SEATTLE – The Silvertips and the Seattle Thunderbirds have a certain script for when they face one another at KeyArena.
However, Everett was determined to craft a rewrite Saturday night.
Everett managed to avoid its usual third-period collapse in Seattle – barely – and the Silvertips defeated the T-birds 3-1.
Kyle Beach scored two goals and Leland Irving played a strong game in goal for Everett (39-7-0-2), which flipped the KeyArena script.
“We’ll take any win we can get here,” Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. “It’s a tough building to come in and win in.”
Saturday’s game set up exactly the way countless games between the two teams have gone over the years: Everett took an early two-goal lead, then Seattle scored late in the second period to make it a one-goal game.
In the normal scenario Seattle scores early in the third to tie it, then late in the third to win it.
Those late turnarounds are a big reason why Everett came into the game having won just three times in 19 attempts all-time at KeyArena.
But this time, although the T-birds put on their usual third-period pressure, Peter Mueller scored the crucial insurance goal, and Irving stood tall to turn away the Seattle assault.
“It had an eerie look to it,” Constantine said. “That goal with 10 seconds left (in the second period) is just exactly what’s always happened here.
“We were OK (in the third period), but when you’re goalie’s good you always think you’re OK,” Constantine added. “In terms of scoring chances I think Seattle dominated a little more than we would have liked in the third. But Peter’s goal was a huge goal for us to give us a little cushion.”
Irving finished with 26 saves for Everett, which has now officially clinched a playoff spot.
Jan Eberle scored and Derek Yeomans stopped 23 shots for Seattle (22-15-1-11), which for the most part outskated and outplayed the Tips, but was unable to find the finish.
“We’ve got to find a way to score goals,” Seattle coach Rob Sumner said. “I thought we did enough things tonight to create the chances. If we play that hungry we’re going to get results.”
The Tips came out slow in the first period, perhaps still thinking about the way they overmatched the Portland Winter Hawks 9-0 the night before. But Beach scored on a rebound 12 minutes, 24 seconds into the game to give the Tips the lead, then scored on another rebound on the power play 9:50 into the second period.
Everett had picked up its play in the second period and appeared on the verge of taking the two-goal lead into the third.
However, that’s when the game’s flashpoint occurred.
With 10.7 seconds remaining, Seattle scored a disputed goal to cut the lead to 2-1. A loose puck snuck past Irving just as the referee blew his whistle. The goal was originally waved off, but after the officials huddled the goal was given, Eberle getting credit.
One could almost imaging the Everett coaches saying, “Here we go again,” in their minds.
“We always run into stuff like that (in Seattle) and we wanted to really focus on not getting down over it,” Beach said. “It was one goal, we were still up 2-1 going into the third, so we were feeling pretty confident.”
Seattle regained the initiative in the third period. However, Everett caught a break when penalties 19 seconds apart midway through the third period presented the Tips with a five-on-three power play.
Shortly after, Mueller got the puck at the point, drifted in, and wristed a shot in off the crossbar to give Everett the all-important two-goal lead.
Seattle turned up the pressure yet another notch. But Irving made several big saves down the stretch, and the T-birds had other opportunities right in front that they put wide.
Slap shots: Seattle was without its top player, center Aaron Gagnon. Gagnon is out with a shoulder separation. … Everett left wing Lukas Vartovnik missed his third straight game with a hip injury, and defenseman Mike Alexander sat out his second straight with a concussion. They joined defenseman Graham Potuer (wrist) as injury scratches. … Everett’s Brennan Sonne and Seattle’s Benn Olson wasted little time, droppingthe gloves just four seconds into the game.
At KeyArena
Everett111-3
Seattle010-1
First Period-1, Everett, Beach 23 (Ellington, Hamill), 12:24. Penalties-Sonne, Everett (fighting), 0:04; Olson, Seattle (fighting), 0:04; Fransoo, Everett (interference), 1:37; Jo. Schappert, Seattle (high sticking), 4:17; Mueller, Everett (holding), 5:26; Stamler, Seattle (holding), 6:40; Ellington, Everett (tripping), 14:48.
Second Period-2, Everett, Beach 23 (Mueller, Fiala), 9:50 (pp). 3, Seattle, Eberle 14 (Holloway), 19:49 (pp). Penalties-Sonne, Everett (interference), 3:13; Hickey, Seattle (interference), 7:10; Seattle bench (too many men, served by Boyer), 9:19; Gutierrez, Everett (tripping), 12:23; Eberle, Seattle (interference), 12:52; Campos, Everett (tripping), 16:12; Alic, Everett (roughing-fighting), 19:29; Stamler, Seattle (fighting), 19:29.
Third Period-4, Everett, Mueller 12 (Fiala, Fransoo), 9:02 (pp). Penalties-McKenzie, Seattle (tripping), 0:51; Strong, Everett (hold stick), 3:59; Rai, Seattle (checking from behind), 8:12; Hickey, Seattle (slashing), 8:31; Mueller, Everett (interference), 11:38; Gendur, Everett (elbowing), 15:33; Robertson, Seattle (high sticking), 16:04.
Shots on goal-Everett 7-10-9-26. Seattle 9-8-10-27. Power-play opportunities-Everett 2 of 9. Seattle 1 of 10.
Goalies-Everett, Irving 24-4-0-2 (27 shots, 26 saves). Seattle, Yeomans 16-10-1-9 (26 shots, 23 saves).
A-6,085.
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