (tripping), 16:09; Juulsen Evt (tripping), 17:12; Skrumeda Evt (slashing), 18:07.
3rd Period—6, Victoria, Hannoun 1 (Walker, Phillips), 14:58 (PP). Penalties—Reddekopp Vic (roughing), 2:52; Dewar Evt (roughing), 2:52; Dmytriw Vic (cross checking), 5:54; Morrison Vic (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 9:11; Richards Evt (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 9:11; Bobylev Vic (roughing), 9:17; Gagnon Vic (roughing), 9:17; Fonteyne Evt (roughing), 9:17; Juulsen Evt (charging, roughing), 9:17; Onyebuchi Evt (faceoff interference), 13:03; Reddekopp Vic (spearing, spearing), 19:56.
Shots on Goal—Victoria 8-12-12-32. Everett 11-8-6-25.
Power Play Opportunities—Victoria 2 / 4; Everett 2 / 5.
Goalies—Victoria, Outhouse (25 shots-21 saves). Everett, Hart (32 shots-30 saves).
A—3,421
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