KENNEWICK — The Everett Silvertips finally solved the Tri-City Americans. As a result, everything remains the same in the race for the WHL’s U.S. Division title.
Carter Hart continued his hot run in goal and Remi Laurencelle scored the game’s only goal as Everett beat the Tri-City Americans 1-0 Friday night.
Everett came into the game with a 24-point lead in the standings on Tri-City. However, the Americans won the past three meetings between the teams, all in February. In the past two Everett had a third-period lead only for Tri-City to come back to tie it and win in a shootout.
But Everett, behind Hart, managed to hold that one-goal, third-period lead Friday. Hart,a 16-year-old rookie, made a big save on Justin Gutierrez on a short-handed two-on-on in the third period to preserve the lead. He and finished with 21 stops to record his fourth shutout of the season, and since the beginning of the new year he is 10-1-0-1 with a 1.87 goals against average and .938 save percentage.
Portland thrashed Seattle 7-1 Friday night, meaning Everett’s lead over the Winterhawks for first place in the U.S. Division remained four points. Portland has played two fewer games. The Tips and Winterhawks play for the final time this season Wednesday in Everett.
Nikita Scherbak had his 100th career WHL assist in the game for Everett (39-19-3-4).
Eric Comrie, Tri-City’s star goaltender who was returning from injury, made 30 saves in net for the Americans (28-34-0-3).
Everett opened the scoring 15 minutes, 2 seconds into the first period. Scherbak fed Laurencelle in tight to the goal, and Laurencelle just got the puck past Comrie to give the Tips a 1-0 lead. Shortly after Tri-City’s Beau McCue had a short-handed breakaway, but Hart made the save to keep it 1-0.
Everett had a big edge in shots in the second period, outshooting Tri-City 17-5. That didn’t include Matt Fonteyne’s shot off the post late in the period. However, the Tips weren’t able to find the net with any of those shots and it remained a one-goal game going into the third.
Everett has a troublesome history of giving up leads late in the third period this season. But after Hart stopped Gutierrez the Tips managed to close out the game with a minimum of drama.
Silvertips 1, Americans 0
Everett100—1
Tri-City000—0
First Period—1, Everett, Laurencelle 19 (Scherbak, Juulsen), 15:02. Penalties—Low, Everett (roughing), 12:25; James, Tri-City (slashing), 15:39.
Second Period—no goals. Penalties—Wotherspoon, Tri-City (high sticking), 15:15.
Third Period—no goals. Penalties—Williams, Tri-City (slashing), 12:25.
Shots on goal—Everett 9-17-5—31. Tri-City 9-5-7—21. Power-play opportunities—Everett 0 of 3. Tri-City 0 of 1.
Goalies—Everett, Hart 15-4-2-1 (21 shots, 21 saves). Tri-City, E. Comrie 17-17-0-1 (31 shots, 30 saves).
A—4,225.
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