EVERETT — Following a season in which they led the division for much of the year, the Silvertips are now one loss away from elimination as the Seattle Thunderbirds topped Everett 2-1 in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals before 5,865 fans at Xfinity Arena.
The Thunderbirds scored twice in the second period to take a 3-1 series lead. The series now shifts back to Kent Saturday for Game 5.
The Silvertips dropped both games at home as they grew more depleted with each passing day due to injuries. On Friday they were without defenseman Noah Juulsen and forward Carson Stadnyk for the second consecutive game.
Joining those two in the stands were forward Graham Millar and captain Dawson Leedahl, who was suspended for his hit on Seattle’s Keegan Kolesar in the waning moments of Wednesday’s Game 3.
Consequently, Snohomish County native and former Everett Youth Hockey defenseman Wyatte Wylie made his WHL debut. He joined fellow recent signee Gino Fairbrother, who made his debut on Wednesday.
Seattle’s first goal was not without controversy. Ryan Gropp, playing in his first game of the postseason since suffering an upper-body injury, flicked a shot that Everett goalie Carter Hart deflected to Josh Uhrich, who was crashing the net. Uhrich knocked it past Hart, but the goal was initially waved off. After a lengthy review the call was confirmed.
Suddenly, though, it wasn’t. The official went back to the phone for another lengthy review and then signaled the goal was good to the consternation of the Everett faithful and Seattle held a 1-0 lead at 15:05 in the opening period.
The Tips did not record their first shot until Remi Laurencelle flicked a wrister into the belly of Landon Bow with 29.7 seconds to play in the first. Seattle held a 10-1 shot advantage after 20 minutes.
Early in the second period Gropp beat two Seattle defenders in a race to the puck at center ice, and flicked a wrister past Hart on the break for a 2-0 T-birds lead at 3:06. Gropp had three goals and seven assists against the Tips in 10 regular-season games.
Patrick Bajkov injected life back into the Xfinity Arena crowd when he skated through four T-bird defensemen and put a backhander past Bow to cut the deficit to 2-1 at 9:20 in the second period.
The score remained 2-1 through the final period as Seattle outshot the Tips 13-5 in the frame and finished with a 36-16 shot advantage.
Hart recorded 34 saves in the losing effort. Bow finished with 15 saves. Each team had only one power play and for the first time all series neither team scored with the man advantage.
If the Tips win Saturday the series returns to Xfinity Arena on Monday.
Thunderbirds 2, Silvertips 1
Seattle 1 1 0 — 2
Everett 0 1 0 — 1
1st Period—1, Seattle, Uhrich 1 (Gropp, Bear), 15:05. Penalties—Ottenbreit Sea (roughing), 19:30; Ralph Evt (roughing), 19:30.
2nd Period—2, Seattle, Gropp 1 3:08. 3, Everett, Bajkov 2 (Davis, Skrumeda), 9:20. Penalties—Davis Evt (interference), 3:20; Leth Sea (inter. on goaltender), 6:02.
3rd Period—No Scoring. Penalties—No Penalties.
Shots on Goal—Seattle 10-13-13-36. Everett 1-10-5-16.
Power Play Opportunities—Seattle 0 / 1; Everett 0 / 1.
Goalies—Seattle, Bow 7-1-0-0 (16 shots-15 saves). Everett, Hart 2-3-0-0 (36 shots-34 saves).
A—5,865
For the latest Silvertips news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter @jessegeleynse.
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