EVERETT — The talk heading into the second-round playoff series between the Everett Silvertips and Portland Winterhawks was about whether Everett’s short-handed defense could stand up to Portland’s potent offense.
But in Friday night’s Game 1, it was Everett’s offense that provided the decisive burst.
Everett jumped out to a three-goal lead and held on to defeat Portland 5-3 at Xfinity Arena, grabbing an early lead in the best-of-seven series.
Remi Laurencelle scored two of the three goals that gave Everett a 3-0 lead early in the second period. The Tips eventually built a 5-1 lead before Portland’s puck control took hold in the third and the Winterhawks scored twice in the final 10 minutes to make things interesting.
“It’s always good to get a lead like that (in the series),” Laurencelle said. “I think we worked hard and played hard for it. They’re a good team, and I think we just came out with the win.”
Kohl Bauml, Jake Mykitiuk and Patrick Bajkov also scored for Everett, while Cole MacDonald dished out three assists. Carter Hart finished with 27 saves to earn the win in net for the Tips.
Miles Koules, Dominic Turgeon and Alex Schoenborn scored for Portland. Adin Hill made 16 saves in net for the Winterhawks.
Game 2 is Saturday night in Everett.
Everett, with two regular defensemen out injured, appeared to be in a world of trouble trying to slow down Portland’s spectacular offensive duo of Oliver Bjorkstrand and Nicolas Petan. But while those two created flashes of danger, the Tips did a solid job of keeping them contained. Bjorkstrand and Petan combined for a single assist.
“I think defensively we played pretty well,” Laurencelle said. “I think we have better, we just have to communicate a little more. Some of their goals kind of just squeaked by. We need to communicate a little more, but for the most part I think we did well for the first game.”
The game had a much different feel from Everett’s first-round series against Spokane. The games against the Chiefs were a physical grind as the Tips tried to contend with Spokane’s forecheck. There was much more open ice Friday against a Portland team that likes to get out and run.
“It’s a lot different,” Laurencelle said. “The way they play is a lot different from the way Spokane plays. They’re a run-and-gun team with some skilled forwards, nothing like we’re used to. We’re just happy to play the way we played today, and fortunately we came out with the win.”
Everett was all over Portland in the first period, taking a 2-0 lead, and the Tips could have had more.
Everett first struck 5:25 into the game. The Tips had a good stretch of pressure when Ivan Nikolishin took the puck behind the Portland net, then slipped a pass out front toward Bauml crashing the middle. Bauml put the puck into the top corner to make it 1-0.
The Tips had two more great scoring chances, but Logan Aasman shot a two-on-one feed right at Hill with lots of net to look at, and Nikolishin somehow put a wide-open tap-in off the post.
But Everett did get another gaol at 8:29. Lucas Skrumeda stepped up from the point to intercept an outlet pass, then fed Laurencelle in front. Laurencelle scored around Hill to make it 2-0.
The Tips then went ahead 3-0 4:42 into the second. MacDonald shot from the left point and Laurencelle, cutting across the slot, tipped it past Hill to make it a three-goal lead.
Portland started controlling the puck as the period progressed, long-shifting the Tips on multiple occasions, and the Winterhawks appeared to give themselves life when they scored with 22.3 seconds remaining. Petan set up behind the Everett net, then fed the puck to Koules at the top of the right circle. Koules snapped a shot through traffic and into the far corner to get Portland on the board.
But just when it seemed the Winterhawks would head to the second intermission with all the momentum, Everett got a stunning fourth. With the clock winding down the puck was rimmed around to MacDonald at the left point. MacDonald fired a desperation shot toward goal, and it deflected off Mykitiuk and into the far corner with just 2.2 seconds remaining, making it 4-1 and stunting Portland’s momentum.
Everett appeared to put it away 7:58 into the third when Bajkov slid a shot past Hill from the left circle on the power play to make it 5-1. But Portland is a team that knows how to score goals in bunches, and the Winterhawks threatened to do that down the stretch. Turgeon found a loose puck in skates and just squeezed it past Hart at 11:05 to make it 5-2. Then at 16:22 Schoenborn banked a puck off Hart’s back and in to create some tension.
But while Portland had some possession down the stretch with Hill pulled for an extra attacker, the Winterhawks didn’t generate any premium scoring chances, and they had to make several desperation blocks to prevent Everett from scoring into the empty net.
Slap shots
Everett played the game short-handed on defense. First-pairing defenseman Noah Juulsen, who left Tuesday’s Game 6 in Spokane injured, did not play. Neither did defenseman Tristen Pfeifer, who also left Tuesday’s game injured and is now considered out for the season. The Tips were also without key defensive winger Dawson Leedahl, who missed his fourth straight game because of injury. … With Juulsen and Pfeifer out, Everett turned to 15-year-old call-up Jantzen Leslie to take a few shifts on defense. Jordan Wharrie, who played strictly as a forward in Tuesday’s Game 6 against Spokane, also slid back to his natural defensive position.
Silvertips 5, Winterhawks 3
Portland 0 1 2 — 3
Everett 2 2 1 — 5
First Period—1, Everett, Bauml 3 (Nikolishin, Bajkov), 5:25. 2, Everett, Laurencelle 1 (Skrumeda), 8:29. Penalties—Walter, Portland (cross checking), 16:20.
Second Period—3, Everett, Laurencelle 2 (MacDonald, Low), 4:42. 4, Portland, Koules 2 (Petan, McKenzie), 19:37. 5, Everett, Mykitiuk 2 (MacDonald), 19:57. Penalties—Scherbak, Everett (checking from behind), 5:37.
Third Period—6, Everett, Bajkov 1 (MacDonald, Nikolishin), 7:58 (pp). 7, Portland, Turgeon 5 (Texeira, Iverson), 11:05. 8, Portland, Schoenborn 2 (De Leo, Iverson), 16:22. Penalties—Walter, Portland (high sticking), 7:05; Bjorkstrand, Portland (holding), 9:11; Low, Everett (embellishment), 9:11.
Shots on goal—Portland 6-14-10—30. Everett 10-6-5—21. Power-play opportunities—Portland 0 of 1. Everett 1 of 2.
Goalies—Portland, Hill 4-3 (21 shots, 16 saves). Everett, Hart 5-2 (30 shots, 27 saves).
A—3,486.
Check out Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.
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