RED DEER, Alberta — The Everett Silvertips started their first long road trip of the season on the right foot.
Matt Pufahl scored both goals and Austin Lotz made several key saves as the Tips opened a four-game road trip by beating the Red Deer Rebels 2-1 Tuesday night,
Pufahl, an overage defenseman acquired in the offseason, scored once in the first period and once in the second as Everett overcame an early Red Deer goal. Pufahl, who was acquired from Saskatoon, was originally drafted by Red Deer and played one-and-a-half seasons with the Rebels.
Lotz then made the lead stand up as he made some big saves after Everett took the lead. Lotz finished with 20 stops as the Tips (4-1-1-0) outshot the Rebels 32-21.
Matt Bellerive scored the goal for Red Deer (5-4-0-0), which came into the game in first place in the Western Hockey League’s Central Division. Patrik Bartosak made 30 saves in net for the Rebels.
Red Deer received an early power play and converted to grab an early lead. Bellerive scored off a scramble to make it 1-0 3 minutes, 6 seconds into the game.
Everett tied it at 7:37. Pufahl was the trailer on the rush, and he took Manraj Hayer’s pass and fired into the top corner to knot it at 1-1.
The Tips then received a short five-on-three power play midway through the second period and quickly capitalized, Pufahl scoring with a shot from the point past a screened Bartosak to make it 2-1 at 12:49. Lotz then preserved Everett’s lead as he made a tremendous diving blocker save to deny Rhyse Dieno.
For the most part, the Tips held the Rebels at bay during the third period, allowing just five shots on goal. But when the Rebels did get the puck to net Lotz made the stop, including denying Haydn Fleury on a breakaway early in the period. There were chances late as both teams hit the post, but the Tips held on.
Silvertips 2, Rebels 1
Everett 1 1 0 — 2
Red Deer 1 0 0 — 1
First Period—1, Red Deer, Bellerive 4 (Gaudet, Bleakley), 3:06(pp). 2, Everett, Pufahl 2 (Hayer, Stadnyk), 7:37. Penalties—Betker, Everett (checking from behind), 1:54; MacDonald, Everett (tripping), 11:52; Pufahl, Everett (fighting), 16:04; Dieno, Red Deer (fighting-10-minute misconduct), 16:04; Gaudet, Red Deer (holding), 19:00.
Second Period—3, Everett, Pufahl 3 (Nikolishin, Sandhu), 12:49 (pp). Penalties—Mpofu, Red Deer (goaltender interference), 5:37; Aasman, Everett (fighting), 7:41; Fafard, Red Deer (fighting), 7:41; Volek, Red Deer (slashing), 11:15; Bartosak, Red Deer (cross checking), 12:41.
Third Period—no goals. Penalties—Fafard, Red Deer (charging), 4:32; Bauml, Everett (goaltender interference), 9:58.
Shots on goal—Everett 11-13-8—32. Red Deer 10-6-5—21. Power-play opportunities—Everett 1 of 5. Red Deer 1 of 3.
Goalies—Everett, Lotz 2-1-1-0 (21 shots, 20 saves). Red Deer, Bartosak 4-2-0-0 (32 shots, 30 saves).
A—4,284.
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