Silvertips take Tri City 3-2, to even up playoff series

I tried listening to the Silvertips/Tri City game online last night, but Jon Rosen's audio was pretty bad, so I gave up.  I later learned that North Sound 1380 was having audio problems so Jon had to resort to broadcast using his cell phone.  That explains it.  Well, it would be lopsided if I posted a game recap for the T-Birds and not the Silvertips, so I'm posting the Silvertips' news release about the game here.  If you want more details, I suggest you read Nick Patterson's story in the Everett Herald.

Kennewick, WA - Tyler Maxwell scored his first career WHL hat trick to upset the #2 seed Tri-City Americans, 3-2. Byron Froese and Graham Potuer had two assist each while Thomas Heemskerk stopped 45 of 47 shots in a solid outing Saturday night. The best of seven series is now tied 1-1. Everett heads back for game three at home this Wednesday March 25th at 7:05. Game four comes this Friday, March 27th at Comcast Arena with a 7:05 start. 

Much like the start of game one Everett opened up game two of the WHL's 2009 playoffs opening round on the power play. Brandan Shinnimin was called for interference just 35 seconds into the game and the Silvertips capitalized. Tyler Maxwell scored for the second straight game at 1:55 collecting a rebound from Chet Pickard's pad and burying his second goal of the playoffs for a quick 1-0 Everett lead. Tri-City took advantage of a Graham Potuer delay of game penalty as Kruise Reddick evened up the score 1-1 on the power play. Reddick blasted a one-timer past Thomas Heemskerk off of a Tayor Procyshen pass at 13:33. 

Maxwell added his third goal of the series in just two games collecting on a two man advantage. Maxwell's goal came at 13:52 with an assist to Byron Froese to give Everett the 2-1 lead late in the second period. Tri-City led in shots 34-16 after 40 minutes of play. 

Froese added his second assist on the night leading to Maxwell's first career WHL hat trick. Maxwell scored with a deflection on the power play at 3:49 of the third period increasing Everett's lead to 3-1. Jason Reese had an answer on the man advantage, scoring after a Jesse Burt high sticking penalty at 4:29. Reese scored on the backdoor off a rebound making the score 3-2. Heemskerk held off all Tri-City shots in the remainder of the game to lead Everett to a 3-2 upset over #2 ranked Americans. 

The 2009 WHL Playoffs come to Comcast Arena Wednesday, March 25th at 7:05 pm when the Silvertips take on the Tri-City Americans in game three of the opening round of the WHL Playoffs! Tickets are on sale now at the new everettsilvertips.com and at the Comcast Arena Box Office! For ticket information, including season seats and ticket packages, please call the Silvertips' front office at (425) 252-5100. 

As always, radio coverage of Silvertips hockey will be provided by North Sound 1380 KRKO, while highlights of audio broadcast, video packages and relevant multimedia will be provided by the Western Hockey League's website, www.whl.ca. 

GOALS 
1) EVT- Tyler Maxwell (2) (PPG) (Graham Pouter, Taylor Ellington) , 1:55 1st 
2) TRI - Kruise Reddick (1) (PPG) (Taylor Procyshen, Tyler Schmidt), 13:33 1st 
3) EVT - Tyler Maxwell (3) (PPG) (Byron Froese), 13:52 2nd. 
4) EVT - Tyler Maxwell (4) (PPG) (Byron Froese, Graham Potuer), 3:49 3rd. 
.5) TRI - Jason Reese (1) (PPG) (Mitch Fadden, Kruise Reddick), 4:29 3rd. 

