TIPS WIN » Blazing Into 2018
EVERETT, Wash. – Defenseman Jake Christiansen had the first multi goal game of his career while Orrin Centazzo bagged a career high three points to help lift the Everett Silvertips to a 5-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers before 4,752 fans in downtown Everett on Saturday in WHL action.
Goaltender Dustin Wolf earned the 7th win in his first 10 career games while the Silvertips scored four unanswered goals to run away by the end of two periods, up 5-1. The Tips won for the 19th time in 25 games to stay in first place in the U.S. Division, two points ahead of Portland.
UP NEXT: The Tips return to the road Friday, Jan. 5 at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre to visit the Victoria Royals at 7:05 p.m. (Fox Sports 1380 / FM 95.3). The Tips return home Saturday night, Jan. 6 and host the Portland Winterhawks at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are on sale at www.everettsilvertips.com/tickets.
The Tips were awarded with a power play 25 seconds into the first period and Riley Sutter got the scoring going with a power play tap in goal at 1:06; Kevin Davis and Matt Fonteyne were awarded with the assists when the puck was funneled to the Kamloops net and goaltender Max Palaga.
The Blazers got one back at 4:06 as Brodi Stuart got the power play goal, a deflection off Nolan Kneen’s point shot, to make it a 1-1 game.
The tie game did not last long as Montana Onyebuchi sniped from the point at 7:03 to make it 2-1 Tips; Luke Ormsby and Orrin Centazzo were credited with the assists on a low shot that beat Palaga to the blocker side.
Orrin Centazzo got his 6th of the year to make it 3-1 Tips at 15:57, thanks to a nice pass from Reece Vitelli which sprung Centazzo’s burst of speed behind the Kamloops defense.
There was chaos at the 17:31 mark as a line scrum led to a fight between Kyle Walker and Brodi Stuart. Stuart ultimately received an additional instigator penalty and a game misconduct; Nick Chyzowski and Patrick Bajkov each received roughing penalties.
Jake Christiansen extended the lead in the second period with a goal from the left circle to make it 4-1 Tips at 11:01 with assists from Orrin Centazzo and Sean Richards, chasing Palaga from the net. It was Centazzo’s 3rd point of the evening.
Christiansen’s scoring did not stop there; on the power play he scored an almost identical goal at 12:58 from Wyatte Wylie’s cross-ice pass, and Sean Richards’ set up to Wylie to make it 5-1 Tips.
Kamloops got their second goal of the night at 13:18 of the third period but it was too little, too late for them to initiate the comeback and the Tips ended 2017 with a fantastic 5-2 victory.
Palaga made 19 saves for the Blazers but was excused after the 4th Silvertips’ goal. He was relieved by Dylan Ferguson, who made 14 saves.
SILVERTIPS LINE COMBOS
15 / RICHARDS 17 / FONTEYNE 8 / BAJKOV
43 / DEWAR 14 / SUTTER 19 / KINDOPP
11 / CENTAZZO 26 / VITELLI 16 / ORMSBY
18 / HEIN 12 / BAINS 7 / FASKO-RUDAS
DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS
23 / CHRISTIANSEN 38 / DAVIS
29 / WYLIE 4 / I. WALKER
20 / K. WALKER 5 / ONYEBUCHI
GOALTENDERS
32 / WOLF
31 / BELLUK
Notes: Silvertips scratches included Gianni Fairbrother (injury, day-to-day), Dawson Butt (healthy) and Carter Hart (Canada, World Junior Championships) … Sean Richards, Orrin Centazzo and Jake Christiansen each had a multi-point game … the Tips improved to 3-0-0-0 vs. Kamloops and had 46 wins in all of 2017.
Silvertips season ticket or mini-plan packages are available at www.everettsilvertips.com/season or by calling (425) 252-5100.
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