Morning Star Staff
Jordon Cooke recorded 28 saves for first star as the Kelowna Rockets grounded the Everett Silvertips 4-2 in Western Hockey League play Wednesday night before 6,023 fans at Prospera Centre.
Brett Bulmer (33rd), Tyson Baillie (ninth), Shane McColgan (18th) and Cody Chikie (18th) scored for the sixth-place Rockets, who managed a pair of powerplay goals.
Vernon product Zach McPhee netted his fourth of an injury-riddled season, and Cody Fowlie scored his 13th, with 37 seconds to play, for the Silvertips, coached by former Viper bench boss Mark Ferner.
Kent Simpson made 39 stops for Everett, who slipped to eighth place in the Western Conference thanks to the Victoria Royals’ 4-3 upset of the Portland Winterhawks.
The Silvertips are two points ahead of the Seattle Thunderbirds for the final playoff spot in the West. The two teams close out the regular season Saturday night in Kent, Wash.
Meanwhile, former Viper Dylan Walchuk scored his eighth of the season as the Spokane Chiefs upended the visiting Kamloops Blazers 6-4 in front of 4,530 fans at Veterans Memorial Arena.
