EVERETT – Seven months ago, the Medicine Hat Tigers hoisted the Western Hockey League championship trophy on the Everett Silvertips’ home ice.
Friday night it was time for a little payback.
The Silvertips earned a small measure of revenge for last season’s defeat in the WHL finals, beating the Tigers 4-2 before a crowd of 7,662 at the Everett Events Center.
“We finally got her done,” Everett captain Mitch Love said. “We ended our four-game losing streak to that team and what can you say, what a great atmosphere in the building tonight. That really charged the boys and I thought it was more of a playoff-type atmosphere here tonight. And most important we got the two points.”
Last season the Tigers swept the Silvertips out of the WHL Championship Series in four straight, and this season Medicine Hat has looked like the best team in the league. But goals by Zach Hamill, Karel Hromas, Ryan Blatchford and Mitch Love staked Everett to a 4-0 lead, rendering late power-play goals by Clarke MacArthur and Cam Barker meaningless.
And all the Silvertips needed for motivation was to reach back into their memories.
“We watched about a 30-second clip in the dressing room Thursday of Medicine Hat getting awarded the Western Hockey League trophy,” said Everett right wing Brady Calla, who had two assists, “and that just made everyone get on the right track, get our heads on straight and just get really focused. We came out and got it done.”
Shaun Heshka also had two assists and Michael Wall made 32 saves in goal for Everett, which is on something of a roll. Everett (14-7-2-2) has its first three-game winning streak of the season – on its fifth attempt at winning its third straight – and the Silvertips have won seven of their past nine.
“We’re just trying to take one game at a time,” Love said. “I’m not going to sit here and jinx us and say this is the best we’ve played because I think this team is capable of more. I don’t think you can ever be satisfied with what you’ve got.”
The Silvertips also made Medicine Hat goaltender Kevin Nastiuk look human. Nastiuk came into the game leading the league in just about every goaltending category. But Everett put four past Nastiuk on just 28 shots. The Tigers fell to 16-6-2.
“I think there are a lot of good teams in this league,” Medicine Hat coach Willie Desjardins said. “The bottom line is we can play well and still not win, and that was proven tonight. We played a good game, we just didn’t win it. They deserved it.”
Everett took the lead at 7:49 of the first period when on the rush, Hamill skated onto a blocked pass in the slot and flicked a shot past Nastiuk for his fifth goal of the season.
The Tips doubled their lead with a power-play goal at 5:23 of the second period, Hromas scoring his seventh of the season by putting in a rebound after Love’s one-timer from the point left Nastiuk sprawled across the ice.
Everett took a commanding lead at 11:31 of the second when Blatchford’s wrister from the point through traffic slipped through Nastiuk for his first goal in two seasons as a Silvertip. The Tips then put the game away when Love one-timed a shot past Nastiuk on the power play 1:15 into the third period.
Medicine Hat added consolation goals at 10:48 and 18:12 of the third period, MacArthur scoring his 11th and Barker his sixth, both on shots from the right point.
Slap shots: Everett defenseman Jonathan Harty was selected to Team Atlantic for the World Under-17 Challenge on Dec. 28-Jan. 4 in Lethbridge, Alberta. Harty, who became eligible for Team Atlantic when his parents moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, during the summer, is the fifth Silvertip to be selected for the tournament, joining Team Pacific members Hamill, Calla and Leland Irving and Team Western member Brennan Zasitko. … Among the spectators in attendance Friday were former Silvertips forward Jeff Schmidt, taking a break from the University of Saskatchewan, and Florida Panthers general manager Mike Keenan, who was on hand to watch Panthers prospect Stefan Meyer of Medicine Hat.
Silvertips 4, Tigers 2
Medicine Hat002-2
Everett121-4
First Period-1, Everett, Hamill 5 (Calla), 7:49.
Second Period-2, Everett, Hromas 7 (Love, Heshka), 5:23 (pp). 3, Everett, Blatchford 1 (Calla, Hamill), 11:31.
Third Period-4, Everett, Love 3 (Leavitt, Heshka), 1:15 (pp). 5, Medicine Hat, MacArthur 11 (Russell, Barker), 10:48 (pp). 6, Medicine Hat, Barker 6, 18:12 (pp).
Shots on goal-Medicine Hat 7-14-13-34. Everett 14-9-5-28. Power-play opportunities-Medicine Hat 2 of 5. Everett 2 of 6.
Goalies-Medicine Hat, Nastiuk 15-6-1 (28 shots, 24 saves). Everett, Wall 9-7-2 (34 shots, 32 saves).
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