If necessary game 5 will be in Everett Friday night.
Mario Petit delivered a 24-save effort for his second career playoff win in as many nights, and the Everett Silvertips ripped off three unanswered goals in a 3-1 victory over the Portland Winterhawks in Game 2 of their first round WHL Playoffs series on Saturday at XFINITY Arena.
The Silvertips grabbed a 2-0 series lead, their first set of back-to-back wins to open a series since 2010, and improved to 5-4 in game 2 situations on home ice. Brandon Ralph, who grabbed the first star, opened the Silvertips scoring and Matt Fonteyne and Remi Laurencelle each followed with a goal.
Petit, who became the second goaltender in Silvertips history to seize a shutout in his playoff debut (Leland Irving, 2006) in game 1, has made 53 saves on 54 shots in the series.
ROUND 1: EVERETT vs PORTLAND (Everett leads, 2-0)
GAME 1: Everett 3 Portland 0
GAME 2: Everett 3 Portland 1
GAME 3: at Portland | Tuesday, Mar. 29 – 7:00pm (Moda Center)
GAME 4: at Portland | Wednesday, Mar. 30 – 7:00pm (Moda Center)
GAME 5: at Everett | FRIDAY, Apr. 1 – 7:35pm (XFINITY ARENA) **
GAME 6: at Portland | Saturday, Apr. 2 – 6:00pm (Veterans Memorial Coliseum) **
GAME 7: at Everett | MONDAY, Apr. 4 – 7:05pm (XFINITY ARENA) **
** If necessary / COVERAGE: Fox Sports 1380 / WHL Live
All Silvertips playoff tickets, featuring select packages offering a limited edition playoff t-shirt, are available online. | BUY PLAYOFF TICKETS HERE
Petit continued his mastery in the net on the second shift of the game, sprawling with a right pad save on Rodrigo Abols to ignite the crowd in downtown Everett. But just 2:06 into the game, the Winterhawks wasted little striking for a power play goal on Rihards Bukarts’ tap-in at the left post for a 1-0 lead, set up by Dominic Turgeon’s wrister from the slot.
Ralph, who collected his first career playoff goal one night ago, struck again at the 4:22 mark when he stashed a rebound set up by Devon Skoleski for a 1-1 tie. The Silvertips followed by capitalizing on an Alex Overhardt holding penalty at 11:24, and Matt Fonteyne corralled a cross-ice pass from Cole MacDonald and sizzled a wrister past Adin Hill from the left circle for his first goal of the series and a 2-1 lead.
Laurencelle, held scoreless in the final six games of the regular season, notched his first of the postseason at 7:14 of the second period to lift the Silvertips to a 3-1 lead on a wrister from between the circles, set up by Graham Millar’s pass from the corner.
Petit and the Silvertips maneuvered through a tense third period and kept Portland at bay with 10 shots allowed.
Hill fell to 10-9 in his postseason career with 24 saves.
BOX SCORE | GAME AUDIO | PHOTO GALLERY
NOTES: The Silvertips grabbed a 2-0 playoff series over Portland for the first time in franchise history the Silvertips have outshot Portland, 88-54 in the series and earned the lead in game 2, at a 37-25 clip nine different Silvertips registered a point in the game the Silvertips went 1-of-5 on the power play and turned away three of four Portland power play opportunities.
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.
Editor’s note: There were only 3621 fans in an 8000 seat arena for a playoff game. C’mon Everett get behind your hometown team!
March 27, 2016
Everett, Everett Sports