PORTLAND, Ore. — The series seemed destined to end Saturday night.
The Everett Silvertips had a different idea.
Everett kept its season alive by defeating the Portland Winterhawks 3-2 in Game 5 of their first-round WHL playoff series.
It looked as though the Tips would soon be headed home for the offseason after being thrashed 11-4 at home Friday night in Game 4. But Everett rebounded in grand fashion, building a 3-0 lead before holding on late, extending the series at least one more game.
The victory cut the top-seeded Winterhawks’ lead in the best-of-seven series to 3-2. Game 6 is Monday in Everett.
Austin Lotz had an excellent game in goal for Everett. Lotz, who was pulled in each of the previous two games, made 43 saves as the Tips prevailed despite being outshot 45-18.
Joshua Winquist, Logan Aasman and Reid Petryk scored the goals for Everett, which took its 3-0 lead into the third period. Winquist’s goal gave him goals in all five games in the series.
Brendan Leipsic and Derrick Pouliot scored power-play goals in the third period as Portland tried to come back. The Winterhawks pressed for the tying goal in the waning seconds, but the Tips kept the puck out to hang onto the victory.
Mac Carruth finished with 15 saves in net for the Winterhawks.
Everett was coming off a humiliating loss in a Game 4 dominated by Portland, but the Tips came out solid in the first period. Everett broke the ice at 10 minutes, 19 seconds when Winquist beat Carruth with a shot off the rush. The Tips then took a 2-0 lead at 13:41, a Carruth turnover behind the net gifting a tap-in for Aasman.
Portland controlled play in the second period, getting three power plays and outshooting the Tips 17-4. But it was Everett that found the net again to go ahead 3-0. The Winterhawks had just been denied a chance at one end when Petryk was released on a breakaway the other direction. Petryk beat Carruth with a move to his backhand at 13:26 to increase Everett’s lead.
The Winterhawks continued to get power plays in the third period, and Portland capitalized to pull within one. Leipsic redirected a Troy Rutkowski shot past Lotz on the power play at 5:59 to get Portland on the board. Then at 18:35, with the Winterhawks on another power play and Carruth pulled for an extra attacker, Pouliot put a shot through traffic and past Lotz to make it a one-goal game.
Portland pressed for the equalizer, and Ty Rattie had a chance late. But the puck crawled along the goal line and stayed out, and the Tips began the preparations for Game 6
Silvertips 3, Winterhawks 2
Everett 2 1 0—3
Portland 0 0 2—2
First Period—1, Everett, Winquist 6 (Oslanski, Zipp), 10:19. 2, Everett, Aasman 1, 13:41. Penalties—Kopeck, Portland (slashing), 2:50.
Second period—3, Everett, Petryk 2 (Bauml, Lotz), 13:26. Penalties—Oslanski, Everett (tripping), 2:31; Betker, Everett (holding), 9:19; Oslanski, Everett (slashing), 15:36.
Third Period—4, Portland, Leipsic 4 (Rutkowski, Pouliot), 5:59 (pp). 5, Portland, Pouliot 3 (Rutkowski, Bjorkstrand), 18:35 (pp). Penalties—Mueller, Everett (slashing), 4:09; Leipsic, Portland (charging), 12:34; Mueller, Everett (slashing), 17:54; Leipsic, Portland (roughing), 20:00.
Shots on goal—Everett 9-4-5—18. Portland 15-17-13—45. Power-play opportunities—Everett 0 of 2. Portland 2 of 5.
Goalies—Everett, Lotz 2-3 (45 shots, 43 saves). A—7,093.
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