It is said football is a game of inches. But hockey, too, sometimes.
A streaking Eetu Tuulola caught the corner of the net with a wrist shot at 7:02 of overtime, on a play that was ruled barely onside, to give the Everett Silvertips a controversial 3-2 victory in Game 5 of their WHL playoff series against the Victoria Royals.
Offside calls can not be video reviewed in the WHL.
“It was 100 per cent offside . . . even the Everett players stopped skating [thinking the play was over],” said Victoria head coach Dave Lowry.
“It’s a judgment call. We’ll find a way to move on and refocus.”
The Royals have no more losses to give, at least in this round.
The Silvertips took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven opening-round series Friday night before 3,833 fans at Xfinity Arena.
The Royals will be looking to stave off elimination in the sixth game, which is a Sunday matinée at 2 p.m., at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Matt Fonteyne’s goal off a backhander at 5:14 of the second period was matched by a Victoria equalizer less than a minute later as Carter Folk deflected a shot by defenceman Chaz Reddekopp that squeezed through the leg pads of Everett goaltender Carter Hart.
Then, perhaps in what was looking to be a turning point of the series, the Nanaimo-product Bajkov scored his fifth goal of the playoffs with just one second remaining in the middle period to give the Silvertips a 2-1 lead. It was Everett’s eighth power-play goal of the series as the Silvertips continued to punish the Royals for their indiscretions. Everett had three powerplays Friday to just one for Victoria.
“Our guys play extremely hard and are frustrated by [the Silvertips’] hooking and cross-checking [not being called],” said Lowry.
“And then they [Silvertips] go down real easy.”
Goals at end of periods like Bajkov’s power-play counter in the second can be big boosts for the scoring team and deflating for the team scored upon, and this one loomed ominously large in the latter category for Victoria. But Jared Dmytriw got that one back for the Royals at 14:20 of the third period after a buzzing Matthew Phillips stripped the puck off the Silvertips defence. That sent the game to overtime, setting the stage for Tuulola’s contested game winner.
Philadelphia Flyers prospect Hart, considered by many the best junior goaltender in Canada, made 17 saves. Outhouse blocked 33 shots for Victoria as the high-calibre goaltending has been among the series talking points.
The Royals were again missing forward Jack Walker and blueliner Scott Walford, who are injured and have not dressed the last three games. Victoria’s injury situation was exacerbated when pesky forward Ethan Price was unable to play Friday, with rookie Eric Florchuk tapped to take his place.
