PORTLAND, Ore. — Opportunity knocked Tuesday night. The Everett Silvertips didn’t answer.
You could argue they weren’t even home, falling 3-0 to the Portland Winterhawks in a game where a victory would have allowed the Tips to take control of the race for first place in the Western Hockey League’s Western Conference.
The loss kept Everett in a first-place tie with Tri-City and kept the Tips from taking advantage of their game in hand on the Americans. Everett went into the game tied with Tri-City at 93 points, but the Silvertips had four games remaining to just three for the Americans. Now the teams are dead even — each with three games remaining.
Spokane beat Kelowna 5-2 Tuesday to pull within two points of Everett and Tri-City to set up a three-way sprint to the regular-season finish. Tri-City and Spokane play twice next weekend, with Everett traveling to Spokane on the season’s final day.
Spencer Bennett had a goal and two assists and Mac Carruth stopped all 26 shots he faced in goal for Portland (42-25-2-1), which still has an outside shot of catching Spokane to earn home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Ty Rattie and Luca Sbisa also scored for the Winterhawks.
Thomas Heemskerk made 37 saves in goal for Everett (44-20-3-2), which lost defenseman Radko Gudas to injury midway through the game. Details about Gudas’ injury were not available.
Everett came out strong, controlling play during the game’s first 10 minutes. However, the Tips were unable to find the net, with Ryan Murray putting a shot off the post on the power play.
Then the Winterhawks scored against the run of play. Bennett fed a pass out front from behind the Everett goal, and Rattie put it away to give Portland a 1-0 lead 12 minutes, 9 seconds into the game.
The goal changed the game’s complexion completely as Portland dominated the remainder of the way, outshooting Everett 38-16 over the final 48 minutes.
Everett still managed to keep the deficit at one going into the third period, with Portland having a second-period goal waived off because it was kicked in. But a terrible start to the third doomed any thoughts of an Everett comeback. Everett’s Chris Langkow was called for holding 18 seconds into the third, and the Winterhawks scored nine seconds later on the power play, Bennett putting in a rebound to make it 2-0.
Sbisa put it out of reach at 5:34, beating Heemskerk with a wrist shot from the point.
Winterhawks 3, Silvertips 0
Everett000—0
Portland102—3
First Period — 1, Portland, Rattie 17 (Bennett), 12:09. Penalties — Sbisa, Portland (hooking), 4:25; Ross, Portland (checking from behind), 8:57; Tochkin, Everett (hooking), 18:17; Rissanen, Everett (roughing), 19:49; Johansen, Portland (roughing), 19:49.
Second Period — no goals. Penalties — none.
Third Period — 2, Portland, Bennett 19 (Francis), 0:27 (pp). 3, Portland, Sbisa 4 (Bennett, Rattie), 5:34. Penalties — Langkow, Everett (holding), 0:18; Murray, Everett (slashing), 2:57.
Shots on goal — Everett 10-7-9 — 26. Portland 9-19-12 — 40. Power-play opportunities — Everett 0 of 2. Portland 1 of 3.
Goalies — Everett, Heemskerk 23-11-2-2 (40 shots, 37 saves). Portland, Carruth 12-9-1-0 (26 shots, 26 saves).
A — 2,652.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
