T-Birds face must win in Portland after loss to Tips

The Everett Silvertips defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 6-4 in front of a sellout crowd of 6,125 Saturday night at the ShoWare Center.

The loss puts the T-Birds in ninth place in the Western Hockey League playoff standings. Everett (22-40-2-8) is in eighth in the playoff race.

Seattle (25-44-1-1) travels to Portland to play the Winterhawks at 5 p.m. today. The T-Birds need to beat the Winterhawks to create a tie for eighth place with Everett. With a win against Portland, Seattle would host a tiebreaker game against the Silvertips at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday.

Seattle was first to score at 18:34 of the first period. Branden Troock passed the puck to Brad Deagle at the blue line. Deagle passed it to Connor Honey, who was waiting at the top of the crease. Honey carried it into the right circle and took a spin-around wrist shot that was deflected off an Everett defender and into the net for his ninth goal of the season.

Everett led Seattle 9-6 in shots on goal after the first period.

Manraj Hayer scored Everett’s first goal of the night at 2:24 of the second. Jari Erricson and Evan Morden had the assists.

The T-Birds took the 2-1 lead at 7:16 of the second. Troock got the puck against the left boards then carried the puck through the slot. He got tripped up, jumped back to his feet and beat Everett goalie Kent Simpson’s high to score his 14th goal of the season. Honey and Braeden Laroque had the assists.

Hayer scored again for the Silvertips at 15:46 of the second to tie the game 2-2. Morden had the only assist.

Seattle was awarded a penalty shot at 17:00 of the second period when Luke Lockhart was hauled down on a breakaway. On his penalty shot Lockhart carried the puck through the slot and beat Simpson with a wrist shot through the goalie’s legs for 16th goal of the season.

Josh Birkholz scored Everett’s third goal of the night on a power play at 18:04 of the second. Brennan Yadlowski and Ryan Murray were credited with the assists.

Honey scored his second goal of the night at 19:32 of the second on a power play to put the T-Birds in front 4-3. Shea Theodore, with pressure from an Everett defensemen, got the puck loose in the left corner. Lockhart got the puck and spun around trying to score but was denied by Simpson. Honey got the rebound in a scrum in front of Simpson and chipped it up and over the goalie.

The Silvertips led the T-Birds 27-19 in shots after two periods.

McPhee scored the fourth goal for Everett at 8:31 of the third. Hayer and Erricson had the assists.

Cody Fowlie scored the fifth goal of the night for the Silvertips at 15:11 of the third. Harrison and Kohl Bauml were credited with the assists.

Seattle pulled Calvin Pickard with 1:16 left in the third. Pickard made 35 saves on 39 shots bringing his record to 25-36-1-1.

Harrison scored an empty-net goal for Everett at 19:41 of the third to seal the win for the Silvertips.

Simpson stopped 29 on 33 shots increasing his record to 20-31-2-5 for Everett.

The Silvertips finished with a 40-33 advantage in shots.

SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Seattle, Honey 9 (Deagle, Troock), 18:34. Penalties – Lofthouse, Evt (boarding), 2:57.

Second period – 2, Everett, Hayer 4 (Erricson, Morden), 2:24. 3, Seattle, Troock 14 (Honey, Laroque), 7:16. 4, Everett, Hayer 5 (Morden), 15:46. 5, Seattle, Lockhart 15, 17:00 (ps). 6, Everett, Birkholz 29 (Yadlowski, Murray), 18:04 (pp). 7, Seattle, Honey 10 (Lockhart, Theodore), 19:32 (pp). Penalties – Boyd, Evt (interference), 3:56. Gallimore, Sea (roughing), 8:53. Machacek, Sea (tripping), 16:05. McPhee, Evt (hooking), 18:30.

Third period – 8, Everett, McPhee 5 (Hayer, Erricson), 8:31. 9, Everett, Fowlie 14 (Harrison, Bauml), 15:11. 10, Everett, Harrison 20, 19:41 (en). Penalties – No penalties.

Shots on goal – Seattle 6-13-14 33. Everett 9-18-13 40. Goalies – Seattle, Pickard 39 shots-35 saves (25-36-1-1); Everett, Simpson 33-29 (20-31-2-5). Power plays – Seattle 1-3; Everett 1-2. A – 6,125. Referee – Matt Kirk, Derek Zalaski. Linesmen – Justin Hull, Ron Dietterle.