Herald staff
KENNEWICK — Potential 2017 first-round NHL draft pick Michael Rasmussen scored the game-winning goal in overtime as the Tri-City Americans defeated the Everett Silvertips 3-2 in Western Hockey League action Sunday before 2,990 fans at the Toyota Center.
Rasmussen, a 6-foot-5 draft-eligible center from Surrey, British Columbia, scored the game-winner on a rebound at 3:39 in the overtime session to hand the Tips their first loss of the season.
Everett (3-0-1-0, seven points) was looking for its first 4-0 start since the 2010-11 season.
The Americans improved to 2-2.
The Toyota Center has proven to be a difficult place for Everett to play in recent years. The Americans held a 5-3 advantage in last year’s season series, including three wins over the Silvertips in four games in Kennewick.
The teams play each other 10 times this year.
Everett goaltender Carter Hart, who earlier Sunday had his NHL entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers announced, recorded 24 saves on 27 shots as he suffered his first loss of the season. It was Hart’s second game back in the crease since he returned from Flyers training camp midway through last week.
The Tips finished with a 35-27 shot advantage, but Americans goalie Beck Warm out-dueled Hart with 33 saves to pick up the victory.
Matt Fonteyne tied the game 2-2 for Everett off a rebound just 28 seconds into the third period. The Tips’ 2-1 deficit marked the first time they have trailed all season.
Everett out-shot Tri-City 14-4 in the final period, but was unable to convert after Fonteyne’s equalizer.
Vladislav Lukin tied the game at 17:17 in the second as the Americans took advantage of a 5-on-3 power play. Just 16 seconds later, Juuso Valimaki gave Tri-City a 2-1 lead in a 4-on-3 situation.
Eetu Tuulola scored his first career WHL goal on the rush with an assist from Graham Millar at 16:12 in the opening period to give Everett a 1-0 lead. Tuulola later exited the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury.
Everett was 0-for-5 on the power play and came up empty in a 5-on-3 opportunity in the first period.
Rasmussen also had an assist and Parker Wotherspoon had two helpers for the Americans.
The Tips received welcome news Sunday as the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL reassigned defenseman Noah Juulsen to Everett. Juulsen was in transit Sunday and is expected to be in the lineup Wednesday.
The Tips and Americans square of again Wednesday and Friday in Everett.
Tri-City 3, Everett 2 (OT)
Everett101 0—2
Tri-City020 1— 3
First Period—1, Everett, Tuulola 1 (Millar), 16:12. Penalties—Olson Tc (slashing), 7:47; Välimäki Tc (holding), 9:21; Wotherspoon Tc (cross checking), 16:50.
Second Period—2, Tri-City, Lukin 4 (Rasmussen, Wotherspoon), 2:43 (PP). 3, Tri-City, Välimäki 1 (Geekie, Coghlan), 2:59. Penalties—Wylie Evt (hooking), 1:05; Dwyer Evt (delay of game), 2:30; Sandhu Tc (roughing), 2:43; Skrumeda Evt (slashing), 5:29.
Third Period—4, Everett, Fonteyne 3 (Zwerger, Bajkov), 0:28. Penalties-Yaremko Tc (delay of game), 17:53.
Overtime—5, Tri-City, Rasmussen 6 (Wotherspoon, Olson), 3:39. Penalties—No Penalties
Shots on Goal—Everett 12-6-14-3-35. Tri-City 10-10-4-3-27.
Power Play Opportunities—Everett 0/5; Tri-City 1/3.
Goalies—Everett, Hart 1-0-1-0 (27 shots-24 saves). Tri-City, Warm 2-1-0-0 (35 shots-33 saves).
A-2,990
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