Everett Silvertips Return Home After Inconsistent Month
The team finished a road trip with mixed results and now faces a three-game homestand starting Friday against Medicine Hat.
By Lucas Sheridan ·
Everett Silvertips fans return to Angel of the Winds Arena this Friday after a month-long absence. The team has not played a home game since Oct. 4 and arrives back in Everett with a record of 5-7-1-3, holding 14 points.
The squad finished its recent road schedule with one win, one loss, and one shootout defeat. This performance leaves the Silvertips in eighth place in the Western Hockey League Western Conference. A cluster of six teams currently sits within two points of each other in the standings, making the next few games vital for positioning.
The team struggled on the ice during the final leg of the trip. On Oct. 27, the Silvertips lost 3-0 to Regina despite outshooting the Pats 34-19. Regina goaltender Taylor Tabashniuk stopped Bennett Byers' attempts, including a rebound that slipped through the five-hole to defenseman Ossi Tukio. Regina extended the lead 54 seconds into the second period when forward Zachary Lansard scored on a centering pass from Cohen Klassen.
Everett showed more offensive production on Friday, defeating Swift Current 4-1. Forward Hunter Rudolph scored an insurance goal after a loose puck sat in the crease, and Lukas Kaplan added an empty-netter. Goalie Bennett Byers recorded 20 saves in that victory. The team followed that with a shootout loss to Moose Jaw on Saturday, where rookie goaltender Evan Enck made 32 saves on 34 shots.
Enck, who is 17 years old, made his first career WHL start in that game. His first prior appearance came in Spokane on Oct. 13, where he played 15 minutes and 19 seconds in relief. Despite the loss, the young netminder kept the game close until the shootout, where Moose Jaw forwards Mathieu Lajoie and Rasmus Kamarainen both scored while Everett skaters failed to convert.
Hunter Rudolph earned first star honors for the week after scoring two goals. The 18-year-old forward also contributed on the power play against Moose Jaw. Lukas Kaplan took second star for his three-point week, improving his scoring average to 0.62 points per game from 0.38 last season. He finished 21-for-37 in faceoffs, a 56.8 percent success rate.
The Silvertips begin their homestand Friday at 7:05 p.m. against Medicine Hat, a team that holds a 8-5-0-1 record. Everett will then travel to Wenatchee on Saturday before hosting Tri-City on Sunday. The team holds a 2-0-0-1 record against Wenatchee and a 1-2-0-0 record against Tri-City in previous meetings this season.
