KENNEWICK – The Tri-City Americans may have been without Carey Price, but the Everett Silvertips’ offense was missing in action, too.
Everett was unable to take advantage of the star goaltender’s absence, and the Silvertips were shut out for the second straight game, falling 2-0 to the Americans on Friday night.
Price sat out the game because a knee wound suffered in last Saturday’s 4-0 loss to Vancouver needed stitches. But Chet Pickard, Price’s replacement, made 29 saves to earn his second shutout of the season. Pickard was particularly strong in the third period when Everett, trailing 1-0, turned up the pressure in search of the tying goal.
Ryan Gillen scored in the first period and Igor Bacek added an empty-net goal for Tri-City (22-22-3-3).
Leland Irving made 24 saves in goal for Everett (29-19-2-1), which lost by the same score Wednesday in Kelowna.
Everett continued to struggle on the power play, going 0-for-5. Everett is 0-for-15 with the advantage in the past two games after scoring eight power-play goals in the previous two.
Tri-City took the lead 10 minutes, 23 seconds into the game. On a broken play, Gillen found the loose puck and fired a shot past Irving, giving the Americans the lead with his first goal in the WHL.
The score remained 1-0 until late into the third period. Pickard made big stops on John Lammers and Jesse Smyke, and the Americans had what they thought was a goal by Logan Stephenson waived off.
Tri-City iced the game with 14 seconds remaining, as Bacek put the puck into an empty net for a 2-0 Americans edge.
Everett captain Torrie Wheat returned to the lineup Friday, but was still hobbled by the bruised foot that kept him out of Wednesday’s game. Center Peter Mueller missed the game because of illness and left wing Karel Hromas sat out with a cracked collarbone.
In addition to Price, Tri-City also played without forwards Juraj Gracik (appendix) and Matt Schneider (abdomen) because of ailments.
There were brief delays during both intermissions because Tri-City’s ice, dyed pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Night, needed additional treatment.
Americans 2, Silvertips 1
Everett000-0
Tri-City101-2
First Period-1, Tri-City, Gillen 1 (Watt, Emmerson), 10:23. Penalties-Calla, Everett (unsportsmanlike conduct), 0:44; Jones, Tri-City (unsportsmanlike conduct), 0:44; Watt, Tri-City (tripping), 3:40.
Second Period-No goals. Penalties-Stephenson, Tri-City (high sticking), 3:26; Harty, Everett (roughing), 7:25; Butterfield, Tri-City (high sticking), 16:35; Ellington, Everett (tripping), 19:35.
Third Period-2, Tri-City, Bacek 4 (Stephenson), 19:46 (en). Penalties-Bacek, Tri-City (high sticking), 3:17; Swaby, Tri-City (hooking), 11:20.
Shots on goal-Everett 6-10-13-29. Tri-City 9-8-9-26. Power-play opportunities-Everett 0 of 5. Tri-City 0 of 2.
Goalies-Everett, Irving 26-17-1-1 (25 shots, 24 saves). Tri-City, Pickard 6-4 (29 shots, 29 saves).
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