The Everett Silvertips have had a tough time scoring goals at the accesso ShoWare Center this year and in recent years. During the 2017-18 season, the Silvertips scored just nine times over their five games in Kent, winning just twice. Only one of those games did they get to three goals.
History has been against them in a lot of ways with this first round series with the Seattle Thunderbirds though and they have not been deterred. After splitting games in Everett, they won Game 3 in Kent by a 3-1 score, tying the high for goals netted at the ShoWare Center.
Then Friday night’s Game 4 delivered what looks like a message of change for the Everett Silvertips and their playoff history with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Never before had Everett won two games in a playoff setting with Seattle and on Friday night they beat the T-birds 7-3, going up in the series 3-1 and putting the defending WHL champions on the brink of elimination.
The seven goals were scored by seven different players, but Connor Dewar led the way with a goal and two assists for three points. Kevin Davis, Matt Fonteyne, Riley Sutter and Patrick Bajkov all added two points apiece and Carter Hart stopped 28 of 31 in the Game 4 win.
Game 5 goes Saturday night in Everett and the Silvertips have the opportunity to end the season of the team that has eliminated in five games or less three of the past four years.
It should mean something that the big win for Everett on Friday came with good nights from their three overage players. Davis, Fonteyne and Bajkov were on each of those three teams that were sent packing by Seattle.
The T-birds did not come out quite as strong as they did in Game 3 but still had possession and some good chances. One strange call would change that.
Matthew Wedman hacked Patrick Bajkov on the back and was given two minutes. One official seemed to call both Wedman for the slash and Bajkov for embellishment but it turned out he was overruled at the mid-period break that followed.
The Everett power play would make Seattle pay.
A point shot from Garrett Pilon who stopped by Liam Hughs and Connor Dewar smartly flipped a backhand pass to a wide open Bajkov at the back post. The all-time leader in Everett Silvertips points buried it for his third of the post-season.
Just 38 seconds later, the Silvertips doubled their lead. Riley Sutter dished a cross-ice pass to a driving Kevin Davis and the overage d-man fired a backhand shot that found its way through Hughes and in.
Just 24 seconds after Davis’ goal, the lone goal scorer for Seattle in Game 3, chipped in another. A shot from the blue line by Jake Lee was stopped by Carter Hart, but Nolan Volcan followed up the play and banged in the rebound to make the score 2-1 Everett.
The three goals were scored in a span of 62 seconds.
With just 33 seconds left in the first, Everett was handed a golden chance to make the score 3-1. Connor Dewar was hauled down by Wedman while short handed and was granted a penalty shot.
Dewar skated in on Hughes and beat him with a simple shot over to his blocker side. The goal was especially painful for Seattle as they were pressing while on the power play and looked to be about to tie the game up.
A penalty shot dagger from @cdewar26! @WHLsilvertips stake out a 3-1 lead! #EVTvsSEA #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/yjNKPDiKBl
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 31, 2018
Connor Dewar is the first in @WHLsilvertips history to score a penalty shot goal in the #WHLPlayoffs
First Tips playoff penalty shot opportunity in franchise history, too. #EVTvsSEA
— Mike Benton (@Benton_Mike) March 31, 2018
Instead Dewar gave Everett the 3-1 lead after 20 minutes. That goal would be key.
Everett came out in the second and did not let the defending champs get their legs under themselves. Fonteyne drove the net hard and dished in front to Sean Richards, who deflected the puck in off his skate. Richards’ skate was close to the crease, but he did not use a kicking motion so no replay was needed.
Ethan O’Rourke added his first goal since February 10th and just his second in a ‘Tips sweater to put Everett up 5-1 after 40 minutes. Seattle had their work cut out for them in the third.
Their big rookie forward would start what looked like a comeback. He followed up a powerful drive to the net by Wedman to notch his first post-season goal and cut the Everett lead down to three at 5-2.
Then Wedman – who looked like a man on a mission – cut the lead to two. He took a long outlet pass from Mike MacLean, made a ridiculous outside-inside move to paralyze the defender and then beat Hart to bring the 4,175 fans in attendance to their feet and start daydreams of an epic comeback.
The goal and assist from Wedman were glimpses of his potential as a game-breaker.
Instead of getting any closer though, Seattle was undone by Sutter, who sat out Game 3 after being suspended for a hit he put on Lee in Game 2.
Pilon got in behind the defense, could not beat Hughes, but while on his knees flicked the puck over to an open Sutter for his first of the playoffs and a 6-3 Everett lead.
Fonteyne added an empty-netter for finish the T-birds off. 7-3 final. Fonteyne leads the way for Everett with seven points through the four games.
Hughes stopped 29 of 35 in the Seattle net.
Everett was 1-for-3 on the power play, while Seattle was 0-for-2.
The Silvertips are now 3-for-17 in the series while on the man advantage. The T-birds are 3-for-11.
Donovan Neuls left early in the game after taking an awkward check into the boards. He did return and his coming back seemed to help inspire the T-birds.
Seattle will need more than that though to spark a comeback in the series. Puck drop for Game 5 is at 7:05 pm at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett Saturday.
Sami Moilanen missed the game after the check he took from Fonteyne in Game 3.