ATTENDANCE 
Toyota Center, Kennewick, WA - 3,937 

POWER PLAY 
EVT: 3/6 
TRI: 2/4 

SHOTS ON GOAL 
EVT: 8-8-5-21 
TRI: 16-18-13-47 

GOALIES 
EVT: Thomas Heemskerk: 45/47 (W, 1-0-1-0) 
TRI: Chet Pickard: 18/21 (L, 1-1-0-0) 

WHL Playoffs: T-Birds even series with 2-1 win over Spokane

The Seattle Thunderbirds faced the Spokane Chiefs last night in Game 2 of a “best of 7” playoff series. Spokane won Game 1 in a hard fought 2-1 battle, but they could not hit the ice resting on their laurels. If there’s anything I’ve learned about the T-Birds this season, it’s that they do not take losing lightly. And I don’t know what kind of pep talk Coach Rob Sumner delivered in the locker room Friday night after the loss or yesterday before Game 2, but the team that hit the ice had only one thing on its mind: WIN.

The first period started with both teams taking the puck to each other’s red line, but unable to take it any further. This back and forth action went on for at least six minutes, highlighted by a battle for the puck behind Spokane’s net that resulted in a high sticking penalty for the Chiefs’ Justin McCrae. As he skated to the box, the radio guy for Spokane, Mike Boyle, who’s providing play by play for the live video feed on the WHL’s website, says the penalty should have gone to Seattle’s Greg Scott, because Scott grabbed McCrae’s stick and held it. I’m sorry, but I would hope that a referee would be able to see something so blatant.

Seattle failed to capitalize on the power play and the back and forth action continued, but the tide seemed to be turning slowly in the T-Birds’ favor. The puck ended up in Spokane’s end more. And on the few occasions that the Chiefs drove into the T-Birds’ end, goalie Calvin Pickard and a host of Seattle players made sure that Spokane did not get a chance to score. One frightening moment came when Drayson Bowman grabbed the puck and drove hard at Pickard, before backhanding it at the net. The puck seemed to hit Pickard straight in the chest and he brought both hands up to hold onto it then bent over until the ref blew the whistle.

The rest of the first period played out the same way, with the T-Birds breaking up plays, stealing pucks and driving to Spokane’s end. The Chiefs’ shots seemed to keep going wide, and no players were in position to try to capitalize on any rebounds, mostly because a T-Bird was always there to knock the puck away.

With two minutes left in the first, the action heated up a little. Pickard had no trouble catching a high shot at Seattle’s net. At the other end of the ice, Chiefs goalie Dustin Tokarski gloved a hard shot by Thomas Hickey. That play resulted in some pushing and shoving next to the net as some Chiefs seemed to think that Hickey had gotten too close to their netminder. This action resulted in a hooking penalty for the Chiefs’ Kenton Miller. Again, radio guy Mike Boyle accused Greg Scott of causing the penalty, by grabbing Miller’s stick. Scott was called for interference with a minute left to go. The Chiefs tried to end the first period with a goal, but they were foiled by Calvin Pickard, who snatched the puck out of mid-air to keep it from flying into the net over his shoulder.

The first period ended with no score and the shots on goal pretty even: Spokane 11, Seattle 9.

The second period began with 4-on-4 action, as Greg Scott and Spokane’s Kenton Miller sat out the rest of their penalties. Both teams were getting in some good shots. Devon LeBlanc’s slapshot at 7:30 just flew just over the crossbar of the Chiefs’ net. A minute later, Calvin Pickard knocked away a hard shot by a Chief using his arm pad. A charge to Spokane’s net at 8:31 ended with the puck somehow wedged under a bar on the side of the net. On the next play, T-Bird Brenden Jacobs was so intent on getting the puck past Dustin Tokarski, he ended up flipping head over heels into the net himself! Too bad the puck didn’t go into the net with him. At the other end of the ice, defenseman Brad Haber made it his mission to keep all comers away from the T-Birds net. He slapped pucks away and knocked players away from Calvin Pickard. A minute later, Tokarski had to think fast to deflect another hard shot by Brenden Dillon.

