TIPS WIN » Breaking Away
PORTLAND – Cole Fonstad’s third period breakaway goal held up as the game winner while Dustin Wolf made 37 saves to lift the Everett Silvertips to a 3-2 victory over the host Portland Winterhawks on Tuesday in WHL action at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Tips improved to 5-0 in the head-to-head series and strengthened their commanding lead in the U.S. Division to nine points over second place Portland with six games left, running their head-to-head record against the Winterhawks to 9-0-1 in the last 10 games. The Tips also got the seventh goal of the season from Jacob Wright, and a Gage Goncalves shorthanded goal early in the third period.
UP NEXT: The Silvertips return home tomorrow, 7:05 p.m. (KRKO/WHL Live) at Angel of the Winds Arena against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds. Viewing packages remain on sale at watch.chl.ca. Play-by-play “Voice of the Tips” Mike Benton will have pre-game coverage beginning 30 minutes before puck drop.
Both teams battled through a scoreless first period with the Silvertips generating four quality looks at the net on an early power play, while Wolf turned away Jaydon Dureau’s bid from the left wing as he drove the crease with two minutes remaining.
On a delayed penalty early in the second period, Wright took a relay from Gianni Fairbrother off the rush and roofed a wrister from the left circle for a 1-0 lead at 2:43 of the second period. The Winterhawks responded on Tyson Kozak’s bid from between the circles for a power play goal at 8:51 for a 1-1 tie.
Gage Goncalves, recipient of a Cole Fonstad feed from the left circle, stashed the Silvertips first shorthanded goal of the season after getting two whacks at a loose puck just 39 seconds into the third period, tying the Tips goal scoring lead with his 11th of the season. Fonstad’s 12th of the year bumped the Tips lead to 3-1 when Goncalves wired a tape-to-tape breakaway pass to him, and Fonstad uncorked a snap shot past Dante Giannuzzi at 5:40.
Portland had one last push and got back into the game on a breakaway goal by Dureau, 5:20 left in regulation. That left Wolf and the Tips to stave off Portland’s 6-on-5 advantage, after a Wolf stop on a Simon Knak one-timer, he sealed the win with one final save on Seth Jarvis just before the final horn.
Giannuzzi made 26 saves by taking the loss.
3 STARS OF THE GAME
- Dustin Wolf (EVT)
- Cole Fonstad (EVT)
- Tyson Kozak (POR)
GAME NOTES: Silvertips scratches included U18 departures Braden Holt and Olen Zellweger, while Brady Van Herk and Brendan Hunchak were healthy scratches … Fonstad extended his point streak to nine consecutive games, also earning the 71st multi point game of his career … the Silvertips have scored 25 goals in the last five wins.
ABOUT THE SILVERTIPS AND THE NHL
A total of 19 players have suited up in an Everett Silvertips jersey and advanced to play in the National Hockey League, since the Silvertips joined the WHL in 2003-04. Entering this season, the Silvertips have elevated 27 players to be selected by teams in the NHL Entry Draft, including eight over the previous three seasons. By the end of the 2019-20 season, all three Silvertips in the 20-year old category earned NHL entry level contracts: Bryce Kindopp (Anaheim), Wyatte Wylie (Philadelphia), and Jake Christiansen (Columbus). The Seattle Kraken, an expansion franchise scheduled to play 30 miles away from Everett at Climate Pledge Arena, will make their NHL debut in the 2021-22 season.
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