EVERETT — A year ago, the Everett Silvertips clinched their first-round playoff series win on the road.
In fact, Everett’s last series-clinching win at home came in 2006. But if the Tips have their way, that won’t change as the U.S. Division champions have a chance to once again close out a series on the road when the Tips take on the Victoria Royals at 2:05 p.m. at Save-On-Foods Centre in Game 6 of their best-of-seven WHL first-round playoff series.
“We have a pretty good feeling,” said Everett forward Eetu Tuulola, whose overtime goal gave the Tips a 3-2 win Friday in Game 5 at Xfinity Arena. “We are one win away from moving to the second round so we’re pretty excited. We know we still have to win that (last) game if we want to get to the second round. So we’re focused on that next.”
Tuulola’s goal capped a night of high drama that saw the Tips lead 1-0 and 2-1 before allowing an equalizer late in the final period. Head coach Kevin Constantine admitted afterward that sort of thing can be demoralizing, but Everett regrouped following the intermission and ended it less than eight minutes into the overtime period.
“When someone wins four they move on and when someone loses four they go home for the summer,” Constantine said. “So you just go play and until then it doesn’t matter what part of the game it is. You just have to go play.”
It was Everett’s first overtime playoff game since the 2015 postseason. The Tips played five overtime games that year, going 2-3 in those contests.
Everett has outshot Victoria in the past two games after the Royals led in shots for the first three games of the series. In Wednesday’s Game 4 that was due partly to the fact the Tips fell behind early and had to push to create some chances to get back in the game.
In Game 5 Friday, the Tips built a significant shot advantage in the opening period and that carried over into the second period. Everett outshot Victoria just 8-7 in the third when the Royals tied it late, but the Tips collected four shots to Victoria’s one in overtime.
“The last two games have been our most energized for sure,” Constantine said.
Everett has seen its forward depth tested throughout the second half of the season and particularly in this series after Riley Sutter and Devon Skoleski went down with upper-body injuries in the meaningless regular-season finale at Tri-City on March 12.
Skoleski appears to be on the shelf indefinitely, but Sutter returned Friday night and skated on the fourth line with Brandson Hein and Keith Anderson.
“Getting Riley back (Friday), that’s one of the pieces that was missing back and I doubt Devon can come back in this series, but you just hope you can get through the series and you hope you can get Devon back and now you’re put your second and third line centers back in your lineup,” Constantine said.
“And that won’t make you prolific — I mean we were the second-lowest team in the conference the way it is,” Constantine continued. “So we won’t be prolific this year. But if we can get those back and find ways to get goals and muck it out and get good goaltending then we always try to give ourselves a chance.”
Two of the three goals the Tips scored Friday came at 5-on-5, something that hasn’t been the trend in this series as eight of Everett’s 13 goals in the series have come on the man advantage.
“We went two games there where it was a little quiet and it was good to wake it up tonight,” said Tips winger Patrick Bajkov, who has five goals and five assists in five games. “Hopefully we can bring that into our next game as well.”
Game 7 is scheduled for Tuesday back at Xfinity Arena. The Tips are hoping it won’t be necessary as they look to clinch their third straight first-round series victory away from home.
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