GAME RECAP: Silvertips close out 2024 with 7-3 win in Portland

PORTLAND, Oreg. — The Everett Silvertips snapped the Portland Winterhawks’ six-game winning streak in style, closing out 2024 with a 7-3 victory on Tuesday at Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum.

Lukas Kaplan got Everett on the board early as he fielded a pass from Jesse Heslop at his own blueline and wired a wrist shot through netminder Ondrej Štěbeták 43 seconds into the game.

Kyle McDonough equalized for Portland with a shorthanded 2-on-1 goal at 9:26. The Silvertips used a powerplay to break the tie at 14:49 as Tyler MacKenzie sent a pass from below the red line up to Dominik Rymon for his first of two in the period. Rymon followed up at 16:27, converting on a Jaxsin Vaughan rebound for his 18th goal of the year. Shea Busch intercepted a Ryder Thompson pass and rebounded his own shot from the right circle to score the Silvertips’ fourth goal of the period at 18:23.

Landon DuPont netted a powerplay one-timer off a pass at 2:27 into the second period to extend Everett’s lead. Josh Zakreski tapped in a powerplay goal for Portland at 19:37 for a 5-2 score after two.

Diego Buttazzoni brought Portland within two at 16:15 in the third period. Tyler MacKenzie responded in short order for the Silvertips less than a minute later as he redirected a Tarin Smith shot on the poweprlay at 17:09 for his 26th goal of the season. Jesse Heslop tacked on an empty-netter at 17:57 with an assist from Lukas Kaplan to cap off a 7-3 victory.

Jesse Sanche ended the game with 27 saves for the Silvertips. Everett finishes 2024 with a 28-5-2-1 record, best in the WHL.

Article by Lindsey McClellan