Silvertips Sweep Portland Winterhawks in First Round

Everett scores six unanswered goals to rally from 2-0 deficit and clinch series in Game 4

Apr. 2, 2026 at 6:20am

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The Everett Silvertips overcame a 2-0 deficit in Game 4 to score six unanswered goals and complete a four-game sweep of the Portland Winterhawks in the first round of the WHL Playoffs. After falling behind early, Everett rallied with a dominant second period to take the lead and then added two late power-play goals to seal the victory and advance to the second round.

Why it matters

The Silvertips' series victory over the Winterhawks avenges three straight playoff losses to their Pacific Northwest rivals in recent years. Everett's ability to rally from a multi-goal deficit and close out the series on the road demonstrates the team's resilience and playoff experience, setting them up well for a deep postseason run.

The details

After Portland jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first two periods, the Silvertips stormed back with four unanswered goals in the second period to take control of the game. Jaxsin Vaughan, Lukas Kaplan, Landon DuPont, and Zackary Shantz all scored in the middle frame to erase the deficit. Everett then added two more power-play goals in the third period from Jesse Heslop and Rylan Gould to put the game out of reach.

  • The Winterhawks took a 2-0 lead with goals in the first and second periods.
  • The Silvertips scored four unanswered goals in the second period to take a 4-2 lead.
  • Everett added two power-play goals in the third period to seal the 6-3 victory and series sweep on April 2, 2026.

The players

Jaxsin Vaughan

Silvertips forward who scored a goal to cut the Winterhawks' lead to 2-1 in the second period.

Lukas Kaplan

Silvertips forward who scored the game-tying goal and assisted on the go-ahead goal in the second period.

Landon DuPont

Silvertips 16-year-old defenseman who scored the go-ahead goal in the second period to give Everett a 3-2 lead.

Zackary Shantz

Silvertips forward who scored a third-period goal to extend Everett's lead to 4-2.

Steve Hamilton

Head coach of the Everett Silvertips.

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What they’re saying

“We don't switch much. We've been playing playoff style all year. A little more pre-scout, but other than that, we do our regular thing, and that worked (in) the regular season.”

— Brek Liske, Silvertips defenseman

“One of our greatest strengths through the year is being able to be consistent home and away. And when you get to the playoffs, it's going to probably be a pretty packed barn, and for us, we just got to show up and do our thing.”

— Steve Hamilton, Silvertips head coach

“I think kind of trying to micromanage it being one game at a time is the biggest thing. We have such a great group, and we're a good road team and we're a good home team as well. So just trying to kind of manage our emotions as the kind of ups and downs of playoffs happen, but it's a great group and we're just really excited.”

— Rylan Gould, Silvertips forward

What’s next

The Silvertips will host the lowest-seeded remaining Western Conference team in Game 1 of the second round on April 11.

The takeaway

Everett's ability to rally from a multi-goal deficit and complete a series sweep of their longtime playoff rival Portland demonstrates the Silvertips' resilience and experience, positioning them as a formidable contender for a deep postseason run.