RECAP: Fighting Chance
EVERETT, Wash. – Ryan Gropp’s breakaway goal stood as the game winner despite a 34 save effort by Carter Hart, and the Everett Silvertips fell short, 2-1 to the Seattle Thunderbirds before 5,865 fans at XFINITY Arena on Friday in Game 4 of the second round of the WHL Playoffs.
The Silvertips, facing Seattle’s healthiest lineup of the postseason and maneuvering scratches accounting for 1,100 games of experience in the regular season and playoffs, were tied or only trailed by one goal for all but 6:12 of the game. Patrick Bajkov produced the only Tips goal in the second period.
The loss delivered a 3-1 series deficit, forcing a must-win Game 5 for the Silvertips at ShoWare Center tomorrow.
Should Game 6 be necessary, scheduled for downtown Everett, tickets will be on sale through everettsilvertips.com/playoffs, by phone at (425) 252-5100 and in person at the Silvertips offices at XFINITY Arena. Ticket release time will be determined and announced if necessary. All Silvertips playoff packages, group tickets and suite offers include a limited edition playoff t-shirt, and are available online. | BUY PLAYOFF TICKETS HERE
ROUND 2: EVERETT vs SEATTLE (Thunderbirds lead, 3-1)
GAME 1: Everett 3 at Seattle 0
GAME 2: Everett 1 at Seattle 3
GAME 3: Seattle 5 at Everett 0
GAME 4: Seattle 2 at Everett 1
GAME 5: at Seattle | Saturday, Apr. 16 – 7:05pm (ShoWare Center)
GAME 6: at Everett | MONDAY, Apr. 18 – 7:05pm (XFINITY Arena) **
GAME 7: at Seattle | Tuesday, Apr. 19 – 7:05pm (ShoWare Center) **
** If necessary
The first period began similar to Game 3, much of it in the balance and included a physical and rugged approach at five-on-five. But the Thunderbirds struck first on Josh Uhrich’s first goal of the postseason, 15:05 into the first period on a deflection at the net which was initially waved off by the officials and overturned after a combined five minutes of review.
Gropp put the Silvertips into a daunting 2-0 hole at 3:08 of the second period, off a turnover at the Thunderbirds blueline which produced a breakaway. But following a penalty kill by the Silvertips 2:12 later, Patrick Bajkov electrified the XFINITY Arena crowd with a highlight reel goal to put the Silvertips back within a goal.
Bajkov, corralling a Kevin Davis feed in his own zone, cruised nearly coast-to-coast through the backpedaling Thunderbirds defense and maneuvered a backhanded deke to Landon Bow’s blocker side at 9:20.
In the third period, the Silvertips recovered from minimal offensive zone time and generated one final wave of an attack in the last five minutes to tie the game. Connor Dewar and Remi Laurencelle manufactured a scramble with less than four minutes left, but the puck was swept away from the goal mouth with Bow flailing to recover.
Connor Dewar narrowly missed on an up ice rush – a snap shot from the left circle – on the ensuing shift and with less than two minutes left fed a tape-to-tape feed to Matt Fonteyne, cruising to the goal mouth. However, Bow turned away the quick deflection and the Thunderbirds survived an extra attacker wave in the final minute, when they were hemmed in their own zone following a Mathew Barzal clear with five seconds to play.
Hart took the loss but earned the game’s first star honors.
NOTES: Everett native Wyatte Wylie, wearing #29, made his WHL debut on the Silvertips blueline … Riley Sutter made his return to the lineup for the first time since Jan. 22 at Edmonton … Bajkov’s goal was his first since Game 3 of the first round vs. Portland … the crowd of nearly 5,900 was the largest either venue has drawn in the series, between Everett and Kent.
For more information, visit www.everettsilvertips.com or call 425-252-5100. To keep up with all the latest team news and information, “like” the Everett Silvertips Hockey Club on Facebook or follow @WHLSilvertips on Twitter.
