Tipped Off
11-06-2005, 10:42 AM
Silvertips' streak snapped with loss to Hurricanes
Skating without four of its top players, Everett's eight-game winning streak is ended with a 4-2 loss at Lethbridge.
Herald staff
LETHBRIDGE, Alberta - Even the Everett Silvertips' winning-streak mojo wasn't enough to overcome their injury problems Saturday night.
Playing essentially without four of their top players, the Silvertips couldn't keep up with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, falling 4-2.
Colton Yellow Horn scored two goals and former Silvertip Curtis Billsten added a goal and an assist for Lethbridge (8-7-0-2), which snapped Everett's franchise-record eight-game winning streak.
Dwight King also scored and Kevin Opsahl made 18 saves for the Hurricanes, who were playing their first game since the firing of head coach Lindsay Hofford and general manager Darren Stocker.
Zach Dailey and Mark Kress scored and Leland Irving made 19 saves for Everett (13-5).
Everett began its current road trip without forwards Torrie Wheat and Ondrej Fiala, who were left home because of knee injuries. Added to that, center Peter Mueller was given the night off because of minor injuries, then defenseman Shaun Heshka left the game early in the first period after taking a hit.
The short-handed Silvertips nonetheless hung tough with the Hurricanes through most of the game. But Yellow Horn, who gave Everett fits all night, scored the game winner with 5 minutes, 36 seconds remaining in the contest. With the score tied 2-2, Yellow Horn skated into the zone and snapped off a shot that eluded Irving, giving the Hurricanes the lead for good.
Billsten, who was sent to Lethbridge in the offseason in the trade that brought John Lammers to Everett, added an empty-net goal with 26.4 seconds remaining.
Lethbridge scored first at 17:45 of the first period. The Hurricanes broke two-on-one and Ken Petkau fed a pass out front to King, who tipped the puck in to give Lethbridge a 1-0 lead.
But the Silvertips tied it up on the power play with just 9.8 seconds remaining in the period. Dailey got the puck down low and although his first shot was saved, he got to the rebound and backhanded a shot into the top of the net, tying it up at 1-1 with his first goal in the WHL.
Everett then took the lead with an odd goal 3:24 into the second period. Kress took the puck into the zone and his shot hit the crossbar, rebounded off Opsahl's back, then went into the net, making it 2-1.
But Lethbridge quickly tied it up again 1:58 later. Billsten's pass released Yellow Horn on a two-on-one. Yellow Horn shot himself and beat Irving stick side, making it 2-2.
Hurricanes 4, Silvertips 2
Everett 1 1 0 - 2
Lethbridge 1 1 2 - 4
First Period-1, Lethbridge, King 2 (Petkau, Pess), 17:45. 2, Everett, Dailey 1, 19:51 (pp). Penalties-Fransoo, Everett (cross-checking), 3:07; Wuchterl, Everett (delay of game), 14:52; Kaye, Lethbridge (interference), 18:52.
Second Period-3, Everett, Kress 2, 3:24. 4, Lethbridge, Yellow Horn 7 (Billsten), 5:22. Penalties-Thoring, Everett (tripping), 10:23; Everett bench (illegal substitution, served by Fransoo), 12:28; Sim, Everett (roughing), 15:31; Olafson, Lethbridge (roughing), 15:31; Kudelka, Lethbridge (tripping), 17:50; Wuchterl, Everett (diving), 17:50.
Third Period-5, Lethbridge, Yellow Horn 8, 14:24. 6, Lethbridge, Billsten 8, 19:33 (en). Penalties-Kaye, Lethbridge (roughing), 11:30; Kodman, Lethbridge (interference), 19:46; Wuchterl, Everett (double minor, roughing), 19:46; Riege, Lethbridge (double minor, roughing), 19:46.
Shots on goal-Everett 6-8-6-20. Lethbridge 6-8-9-23.
Power-play opportunities-Everett 1 of 3. Lethbridge 0 of 4.
Goalies-Everett, Irving 12-5 (22 shots, 19 saves). Lethbridge, Opsahl 8-9 (20 shots, 18 saves).
