Silvertips rout Winterhawks to grab 2-1 series lead

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Everett Silvertips remain perfect on the road in the postseason.

Riley Sutter scored twice, while Bryce Kindopp and Connor Dewar each had a goal and an assist as the Tips defeated the Portland Winterhawks 6-2 in Game 3 of the WHL Western Conference semifinals on Tuesday before 4,453 fans at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The victory was Everett’s second straight and gave the Tips a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Everett won both first-round road games against the Seattle Thunderbirds in the opening round.

“We wanted to try to carry the momentum over from Saturday night and a lot of the momentum we got was because of our start,” Everett head coach Dennis Williams said by phone after the game. “It’s so crucial this time of year. We got a couple of breaks there, we made a couple ourselves and were able to give ourselves a cushion.”

Everett goaltender Carter Hart finished with 40 saves to earn the victory. The Winterhawks finished with 14 shots in all three periods, but Hart did not allow a goal in the final frame.

“In the third for some reason we sat back (offensively),” Williams said. “They were able to cut through the neutral zone pretty good, which we’re going to have to clean up, but Carter did a really good job of (stopping) the first shot that he saw, making those saves and tracking the second and third ones if there was any. He played confident, he played the way he knows how to, and that resonates through our team.”

The Tips never trailed and led 4-2 after two periods. Martin Fasko-Rudas buried a feed from Kindopp at 7:06 in the third to restore a three-goal lead, and Dewar’s empty-netter made it 6-2 at 17:55 in the final period.

Portland previously drew within one at 3-2 when Kieffer Bellows buried a power-play one-timer from Skyler McKenzie at 14:11 in the second. It was the first Winterhawks power-play goal in the series.

But Everett answered on the very next shift when Reece Vitelli scored at 14:49 to restore the Silvertips’ two-goal lead at 4-2.

Everett took that lead into the second intermission.

The Tips built a 3-0 lead before the first-period media timeout. The first of Sutter’s two goals came at 4:35 when he beat Cole Kehler through the five-hole and gave Everett a 1-0 lead.

Kindopp finished off a tic-tac-toe pass from Gianni Fairbrother and Patrick Bajkov to make it 2-0 at 7:43.

Then Sutter tipped in a point shot from Ondrej Vala to push Everett’s advantage to 3-0 at 9:11.

Dennis Cholowski got one back for Portland with a wrap-around goal off the rush at 15:35 and Everett took the 3-1 lead into the first intermission.

But the Bellows goal was as close as the Winterhawks would get.

Everett’s third line of Kindopp, Vitelli and Fasko-Rudas combined for three goals and an assist in the victory.

“Those are the goals you need this kind of year,” Williams said. “You need depth scoring and depth contributions, not only there on the offensive sides with the forwards, but also with our (defensemen). We had a lot of help and support throughout the game.”

Kevin Davis and Bajkov each had two assists in the victory for Everett.

Game 4 is Thursday at Moda Center where Everett lost its lone visit during the regular season.

Silvertips 6, Winterhawks 2

Everett 3 1 2 — 6

Portland 1 1 0 — 2

1st Period—1, Everett, Sutter 3 (Pilon, Walker), 4:35. 2, Everett, Kindopp 2 (Fairbrother, Bajkov), 7:43. 3, Everett, Sutter 4 (Davis, Vala), 9:11. 4, Portland, Cholowski 5 (Blichfeld, Hughes), 15:35. Penalties—Richards Evt (major-fighting), 8:51; Overhardt Por (major-fighting), 8:51.

2nd Period—5, Portland, Bellows 3 (McKenzie, Blichfeld), 14:11 (PP). 6, Everett, Vitelli 2 (Davis, Dewar), 14:49. Penalties—Vala Evt (interference), 2:01; Hughes Por (boarding), 10:07; Blichfeld Por (high sticking), 11:31; Dewar Evt (tripping), 12:51.

3rd Period—7, Everett, Fasko-Rudas 3 (Kindopp, Fonteyne), 7:06. 8, Everett, Dewar 3 (Bajkov), 17:55 (EN). Penalties—Wylie Evt (slashing), 19:58.

Shots on Goal—Everett 12-9-7-28. Portland 14-14-14-42.

Power Play Opportunities—Everett 0 / 2; Portland 1 / 3.

Goalies—Everett, Hart (42 shots-40 saves). Portland, Kehler (27 shots-22 saves).

A-4,453