WHL | Kellan Tochkin gets both goals in Everett's 2-1 win over Seattle

EVERETT — Two bad bounces, two Everett Silvertips goals, too bad for the Seattle Thunderbirds.

Kellan Tochkin scored twice, including the game-winner with just under three minutes remaining, to lift the Silvertips to a 2-1 win over the Thunderbirds and even the 10-game season series at three games apiece.

Seattle goaltender Calvin Pickard stopped 42 shots, but twice Tochkin turned a fortunate bounce into a goal.

"Finally," Tochkin said after scoring his ninth and 10th goals of the season. "We've been playing good hockey and we haven't got the bounces. Tonight they went our way. It's a big relief when you come out of a game like this with two points, especially against your big rival."

The Thunderbirds, 12-18-1-3, scored first when Sena Acolatse collected his 11th goal of the season on a rebound of a Brendan Rouse shot.

Everett tied the score in the second period when Kellan Tochkin's pass from deep in the corner went off a Seattle defenseman's skate, off the back of Pickard and into the net.

The second goal was nearly as fortunate as Byron Froese's shot changed direction when it hit a defenseman's skate and bounced right to Tochkin's stick. He buried the open net from just outside the faceoff circle.

"Last weekend in Seattle I missed a wide-open net on the power play," Tochkin said. "The bounces were with me. I'll take them. When you throw pucks at the net, good things happen."

Everett, which came into the game 0-3-1-1 in its last five games, improved to 17-11-2-1 on the season.

"Seattle got a bad start but they are playing great hockey now," Tochkin said. "They are one of the tougher teams in the division and these are a huge two points for us."

The T-birds were outshot 44-21 with Pickard continuing his hot streak in net.

Seattle coach Rob Sumner wasn't quite ready to curse his team's luck.

"That's hockey, that's the way it goes sometimes," Sumner said. "You play hard and you get your bounces and I thought they played hard feeding off an enthusiastic crowd."

Including Friday's game — a 5-1 win over Tri-City — the T-birds have given up 99 shots in two games.

"I don't think it's a pattern or anything," Sumner said. "Our goalie is good, isn't he? The bottom line is we didn't play well enough to win. We played well in parts, but in order to win the game we didn't play well enough."