Skating without four of its top players, Everett's eight-game winning streak is ended with a 4-2 loss at Lethbridge.
Herald staff
LETHBRIDGE, Alberta - Even the Everett Silvertips' winning-streak mojo wasn't enough to overcome their injury problems Saturday night.
Playing essentially without four of their top players, the Silvertips couldn't keep up with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, falling 4-2.
Colton Yellow Horn scored two goals and former Silvertip Curtis Billsten added a goal and an assist for Lethbridge (8-7-0-2), which snapped Everett's franchise-record eight-game winning streak.
Dwight King also scored and Kevin Opsahl made 18 saves for the Hurricanes, who were playing their first game since the firing of head coach Lindsay Hofford and general manager Darren Stocker.
Zach Dailey and Mark Kress scored and Leland Irving made 19 saves for Everett (13-5).
Everett began its current road trip without forwards Torrie Wheat and Ondrej Fiala, who were left home because of knee injuries. Added to that, center Peter Mueller was given the night off because of minor injuries, then defenseman Shaun Heshka left the game early in the first period after taking a hit.
The short-handed Silvertips nonetheless hung tough with the Hurricanes through most of the game. But Yellow Horn, who gave Everett fits all night, scored the game winner with 5 minutes, 36 seconds remaining in the contest. With the score tied 2-2, Yellow Horn skated into the zone and snapped off a shot that eluded Irving, giving the Hurricanes the lead for good.
Billsten, who was sent to Lethbridge in the offseason in the trade that brought John Lammers to Everett, added an empty-net goal with 26.4 seconds remaining.
Lethbridge scored first at 17:45 of the first period. The Hurricanes broke two-on-one and Ken Petkau fed a pass out front to King, who tipped the puck in to give Lethbridge a 1-0 lead.
But the Silvertips tied it up on the power play with just 9.8 seconds remaining in the period. Dailey got the puck down low and although his first shot was saved, he got to the rebound and backhanded a shot into the top of the net, tying it up at 1-1 with his first goal in the WHL.
Everett then took the lead with an odd goal 3:24 into the second period. Kress took the puck into the zone and his shot hit the crossbar, rebounded off Opsahl's back, then went into the net, making it 2-1.
But Lethbridge quickly tied it up again 1:58 later. Billsten's pass released Yellow Horn on a two-on-one. Yellow Horn shot himself and beat Irving stick side, making it 2-2.
Hurricanes 4, Silvertips 2
Everett 1 1 0 - 2
Lethbridge 1 1 2 - 4
First Period-1, Lethbridge, King 2 (Petkau, Pess), 17:45. 2, Everett, Dailey 1, 19:51 (pp). Penalties-Fransoo, Everett (cross-checking), 3:07; Wuchterl, Everett (delay of game), 14:52; Kaye, Lethbridge (interference), 18:52.
Second Period-3, Everett, Kress 2, 3:24. 4, Lethbridge, Yellow Horn 7 (Billsten), 5:22. Penalties-Thoring, Everett (tripping), 10:23; Everett bench (illegal substitution, served by Fransoo), 12:28; Sim, Everett (roughing), 15:31; Olafson, Lethbridge (roughing), 15:31; Kudelka, Lethbridge (tripping), 17:50; Wuchterl, Everett (diving), 17:50.
Third Period-5, Lethbridge, Yellow Horn 8, 14:24. 6, Lethbridge, Billsten 8, 19:33 (en). Penalties-Kaye, Lethbridge (roughing), 11:30; Kodman, Lethbridge (interference), 19:46; Wuchterl, Everett (double minor, roughing), 19:46; Riege, Lethbridge (double minor, roughing), 19:46.
Shots on goal-Everett 6-8-6-20. Lethbridge 6-8-9-23.
Power-play opportunities-Everett 1 of 3. Lethbridge 0 of 4.
Goalies-Everett, Irving 12-5 (22 shots, 19 saves). Lethbridge, Opsahl 8-9 (20 shots, 18 saves).