The way that the Everett Silvertips jumped all over the Tri-City Americans in Game 1 could possibly be explained by the fact that the Americans had been off for nine days after making quick work of the Victoria Royals in round two and had to get their legs under them after the long rest.
There was no easy explanation for an even more lopsided first period in Game 2 as Everett was all over Tri-City in the first 20 minutes and out shot them 20-9. The Americans were able to withstand the push though and ended up tying the best-of-seven series at a game apiece with a 5-3 road win at Angel of the Winds Arena.
Game 3 goes Monday night at the Toyota Center in Kennewick.
The main reason that Everett was not leading by more than one after the first was Tri-City goalie Patrick Dea.
The overage netminder turned away 18 of 20 in the first. Then after his team battled back to score twice in the third and take a 4-3 lead midway through the third, he stood tall, making several quality stops.
Dea stopped 37 of 40 overall and pushed his record in the playoffs to 8-1. Dea has had a 0.925 or higher save percentage in four games now in the post-season.
Tri-City was led offensively by Parker AuCoin who scored twice and added an assist. Juuso Vålimåki and Isaac Johnson each added two assists for the Americans.
Everett has found a way to score goals in a lot of ways this post-season and that was the case on the first goal of Game 2. A shot from the point on the power play by Bajkov was stopped but Connor Dewar flipped the rebound in the air and the puck went in off of Matt Fonteyne’s helmet and in. The goal was Fonteyne’s fifth of the playoffs and just the seventh power play goal on 34 chances for Everett in the 2018 playoffs.
In Game 2 Tri-City did not allow Everett to build a two-goal lead. Juuso Vålimåki drove into the Everett zone and took a chip pass from Isaac Johnson. Vålimåki then worked the puck to Parker AuCoin and AuCoin found some space above Carter Hart’s right shoulder for his second of the playoffs and the 1-1 tie.
After Jordan Topping and Nolan Yaremko both were assessed minor penalties, Everett had a 5-on-3 and they took advantage to regain their one-goal lead.
Bajkov took a pass down low and threw the puck out front where it banked off of Vålimåki’s left skate and by goalie Patrick Dea.
After Tri-City netted two power play goals in a losing effort in Game 1, it was Everett’s turn to find the twine twice on the man advantage on four chances.
Tri-City, who were 13-of-26 coming into the game on the power play in the playoffs were unsuccessful on three opportunities. They are now 13-of-29 for 44.8 percent in the 2018 playoffs.
Topping would redeem himself for his earlier penalty with 7:58 left in the second as he took a nice pass from Johnson as he drove the left wing on a 3-on-2 and swiftly beat Hart on the blocker-side for his third of the playoffs.
Shortly after Dea made a big glove stop on Dewar in the third, Tri-City took their first lead in the Western Conference final.
Maxwell James made his presence felt by dumping the puck in and laying a hit. The resulting cycle led to a Dan Gatenby point shot that created a melee in front. AuCoin ended up with the puck and beat Hart on the rebound for his second of the game and third of the playoffs.
Just under a minute later, Garrett Pilon tied the game at three with his third of the series and ninth of the playoffs. It was a highlight reel marker as Pilon gloved down a Tri-City shot in his own zone and then took off like a rocket. He drove up the middle, played give-and-go with Dewar and then beat Dea with 8:35 left in the third.
The goal was representative of what the acquisition of Pilon has given to Everett during this playoff run. He has scored nine times in the playoffs with many of them coming in big spots.
The 6,401 fans present were on their feet and it seemed like the Pilon goal had given Everett enough of a boost for them to take the game and a 2-0 series lead.
Instead it was the Americans, after some Dea stops, retaking the lead with 7:31 left on a delayed penalty. James, an overage forward known more for his physical presence than his goal scoring took a pass from AuCoin on the rush, cut to the net and beat Hart with a backhand.
Two Everett players were all over him but could not knock James off the puck, despite taking a penalty. James had not found the net since February 17th but he found a way to score the game winner in this one – possibly on of the biggest in his WHL career.
Everett had some chances late but either Dea stopped them or they were pushed wide.
Michael Rasmussen ended up sealing the game with an empty netter off a nice clearance play by Dylan Coghlan. The goal made it 5-3 and was Rasmussen’s 12th of the playoffs and second of the series. He has seven goals in his last six games.
Hart stopped 22 of 26 for Everett, getting his first loss since Game 1 of Everett’s second round series with Portland.
Notes:
-Morgan Geekie failed to score for the very first time in the 2018 playoffs. He had 16 goals over his first nine games in the postseason, but failed to find the mark in this one.
-Bajkov was assessed a 10-minute misconduct with 22 seconds left in the game.
-Pilon led Everett with six shots, while Topping with five had the most for Tri-City.
-Fonteyne went 15-for-25 at the face off dot foe Everett, while Sutter was 10-of-15 and Reece Vitelli was 4-for-9. For Tri-City Nolan Yaremko was 7-of-20, Geekie went 7-for-15 and Riley Sawchuk was 8-of-13.
-Isaac Johnson and Bajkov came together at the end of the second period and Johnson appeared to catch Bajkov in the chest with the butt-end of his stick. No call was made. The matchup between Johnson and Tri-City’s second line and Bajkov and Everett’s top line will be one to watch should Tri-City wish to continue it when they get last change for Monday’s Game 2.