At the 15 minute mark, the Chiefs tried to attack Seattle’s goal, with three shots in a row. The first was slapped away by Pickard. Brad Haber deflected the second shot. The third went wide and then was cleared by Seattle. Following that flurry of activity, Spokane got hit with a penalty at 15:24. Tyler Johnson went to the box on an interference call. This time, the T-Birds took advantage of the momentum they’d been building all period. Thomas Hickey took a pass from Greg Scott and sent a rocket to the net. Dustin Tokarski turned it away, but it deflected off the Chiefs’ Jared Spurgeon and went in. Spokane’s radio announcer went a little ballistic here, sarcastically saying that Spurgeon should get credit for the goal and not Hickey.

The T-Birds worked hard to protect that one goal lead. In the final minute of the period, they went down a man, as the refs called Thomas Hickey for tripping. The Chiefs’ Ondrej Roman fired a pretty good shot on net, but it hit the left post and Calvin Pickard kicked the puck away with his skate before anyone could jump on the rebound.

The second period ended with Seattle up 1-0. The shots were pretty even here, too: Spokane 12, Seattle 10.

The third period picked up where the second period left off, with lots of physical play on either end of the ice. But this night would belong to the T-Birds. At 5:11, Sena Acolatse slapped the puck past Dustin Tokarski to put Seattle up 2-0. Luke Lockhart was credited with the assist. The T-Birds had another scoring chance a few minutes later, when Greg Scott stole the puck away from Stefan Ulmer and fired a shot. It missed wide. At 7:36, Spokane’s Steve Kuhn leveled a slapshot at Seattle’s net, but he aimed right at Calvin Pickard’s glove and Pickard caught it easily. A minute later, Pickard fell down and slid across the front of the net to deflect another Spokane shot. A play at Spokane’s end around 12:31 looked as though it had ended in a Greg Scott goal, but the puck went in after the refs had whistled the play dead. Stefan Warg was called for interference at 14:19. Just as his penalty ended, a bad pass by Greg Scott at 16:26 set up Spokane’s only score. Somehow, Scott passed the puck right to Drayson Bowman, who drove down the ice and went top shelf to beat Calvin Pickard. Stefan Ulmer got the assist here, although I don’t know why, as no other Chief touched the puck after Scott inadvertently gave it to Bowman.

The Chiefs really stepped up the attack here, feeling a renewed sense of purpose. After all, there were still three minutes on the clock, plenty of time to score again at least once, to take things into overtime. But the T-Birds stepped their game up another notch, as well, running down the clock and breaking up plays. The Chiefs got one good shot on Calvin Pickard at 18:20. Mitch Wahl aimed one right at the net, but Pickard kicked it away.

With 55 seconds left in regulation, Seattle was called for icing and the face off came back to the T-Birds end. The Chiefs pulled goalie Dustin Tokarski to send an extra man on the attack. The Chiefs Ondrej Roman tried to go top shelf against Calvin Pickard, but Picks reached up one gloved hand and snatched it out of the air. The puck ended up sliding all the way to Spokane’s end and just missed an empty net goal by a couple of feet. The clock wound down and the small group of diehard T-Birds fans who made the trek to Spokane jumped up and down and cheered along, as the team gathered around Pickard.

Final score: Seattle 2, Spokane 1. Shots on goal for the period: Spokane 11, Seattle 9. Total SOG for game: Spokane 34, Seattle 28.

The playoff action now moves to ShoWare Center in Kent. Game 3 take place Tuesday, March 24, with Game 4 the next night, Wednesday, March 25. Both games begin at 7:05pm. For more information on the games and tickets, click here.

WHL: Silvertips lose a squeaker to Tri City in OT, 6-5

The Everett Silvertips faced off against the Tri City Americans in Kennewick last night, in a game that was as wild as it was close. Not being able to make the drive to the Tri Cities, I contented myself with following the game on the radio, and I have to say this: If you can’t make it to a Silvertips game, you absolutely MUST tune in to North Sound AM 1380 and listen to Jon Rosen call the plays. His enthusiasm alone will almost make you feel as though you are at the game.



