EVERETT — Linden Rowat made sure the long bus ride back east for the Regina Pats was one of celebration, not one of somber contemplation.
Rowat turned in a sterling performance in goal for Regina, turning away all 31 shots he faced, and the Pats defeated the Everett Silvertips 3-0 Friday night at Comcast Arena.
Rowat’s shutout was just the second against Everett this season, and it ensured an enjoyable long haul back to Saskatchewan for the Pats, having completed their swing through the WHL’s U.S. Division.
“It’s a nice happy bus,” Rowat said with a laugh. “It’s a 19-hour trip, so it wouldn’t be that fun if there was no movie, no games, just a long silent road. I know the guys are pumped about it.”
Troy Ofukany, Cody Gross and Jared Jagow scored the goals for the East Division-leading Pats (18-11-0-0), who finished 2-3 against the U.S. Division.
Leland Irving made 27 saves in goal for Everett (14-12-0-1), which lost its second straight.
Rowat did the bulk of his work during the second period, when he stopped 17 shots to allow Regina to go ahead 2-0. Then his best stops came in the third period as Everett desperately tried to claw back into the game.
“I thought their goalie made big saves when the game was 1-0,” Everett coach John Becanic said. “It kept them feeling alive, and then he just seemed to get in a rhythm where nothing was going to get by him.”
The shutout was the 18-year-old Rowat’s first of the season.
“I felt good, I felt confident,” Rowat said. “The team helped me by letting me see pucks, blocking shots and clearing away rebounds. So I was able to come out far on the first shooter and make the first save all game long.”
While everything went right for Rowat, Everett never caught a break. The game was even throughout, but the puck never seemed to break in the Tips’ favor.
Everett didn’t do everything it could to help itself out, either. The Tips went 0-for-5 on the power play, including a full two minutes of five-on-three. And with Everett’s two point men on the power play, Dan Gendur and Dane Crowley, out injured, the Tips never looked comfortable during any of their power plays.
So while Everett cleaned up its penalty kill, which gave up four goals in Tuesday’s 6-4 loss at Kamloops, special teams remained an issue.
“By no means did I think we got outplayed, I thought it was a relatively even played game,” Becanic said. “They’re a really good offensive team and when they got their chances they capitalized.
“You win or lose games with your power play,” Becanic added. “Special teams have been our strength, and in the last two games it’s been our Achilles heel. When you’re missing guys like Crowley and Gendur it makes a big difference.”
Everett managed to survive the first period. There were five penalties called in the period, all five against the Tips, with four of those coming in the final 7 minutes, 18 seconds of the period. But despite spending much of the period fending off the top-ranked power play in the league, Everett made it to the second period scoreless.
However, those power plays caught up to Everett in the second period. One of those power plays carried over to the second and the Pats scored at 1:43, Ofukany poking the puck home after a mad scramble in front to make it 1-0.
Everett had a golden opportunity to tie it up shortly after with a full two minutes of five-on-three, but the Tips were unable to score and the Pats doubled their lead late in the period. Kirt Hill got to the puck behind the Everett net and whipped it out front, where there were no Regina players. However, the pick pinballed around Everett feet, allowing Gross to dart in and skate the puck around Irving to make it 2-0.
Everett received three power plays of its own in the third period, but it was Regina that ended up scoring on an Everett power play to seal it at 17:30. Jagow broke away and although he was hauled down from behind, he still managed to put the punk into the top corner from his belly, finishing off the scoring.
Slap shots: Everett welcomed center Zack Dailey back to the lineup Friday. Dailey, who missed the previous two games because of a wrist injury, was considered questionable for the game. … Everett still had two key players, Gendur (shoulder) and Crowley (concussion), out with injuries. … Regina had 15-year-old right wing Jordan Weal in the lineup for the third time during its swing through the U.S. Division. Also, 17-year-old left wing Todd Kennedy made his WHL debut.
Pats 3, Silvertips 0
@5. NHLtop:Regina021—3
@5. NHLbottom:Everett000—0
@5. NHL box :First Period—No goals. Penalties—Beach, Everett (tripping), 5:29; Potuer, Everett (high sticking), 12:42; Alexander, Everett (tripping), 14:39; Hamill, Everett (hooking), 16:14; Hamill, Everett (slashing), 19:50.
Second Period—1, Regina, Ofukany 6 (Pyett, Ross), 1:43 (pp). 2, Regina, Gross 2 (Hill), 19:40. Penalties—Hill, Regina (cross checking), 6:16; Pym, Regina (roughing), 6:15.
Third Period—3, Regina, Jagow 7, 17:30 (sh). Penalties—Ofukany, Regina (fighting), 6:16; Regier, Everett (fighting), 6:16; Strueby, Regina (cross checking), 7:38; Ross, Regina (slashing), 7:38; Ius, Everett (roughing), 7:38; Kennedy, Regina (hooking), 12:01; Delahey, Regina (interference), 16:48; Burt, Everett (checking from behind), 19:34.
Shots on goal—Regina 11-13-6: 30. Everett 7-17-7: 31. Power-play opportunities—Regina 1 of 6. Everett 0 of 5.
Goalies—Regina, Rowat 13-8-0-0 (31 shots, 31 saves). Everett, Irving 11-10-0-1 (30 shots, 27 saves).
A—6,910.
Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog: www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
