Everett takes a 3-1 series lead over Seattle after winning Game 4 7-3. Game 5 is Saturday night in Everett.
Heavy, Shakespeare wrote, is the head that wears the crown. That’s especially true in the ever-cyclical world of the Western Hockey League.
The Seattle Thunderbirds might have just one more game to wear that league-championship crown after falling behind the Everett Silvertips 3-1 after a 7-3 loss Friday night.
The crown could be forcibly removed Saturday night when the T-birds travel to Everett for Game 5 in the best-of-seven opening-round series at Angel of the Winds Arena Saturday at 7:05 p.m.
Playoff schedule
(Everett leads best-of-seven series, 2-1)
Game 1: Everett 4, Seattle 1
Game 2: Seattle 5, Everett, 4 (OT)
Game 3: Everett 3, Seattle 1
Game 4: Everett @ Seattle, Friday, 7:35 p.m.
Game 5: Seattle @ Everett, Saturday, 7:05 p.m.
Game 6: Everett @ Seattle, Tuesday, April 3, 7:05 p.m.*
Game 7: Seattle @ Everett, Wednesday, April 4, 7:05 p.m.*
* If necessary
The T-birds, the defending conference and WHL champs, lost their second straight at home in the ShoWare Center to find themselves in a must-win situation Saturday night.
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Connor Dewar scored the key goal of the game, a penalty shot that came with Everett shorthanded, late in the first period. His top-shelf wrister put the Silvertips up 3-1.
Everett coach Dennis Williams appreciated the quality of Dewar’s shot, but was even more impressed with the effort it took to get it.
“It was right at the end of a shift, so he was pretty tired,” Williams said. “To beat his man to the net and draw that penalty was big. It was huge to go up to a two-goal lead there.”
Dewar, who led Everett with 38 goals in the regular season, wasn’t sure he would get a penalty shot and was expecting a penalty, which would have made it four on four.
“Honestly, I wanted to go in there and score on a breakaway,” Dewar said. “I was pretty exhausted after a long shift, so I didn’t have much time to think about anything. Obviously it turned out to be a big goal. There are a lot of momentum shifts against these guys. They are the champions for a reason, and we knew they weren’t going to give up.”
Williams has seen that shot from Dewar in the past. “He’s normally at his best when he comes down at an angle and snaps it. That’s what he did. I’ve seen that a few times in practice.”
Dewar also added two assists and was plus-4 in the game. He has four assists in the series.
The Silvertips grabbed an early lead on a power-play goal by Patrick Bajkov. Everett doubled the lead before the opening goal had even been announced when Kevin Davis scored 18 seconds later.
Trailing 5-1, Seattle made things interesting in the third period with goals by Dylan Hamaliuk at 1:36 and by Matthew Wedman at 6:41.
Riley Sutter ended the suspense with an insurance goal for Everett at 15:37. Matt Fonteyne scored his third goal of the series into an empty net at 17:45.