TIPS WIN: Still Soaring.
KENT, Wash. – Bryce Kindopp scored twice and the Everett Silvertips never trailed, finishing the Seattle Thunderbirds in a 3-2 victory before 6,039 fans at accesso ShoWare Center on Saturday night in WHL action.
The Silvertips went 7-2-0-1 in the 10 games against their U.S. Division rival this season, earning their third straight win in Kent for the first time since the 2014-15 season. Carter Hart made 33 saves while Matt Fonteyne opened the scoring with a power play goal and Patrick Bajkov earned an assist for his team leading 93rd point of the season, tied for the Tips single season record with Josh Winquist and Zach Hamill.
UP NEXT: The Silvertips visit Moda Center and the host Portland Winterhawks on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. (1380 AM / FM 95.3 / WHL Live / Tips App) in the final matchup of the regular season. The Silvertips can clinch the U.S. Division title on Sunday if they defeat the Winterhawks.
The first half of the first was all Everett. They held Seattle to only two shots through the first eight minutes of the game and fired everything they could at Liam Hughes. The lone penalty in the first was taken by Holden Katzalay at 2:36 resulting in a power play for Everett.
Bajkov got a shot off Hughes’ pads which landed on Pilon’s stick who passed to Fonteyne for a one timer, resulting in a power play goal at 3:41 to make it 1-0 Tips.
The goal sparked energy in Thunderbirds who gained more control after the Tips outshot them, 6-0 throughout the first but Carter Hart made some spectacular saves to keep the Thunderbirds scoreless. At 13:38 a 2-on-1 opportunity by the Tips with Reece Vitelli and Kindopp leading resulted in a beautiful goal from the left circle by Kindopp to make it 2-0. Everett had the edge in shots in the first, 13-9.
The second period saw more control and opportunities from the Thunderbirds as they had more opportunities. Seattle was successful in killing an early penalty off and then at 9:30 Everett had their first penalty kill as Kindopp went off for hooking. Nolan Volcan for Seattle slid a puck under Hart on the power play, cutting the lead in half at 11:03.
The third period began with 4-on-4 hockey for 1:30 after Ondrej Vala was issued a five minute major for cross-checking and game misconduct late in the second period, leading to the Tips success killing off the major power play and Bajkov earning a shorthanded opportunity that rang off the crossbar.
Seattle kept throwing everything they had at Carter Hart, who held his ground and made very timely saves to keep the Tips lead.
At 13:45 Dewar received a goaltender interference penalty and Austin Strand received a slashing penalty to make it 4-on-4 for two minutes. A timely screen led to an insurance goal by Bryce Kindopp at 15:02 to make it 3-1 Tips, chipping Jake Christiansen’s drive from the top of the left circle past Hughes.
Seattle pulled Hughes for the sixth attacker with 2:10 left and Austin Strand buried a shot through traffic from the blueline at 2:04 to make it 3-2.
The Tips denied Seattle’s last ditch effort with Hughes pulled for a sixth attacker again, in the final seconds.
Carter Hart’s counterpart, Liam Hughes, made 34 saves.
SILVERTIPS LINE COMBOS
15 / RICHARDS 17 / FONTEYNE 8 / BAJKOV
43 / DEWAR 14 / SUTTER 41 / PILON
19 / KINDOPP 26 / VITELLI 7 / FASKO-RUDAS
44 / GERTH 10 / O’ROURKE 9 / BUTT
DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS
23 / CHRISTIANSEN 38 / DAVIS
42 / VALA 29 / WYLIE
24 / FAIRBROTHER 4 / I. WALKER
GOALTENDERS
70 / HART
32 / WOLF
BOX SCORE | GAME AUDIO | PHOTOS
NOTES: Silvertips scratches included Jameson Murray, Akash Bains, Bronson Sharp, Kyle Walker, and Luke Ormsby … Garrett Pilon led all players in the series with 14 points … Kindopp has three goals in the last two games … Fonteyne is tied with Connor Dewar for the Tips lead in power play goals (15) … the Silvertips power play is 3-of-5 in the last two games.
Silvertips season ticket or mini-plan packages are available at www.everettsilvertips.com/season or by calling (425) 252-5100.
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