Saturday night in Everett, Wash. the Vancouver Giants were defeated 5-0 by the Silvertips, a loss that might have something due to the fact that more than half a dozen regulars were missing from their lineup due to injury and illness.
Five different scorers paced the Silvertips attack who posted 50 shots on the Giants net, explained Giants play-by-play broadcaster Dan O’Connor.
Philadelphia Flyers prospect Carter Hart turned aside all 23 shots he faced to earn his 26th career WHL shutout, matching the mark set by former Giant Tyson Sexsmith.
Giants goaltenders David Tendeck (38 of 42) and Trent Miner (7 of 8) combined for 45 saves.
“Fresh off a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory at home Friday, the Giants, who had seven regulars out of their lineup due to illness or injury, played a strong first period against the Western Conference leaders,” O’Connor said.
Hart was forced to make some difficult saves in the opening period and got some help from his goal post too, O’Connor said.
Ty Ronning nearly potted his 50th of the season off a shorthanded breakaway, but he shot rang clean off the post to keep the game scoreless.
Tendeck was “superb” at the other end for the G-Men, as he denied all 13 Everett shots.
The teams traded chances for the first half of the second period with neither goaltender relenting.
Ronning had another point-blank chance denied by the glove of Hart off the rush which kept the Giants blanked on the scoreboard.
Ethan O’Rourke broke the scoreless tie at 11:42 for Everett, when he used his size to knock an airborne puck down with his glove.
He then quickly snapped a low shot through the legs of Tendeck and home for his sixth of the season and his first in an Everett uniform.
Just under three minutes later, Everett extended their lead when Sean Richards charged the net hard and redirected a right-wing feed from Patrick Bajkov past Tendeck for his 19th.
Shots through two periods were 31-19 for Everett, who had a 2-0 lead.
The home side tacked on three more goals in the final period, including two in the first 5:38.
First it was Matt Fonteyne, who knocked home his own rebound from in close past the left pad of Tendeck for his team-leading 31st.
Then at 5:38 Ian Walker scored his first of the season from a similar spot in close which spelt the end of the night for Tendeck.
In came rookie Trent Miner to wrap up the remaining 14 minutes and change.
He finished the night seven-for-eight.
The only puck that got past him came via Bryce Kindopp off a shot from the left-wing that deflected off a Giants defenceman and in.
After 60 minutes the final shots were 50-23 for the Silvertips who held on to secure the 5-0 shutout victory.
“It marked their 35th victory overall and their 21st victory at home,” O’Connor said.
“The loss marked the 18th of the season for the Giants overall and their 10th on the road. The Giants now sit five points back of Kelowna for second in the B.C. division, and 10 points ahead of Kamloops for third.
Everett remains two points up on Portland for first in the U.S. division and the western conference.
Neither team capitalized on the power play as the Giants finished zero-for-four and the Silvertips went zero-for-five.
Next up for the Giants: A trip to Portland to face the Winterhawks on Wednesday night.
