Two more wins for the Everett Silvertips last weekend has them sitting at 13-4-0-0 with 26 points and a 0.765 win percentage. That is the highest in the WHL.
A key reason they are on top of the WHL mountain over the first 25% of the WHL season is their ability to win close games. They are 10-0 in one-goal games so far this season and 3-0 in overtime games.
They have found a way to continue to win these games despite facing many key injuries.
This past week, four of the players listed on their injury report returned to the lineup. The team went on the road and won two games against U.S. Division rivals.
Friday, November 8th: Everett 4 @Spokane 3
The Silvertips go on the road to Spokane four times this season and face the team that bounced them from last year’s playoffs eight times overall. They are now 3-0 against the Chiefs with all three games ending with 4-3 scores in Spokane.
This one looked in the bag for the Silvertips entering the third period, but the Chiefs refused to go away and crawled right back in it.
Gage Gonclaves scored twice in the first period, giving the ‘Tips a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.
Conrad Mitchell then added his first goal since January 6th to put Everett up by two.
The Everett power play found the net again in the third period thanks to Jackson Berezowski, and things were looking good for the ‘Tips at 4-1 with just 16:42 left in regulation.
Everett then handed the Chiefs three power plays over the last 11:30 of the game, and Spokane found the net to put this game in doubt. One goal was scored on the power play from Adam Beckman, and Eli Zummack scored the other with the goalie pulled.
Dustin Wolf and the Silvertips held on, though. Wolf turned away 34-of-37 overall.
After the first period, Everett was without forward Justyn Gurney, who was given a game misconduct. He also was suspended for the following game. As he was not on the ice at the time, it is unknown what Gurney did to earn this GM and suspension.
The Silvertips’ power play was 2-for-5, and their PK went 4-for-5.
Saturday, November 9th: Everett 4 @Seattle Thunderbirds 2
The following night in Kent, the Silvertips again had a three-goal, third-period lead and held on against a division rival.
Martin Fasko-Rudas, Wyatte Wylie, and Michal Gut all had two-point nights for Everett, and Keegan Karki turned away 36-of-38 shots in the Everett win.
Dawson Butt kicked off an eventful night with a goal just 32 seconds into the middle frame. Mitchell scored his second of the season and in as many games to spot the ‘Tips a 2-0 advantage after 40 minutes.
Then, in the third, Fasko-Rudas took a feed from Cole Fonstad and was a dog on a bone with the puck, slipping it by Roddy Ross.
Seattle did not go away, though, and defenseman Tyrel Bauer netted his first of the season to get the T-birds within two. After they pulled Ross for an extra attacker, Wylie found the empty net late to make it 4-1.
Matthew Rempe added a late marker — his first WHL goal — to bring the score to 4-2 very late in the game.
That is when things boiled over. Gianni Fairbrother checked Conner Bruggen-Cate behind the net, and then as play proceeded up the boards, Seattle captain Matthew Wedman skated over and checked Fairbrother up high. This led to a scrum where Butt threw at least one blow at Bruggen-Cate while the overage Seattle forward had a hand occupied with another Silvertip.
The aftermath was a four-game suspension for Wedman’s charging major and game misconduct and two games for Butt’s actions which received a match penalty for intent to injure.
Butt will miss both games this coming weekend.
This week:
Saturday, 11/16 vs Winnipeg ICE
The lone meeting between the two teams occurs as the 10-8-1-0 ICE start their U.S. Division road trip.
Sunday, 11/17 vs Spokane Chiefs
The ‘Tips try to start out 4-0 in their eight-game season series with Spokane.
Bear Tracks…
-After six players were on the injury list last week, only Tyson Phare remains and is listed as out day-to-day.
-Fonstad is on a seven-game point streak with at least one point in all five games he has played with Everett.
-Fonstad played for Team WHL on Wednesday and Thursday at the CIBC Canada/Russia Series in Saskatoon and Prince Albert. He did not find the score sheet in the series which Hockey Canada uses to assess who they will invite to their U20 World Juniors camp in December.
–Olen Zellweger returned to the team this week after competing for Canada Red. He had two goals over five games for his team which finished fifth.
-Gut and Ronan Seeley were again listed on NHL Central Scouting’s “Players to Watch”list for the 2020 NHL Draft. They were joined for the first time by Goncalves. All three were listed as “C” skaters which means they’re projected as possible fourth-, fifth-, or sixth-round picks.
-1999-born defenseman Jake Christiansen has now played four games with the Stockton Heat of the AHL. He has yet to be signed by the team to a full contract but can play 25 games under a tryout option. He has no points and is a minus-two. Stockton is second in the Pacific Division with a 8-2-1-2 record.
