CRANBROOK, B.C. — The Everett Silvertips played better as they bid farewell to the Western Hockey League’s Central Division.
Unfortunately for the Tips, the final result was all too familiar.
Everett lost the final game of its six-game swing through the WHL’s Central Division, falling 4-2 to the Kootenay Ice on Friday night.
The Tips played the defending league champions tough. But with the defeat Everett (4-12-0-3) finished 1-4-0-1 against the Central Division.
Joe Antilla, Dylan McKinlay, Erik Benoit and Elgin Pearce scored the goals for Kootenay (12-3-0-2), which posted its fifth straight win. Nathan Lieuwen earned the win in goal with 29 saves.
Trent Lofthouse scored his first career WHL goal, and Tyler Maxwell also scored for Everett (4-12-0-3), which dropped its fourth straight. Kent Simpson stopped 33 shots in goal for the Tips, who complete their longest road trip of the season Sunday in Spokane.
The game was in the balance when the third period began, with Kootenay clinging to a 2-1 lead after Everett rallied in the second period. In the first minute the Tips had a golden opportunity to tie the game, but couldn’t convert. The puck was immediately rushed the opposite direction and Benoit fired past Simpson on the odd-man rush at 49 seconds to swing the momentum.
Pearce later added a rebound goal on the power play, rendering Maxwell’s power-play answer moot.
Everett got into penalty trouble in the first period, and on its third power play Kootenay opened the scoring as Antilla placed a low shot from distance into the corner to make it 1-0 at 17:16.
The Ice then doubled their lead less than two minutes later. There seemed little danger from McKinlay’s slap shot off the rush, but Simpson fanned with his glove and the puck ended up in the net, making it 2-0 at 18:57.
Everett picked up its play in the second period and cut the deficit in half at 13:00. Lofthouse stole the puck from a defenseman down low and fired past Lieuwen to make it 2-1.
Ice 4, Silvertips 2
Everett011—2
Kootenay202—4
First Period—1, Kootenay, Antilla 1 (S. Reinhart, Dirk), 17:16 (pp). 2, Kootenay, McKinlay 2 (S. Reinhart), 18:57. Penalties—Bittner, Everett (kneeing), 0:28; Winquist, Everett (slashing), 8:24; Grayson, Everett (delay of game), 15:49.
Second Period—3, Everett, Lofthouse 1, 13:00. Penalties—Antilla, Kootenay (slashing), 5:25.
Third Period—4, Kootenay, Benoit 6 (Montgomery), 0:49. 5, Kootenay, Pearce 5 (Czerwonka, Ismond), 14:34 (pp). 6, Everett, Maxwell 10 (Fowlie, Birkholz), 16:37 (pp). Penalties—Ismond, Kootenay (slashing), 3:03; Morden, Everett (instigator-fighting-10-minute misconduct), 5:31; Martin, Kootenay (charging-fighting), 5:31; Maxwell, Everett (holding), 6:06; Mychan, Everett (fighting), 8:51; Simpson, Kootenay (instigator-fighting-10-minute misconduct), 8:51; Fowlie, Everett (high sticking), 9:55; Yadlowski, Everett (slashing), 13:26; Grayson, Everett (cross checking-fighting), 14:03; McKinlay, Kootenay (roughing-fighting), 14:03; Dirk, Kootenay (cross checking), 16:16.
Shots on goal—Everett 7-13-11—31. Kootenay 11-8-18—37. Power-play opportunities—Everett 1 of 4. Kootenay 2 of 6.
Goalies—Everett, Simpson 4-9-0-2 (37 shots, 33 saves). Kootenay, Lieuwen 10-2-0-2 (31 shots, 29 saves).
A—2,783.
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