Shorthanded Rockets fall on the road to Silvertips

Jake Lee scored once and added an assist, but the Everett Silvertips withstood the early charge to beat the Kelowna Rockets 3-2 on Friday night in Washington state.

Lee scored his fourth this season and Jonas Peterek added his second in two games since joining the Rockets from the Calgary Hitmen in a deadline trade.

Cole Schewbius made 33 saves on 36 shots while Dustin Wolf faced 27 shots in the Everett net.

Kelowna actually led 1-0 after the first period. On a power play, Lee had the puck at the blue line and fired a quick shot on net that evaded several players past Wolf.

But the game went south in the second. Everett outshot Kelowna 15-5 in the middle frame and tied the score five minutes into the period.

Gage Goncalves scored his 20th this season when he one-timed a pass on an Everett power play that went 1 for 4 on the night.

The Silvertips doubled their lead in the final five minutes of the period off the stick of Michal Gut, with his eighth, and Everett led 2-1 after 40 minutes.

Peterek gave the plucky Rockets — missing eight regulars through suspension or injury — reason for hope at 7:04 of the third period.

Matthew Wedman tried a wraparound attempt from behind the Everett net, but Wolf was there to stop the big Kelowna centre.

Peterek cleaned up the mess, however, and tied it 2-2 with his 10th this season.

Peterek scored on his first shot as a Rocket in last Saturday’s 7-2 loss to the Kamloops Blazers.

The celebrations were shortlived, however. Goncalves notched the winner exactly two minutes later on what appeared to be a set play.

Everett (27-11-2-1) banged a point shot off the end boards, and Goncalves gobbled up the loose puck to score past Schewbius.

Kelowna (21-18-1-2) has now lost four straight games as it prepares to play twice more on the road beginning tonight in Portland against the Winterhawks (31-6-2-3).

Those teams will also meet on Sunday in Portland.

Kelowna is icing a makeshift roster with leading scorer Nolan Foote (lower-body injury, week to week), top defenceman Kaedan Korczak (threegame suspension) and starting goalie Roman Basran (UBI, day to day) all in street clothes.

That’s on top of injuries to forwards Liam Kindree, Kyle Topping, Mark Liwiski and Trevor Wong, and defenceman Sean Comrie.

The Rockets have recalled affiliated players Rilen Kovacevic, Dylan Wightman, Jarod Newell, Noah Dorey and goalie Cole Tisdale.

Newell, 17, was also acquired at the trade deadline. He made his Kelowna Rockets debut on Friday night.

Dorey, a defenceman, was pressed into action as a forward.

The Rockets are now further back of the B.C. Division leaders.

Kamloops leads the group with 59 points, or six better than the Victoria Royals.

Kelowna is third, but only five points clear of the Vancouver Giants.

Kamloops beat the Tri-City Americans 12-3 on Friday night.