Carter Hart, who won the World Junior Championships for Canada in Buffalo at the start of 2018 has been a star with the ‘Tips ever since he broke into the league with them as a 16-year-old starter and Friday’s game was no different as Hart was once again solid between the pipes for his team the Everett Silvertips. Hart stopped 29 of 30 shots he led the ‘Tips to a 2-1 win.
The game
The last game between Everett and Vancouver at the Lanlgey Events Centre was back on Wednesday, December 27th, an 11-0 win for the visitors in the Silvertips. In Friday’s game though the Giants were prepared for a fast Tips team. An even first period solved nothing with both teams taking eight shots. The second period though was much different as all the goals were scored in the middle stanza. Connor Dewar opened the scoring on the power play for his team. Matt Fonteyne had one-timed a Garrett Pilon pass off the pad of Giants netminder David Tendeck but the puck fell free to Dewar who deposited it into the back of the net. It was Dewar’s 31st of the season. His career high goal total was 14 that he achieved last season.
Exactly 10 minutes later, the Giants would tie the game off the stick of local boy Davis Koch. Ty Ronning’s shot pinballed in front to the waiting stick of Koch who put his 21st of the year past Hart. The assists went to Ronning and Benson at 10:54 of the second period. After more immense pressure from the ‘Tips, they would retake the lead for good with a goal off the stick off Martin Fasko-Rudas. The broken play goal was assisted by the same players as was the first goal of the game for the Silvertips-Fonteyne and Pilon at 12:16. The goal was Fasko-Rudas’ sixth of the year. The Giants would apply pressure late in the second and early in the third but the game would finish 2-1 for Everett.
Wrap up
The loss was the Giants third in-a-row. Tendeck stopped 26 of 28 in the loss, while Hart stopped 29 of 30. Alex Kannok-Leipert was the third star with a fantastic defensive game. The second star was James Malm who was unable to find the score sheet but had some quality goal scoring opportunities. Carter Hart stole the show with the first star. He’s a player who has shone even more brightly against the G-Men this year. The Giants are back at it this Monday against the Kamloops Blazers at the LEC.
