Raiders rally to tie the game in the third, but Silvertips emerge 3-2 victors in overtime

Tomas Mrsic scored twice, while Max Hildebrand put in an excellent 44 save performance in goal, but the Everett Silvertips were able to come away with a 3-2 overtime win on Friday night at the Art Hauser Centre.

The Raiders and Silvertips were tied at 0-0 after 20 minutes, and part of that reason was because of Max Hildebrand, who made the save of the game, and possibly the save of the season near the midway mark of the first. Nolan Chastko led a rush for Everett into the Raider zone, starting a two on one chance with Caden Brown. From the left wing, Chastko sauced a pass to the middle for Brown, who pulled the puck from his forehand to his backhand. He released a quick backhand shot, but Hildebrand was able to barely get a piece of it with his right skate. Chastko followed up on the rebound, and Hildebrand made maybe the best save of his WHL career, lunging back and sweeping it away from the goal line with his stick, keeping the game scoreless.

Both sides tallied eight shots on goal, with both Hildebrand and Jesse Sanche saving everything, as the second period started the same as the first: scoreless.

Everett outshot Prince Albert 19-7 in the second period, and scored twice to show for it. Carter Bear found the first goal of the game shorthanded for the Silvertips, taking advantage of a Raider turnover behind the net. Hildebrand made two great saves right after the turnover, but could only do so much to keep the puck out. With Hildebrand on his stomach looking for the rebound, Bear was able to poke the puck across the goal line, giving the Silvertips a 1-0 lead with 11:48 left in the middle frame.

With 7:50 to go in the second, Landon DuPont scored his first WHL goal to double Everett’s lead. From the slot, the defenceman ripped a shot blocker side, beating Hildebrand to make it 2-0. Those two goals were the only ones in the second period, as Everett took their two goal lead into the third period, outshooting the Raiders 27-15 after 20 minutes.

Tomas Mrsic turned the game around in the third period, scoring twice to bring the Raiders right back in it. On a Raider powerplay in the first minute of the frame, Mrsic played pitch and catch with Aiden Oiring at the blue line. Sending a pass to Oiring, Mrsic caught a return feed as he came streaking down the slot. Mrsic turned his blade to deflect the pass past Sanche, making it a 2-1 game with his second goal of the season.

With 4:58 to go in the third, Mrsic tied the game, scoring another powerplay goal. From the point, Mrsic passed to Oiring, then switched spots with him, moving down to the right circle. Oiring gave him a pass down low, and Mrsic fired a one timer on goal, bobbling around before hitting Sanche’s skate and into the back of the net. Mrsic’s second of the night was huge as it tied the game at 2-2, and would send things to overtime.

In the extra frame, Oli Chenier hauled down Bear, giving the Everett forward a penalty shot with a chance to win the game. Bear made his way in on Hildebrand on the penalty shot, but the Raiders netminder shut the door, making a pad save to keep the game alive.

However, the Silvertips found the game winning goal with 2:43 left in overtime, as Jesse Heslop netted the winner. He took a rink wide pass from Tyler MacKenzie, escaping the checking of Niall Crocker, and had a partial breakaway on Hildebrand. Cutting in from the left wing, Heslop pulled the puck to his backhand, flipping a shot over Hildebrand’s pad, giving the Silvertips a 3-2 overtime victory.