Another tight third slips away from Tips
EVERETT – A 1-1 game with less than eight minutes remaining became a 4-1 Everett Silvertips defeat at the hands of the Portland Winterhawks after two quick third-period goals and a late empty-netter from the visitors Wednesday night at Comcast Arena. The Silvertips are now 2-2 versus the Winterhawks this season with the teams set to face each other six more times, including three meetings in six days later this month.
Carson Stadnyk scored the lone goal for Everett, giving him 16 on the season to double last year’s rookie total. Jujhar Khaira and Dawson Leedahl picked up the assists. Austin Lotz (16-11-2-1) earned the game’s third star after turning away 25 shots on net, stopping multiple Portland breakaways and odd-man chances to keep Everett even in the contest. The Silvertips were scoreless on six powerplay chances, while the Winterhawks were 1 for 2.
After a scoreless first period featuring few scoring opportunities, the Silvertips and Winterhawks exchanged goals in the second to leave the game tied after two. The ‘Hawks started the frame on the powerplay and scored just nine seconds in as Austin Lotz made a great save on Oliver Bjorkstrand in front only to see the rebound buried by Derrick Pouliot in the slot. Everett responded midway through the period when Jujhar Khaira wrapped around the Portland net and found Carson Stadnyk for a tap-in goal at far side of the goal crease. During a Silvertips powerplay late in the period, Lotz stoned Adam Rossignol and then Nic Petan on a pair of shorthanded breakaways to keep the game tied at one after 40 minutes of play.
The score remained unchanged past the halfway point until Portland scored twice in just over two minutes. Brendan Leipsic put the Winterhawks back in front at 12:10, skating around the back of the net and firing a sharp-angle shot to the top corner past a sprawling Lotz. Adam De Champlain then made it 3-1, picking up the rebound of an Anton Cederholm point shot and tucking it in to give Portland an insurance goal. Keegan Iverson then finished off the Winterhawks’ 4-1 win with an empty net goal in the waning seconds.
Goaltender Adin Hill (1-0-0-0) stopped 28 of 29 shots to earn the win for the ‘Hawks in his WHL debut. Shots on goal were even at 29 apiece for the two division rivals at the final sound of the buzzer.
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Next up for the ‘Tips is a home-and-home set against the U.S. Division rival Tri-City Americans. The Silvertips host the Americans Friday night at 7:35 pm at Comcast Arena before traveling to the Tri-Cities for the rematch Saturday night at 7:05. Everett is then right back on home ice next weekend for a pair of games at Comcast Arena, hosting the Spokane Chiefs on Friday and the Moose Jaw Warriors on Saturday.
Silvertips mini-game plans and six-game packs for the 2013-14 WHL season are available now at the team office. Visit our website or call 425-252-5100 for more information. To keep up with all the latest team news, “like” the Everett Silvertips Hockey Club on Facebook or follow @WHLSilvertips on Twitter.
