WHL Morning Skate: May 13

NEED TO KNOW

– Seattle Kraken prospect Julius Miettinen scored the late game-winning goal to give Everett a 3-2 series lead

– Prince Albert was playing without top NHL draft prospect Daxon Rudolph, who will return to the lineup for Game 4

– Everett and Prince Albert combined for 11 powerplays, but just one powerplay goal

– Four players in the series (Miettinen, Rudolph, Braeden Cootes and Brock Cripps) are riding six-game point streaks

– The Raiders will try to level the series at home in Game 4 on Wednesday night

TOP PERFORMER

It’s a Julius Mietti-win! The Finnish sensation piled up seven shots while netting the late game-winning goal to give Everett a 3-2 win. This time, he lit the lamp by swatting a rebound home on the backhand with less than five minutes left in regulation. The 6-foot-3, 207-pound centreman has racked up seven points (3G-4A) and a +4 rating in three games to lead all skaters in scoring through the WHL Championship Series. Miettinen has been on a tear since signing his entry-level deal with Seattle, tallying 76 points (35G-41A) in the regular season and putting up 25 points (13G-12A) to sit second in playoff points and first in postseason goals.

RESULTS 

Everett 3, Prince Albert 2

EVT leads 2-1

Are we sensing a pattern here? After the Raiders stole a win in Game 1 at Angel of the Winds Arena, the Everett Silvertips played spoiler at Prince Albert’s homecoming in Game 3. For a third straight game, Everett opened the scoring. Draft-eligible Matias Vanhanen (NHL CSS: 54) made it 1-0 by cutting to the middle and snapping a quick shot past Michal Orsulak (NHL CSS: 2) just past the midway point of the first period. San Jose Sharks prospect Max Heise answered for Prince Albert with the lone powerplay goal of the game as he capped off a two-one-one with a precision one-timer. Sixteen-year-old rookie Ben Harvey gave the home side its first lead of the night by tipping a Justice Christensen shot home early in the second period. Philadelphia Flyers prospect Luke Vlooswyk sent the teams to the dressing rooms tied at 2-2 with a seeing-eye wrister for his first of the playoffs. Miettinen called game late, while Prince Albert’s Orsulak came up with 41 saves in the loss.

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