Game two of the Western Hockey League’s second round series between the Spokane Chiefs and the Everett Silvertips is in the books with Spokane taking a 2-0 series lead off of a 3-1 win in Everett.
The Silvertips got the scoring started at 16:01 of the first when Wyatte Wylie scored. But the Chiefs would knot things at one apiece before the first intermission when Jake McGrew scored exactly two minutes later at 18:01.
With things back at square one for the second period, it was a power play goal that would put Spokane ahead for good. Everett’s Reece Vitelli was called for hooking at 15:53 and the Chiefs’ power play unit, including Ty Smith, went right to work. Eli Zummack scored at 16:56 to give the Chiefs the lead for good. Smith had an assist on what would turn out to be the game winner.
With Spokane up 2-1, Silvertips goaltender Dustin Wolf was pulled with roughly a minute to go in the third period. Luc Smith would add an empty net goal to give us our 3-1 final. The goal came unassisted at 19:28.
Zummack was named the game’s first star while Wylie of the Silvertips was second star and Chiefs goalie Bailey Brkin was named the third star on the night.
Ty Smith’s stat line had him record the assist for a point, a plus-1 plus/minus, a shot on goal and two penalty minutes (a hooking minor early in the third period). He also was called upon to take a faceoff, which the d-man lost.
Of note in the game was that it ended with a fight between Spokane’s Kaden Hanas and Everett’s Gianni Fairbrother, their fighting majors being recorded at the 20 minute mark of the third (along with a charging minor for Sahvan Khaira of Everett). This should set up a big game three with the bad blood flowing between the teams.
On the power play, the Chiefs were 1-for-2 while the Silvertips were 0-for-3. In nets, Brkin stopped 30 of 31 shots against while Wolf stopped 14 of 16 shots. Everett had a game total of 31 shots while Spokane fired 17 at the Silvertips’ net.
Next, the scene shifts to Spokane and the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena for game three on Wednesday. That game is at 10:05 PM ET and we will have some coverage for you right here. In the meantime, on Tuesday is the NHL Draft Lottery. The Devils will find out then where they will be picking in the upcoming NHL Draft from Vancouver in June. We will also have coverage of that for you here.