Game 27 - Kelowna Rockets

[Tipped Off]

VERSUS THE KELOWNA ROCKETS

Friday night will be the second of four meetings between the two Western Conference rivals. The Silvertips are currently 1-0 against the Rockets this season.

Everett is 6-5-1 (OTL)-1 (Tie) all time against the Rockets in franchise history and 2-3-1 (OTL) life time in Kelowna, BC. In their last meeting on September 29 at the Everett Events Center, the Silvertips defeated the Rockets 4-1.

Future Meetings: December 29: @ Kelowna, February 16: @ Everett

[Tipped Off]

Kelowna hands Everett its first shutout, 2-0
Herald Staff

KELOWNA, B.C. - An unlikely team was the first to shut the Everett Silvertips down this season.

The struggling Kelowna Rockets became the first team to hold Everett scoreless, and the Silvertips fell 2-0 Friday night.

Kristofer Westblom made 28 saves as Kelowna handed Everett just its fourth loss of the season and third in regulation. It was the first time Everett (24-3-0-1) was shut out in 28 games.

Lucas Bloodoff and Chris Ray scored the goals for Kelowna (10-17-1-3), an unexpected team to end Everett's six-game winning streak. The Rockets are not only languishing in fourth place in the B.C. Division, they also traded away three of their top four scorers a day earlier.

Leland Irving made 21 saves in goal for Everett.

Westblom was particularly sharp in the third period when, with Kelowna clinging to a 1-0 lead, Everett poured 14 shots on goal. However, the Tips were unable to find a crack, and Ray put the game away with a goal with 5 minutes, 56 seconds remaining.

For all its successes, Everett continued to struggle five-on-five. The Tips have scored just two five-on-five goals in their last six games.

Everett has still been able to win games thanks to its power play, which scored 13 goals during a recent three-game stretch. However, the Rockets stymied Everett's power play, holding the Tips 0-for-7. Everett is 0-for-15 on the power play since that impressive three-game stretch.

Everett controlled play early, but Kelowna stunned the Silvertips by taking the lead at 17:13 of the first period. The puck came to Bloodoff at the post and he stuffed a backhander past Irving to make it 1-0.

Everett was unable to tie it up in the second period, and only a sprawling save by Irving on a Justin Berhardt attempt kept the Tips within one.

Everett turned up the pressure in the third period, but it was Kelowna that scored the insurance goal. Ray and Cody Almond broke up the ice, and although Irving saved Almond's initial shot, Ray was there to pot the rebound and make it 2-0.

Rockets 2, Silvertips 0

Everett 0 0 0 - 0

Kelowna 1 0 1 - 2

First Period-1, Kelowna, L. Bloodoff 5 (Dowzak, MacRae), 17:13. Penalties-McMillan, Kelowna (charging), 2:32; Fransoo, Everett (interference), 6:21; Barthel, Kelowna (cross-checking), 9:31; Mueller, Everett (interference), 13:59.

Second Period-No goals. Penalties-Campos, Everett (holding), 5:35; Schenn, Kelowna (hooking), 9:00; Schulz, Kelowna (roughing), 13:32; Harty, Everett (tripping), 16:01; Thoring, Everett (delay of game), 18:06; Fiala, Everett (holding), 19:58; Barthel, Kelowna (roughing), 19:58.

Third Period-3, Kelowna, Ray 10 (Almond, Schenn), 14:04. Penalties-Beach, Everett (hooking), 3:02; Bernhardt, Kelowna (holding), 4:06; Hamill, Everett (slashing), 7:54; Barthel, Kelowna (roughing), 10:02; Schulz, Kelowna (interference), 14:26; Hamill, Everett (cross-checking), 16:58; Calla, Everett (slashing), 17:22.

Shots on goal-Everett 5-9-14-28. Kelowna 5-9-9-23. Power-play opportunities-Everett 0 of 7. Kelowna 0 of 9. Goalies-Everett, Irving 18-3-0-1 (23 shots, 21 saves). Kelowna, Westblom 9-15-0-1 (28 shots, 28 saves). A-6,078.