That enthusiasm took flight just under two minutes into the first period, when Dan Iwanski scored to put the Silvertips on the board. Iwanski’s goal came as the Silvertips were on a 5-on-3 power play (Tri City’s Lane Werbowski and Taylor Procyshen were in the box for interference and spearing, respectively). Iwanski took a rebound by Taylor Ellington and shot it past goaltender Chet Pickard. (Note: I was surprised but pleased to see Pickard in net. I had heard that the hit he took from Spokane’s Ryan Letts earlier this month may have knocked him out of action for the rest of the season, so seeing him play was very encouraging.)



Everett capitalized on another power play nearly three minutes later. This time, Ryan White took a pass from Daniel Bartek and beat Pickard. The Silvertips were now up 2-0, but as with any good team, it would only be a matter of time before the Americans got on the board. Johnny Lazo scored at the 6:43 mark to cut Everett’s lead in half. But the Silvertips made sure that was the only goal Tri City scored in the first and the clock ran down with Everett still ahead, 2-1. Shots on goal were pretty even: Everett 11, Tri City 10.



The second period featured some aggressive play by the Americans. Jon Rosen's play by play spotlighted the frustration being felt by the Silvertips’ bench as Tri City scored several times, first to tie, then to go ahead. Tyler Schmidt’s goal came on an Americans power play at 5:40, as Trevor Bauer sat out a tripping minor. Adam Hughesman scored just under three minutes later, to put Tri City ahead, 3-2. Hughesman got past Thomas Heemskerk again at 13:56, to double the Americans lead. The second period ended with Tri City ahead 4-2, and outshooting the ‘Tips 13-9.



The third period got really wild, and it was hard for Jon Rosen to keep his excitement in check. Just under the 6 minute mark, Everett’s Ryan White scored his second goal of the game to bring the ‘Tips within one again. Jesse Burt and Daniel Bartek got the assists. Then, a ten minute stretch of furious play at either end of the ice ended with Tri City’s Lane Werbowski slipping past Thomas Heemskerk to put the Americans back up, 5-3. Everett answered nine seconds later, when Tyler Maxwell beat Chet Pickard on a Shane Harper rebound to bring the ‘Tips to within one.



Here’s where it really got heated. The Silvertips pulled Heemskerk to put an extra attacker on with about two minutes to go in the period. They fired shot after shot, and Chet Pickard turned each one away. It looked as though Tri City would run the clock down and squeak by with a win right there, but they didn’t count on Silvertip Daniel Bartek. With 22 seconds left in regulation, Bartek found the net and tied it up 5-5 to force the game into overtime. Shots on goal: Everett 7, Tri City 12.



Both teams played hard in overtime. Heemskerk and Pickard seemed impenetrable in goal and play ping-ponged from end to end, until eleven minutes in. Justin Feser scored for Tri City to clinch a Game 1 victory, 6-5.



Game 2 gets under way at 7:05pm tonight in Kennewick. The teams will then come to Everett for Games 3 and 4 at Comcast Arena. Game 3 takes place on Wednesday, March 25; Game 4 on Friday, March 27. Both games begin at 7:05. You can find more information about the games and tickets by clicking here.



NOTE: During the intermission between the third period and overtime play, Jon Rosen interviewed Everett Herald reporter Nick Patterson, who has covered the Silvertips since their inception. The two discussed the game so far, before turning their attention to a young player who has just joined the Silvertips’ ranks and had suited up for his very first game. According to Rosen and Patterson, defenseman Ryan Murray is definitely a player to watch. He was a first round pick of the Silvertips in the WHL Bantam Draft. And Number 27 is just 15 years old! He doesn’t turn 16 until September. Murray assisted on Everett’s first goal (Iwanski at 1:55 of the first period). Murray has played lights out hockey for the Moose Jaw Junior Warriors of the Saskatchewan Midget Hockey Association. In 41 games this season with Moose Jaw, Ryan has 12 goals and 26 assists for 38 points. Click here to read what Nick Patterson had to say about Ryan Murray back in February.

WHL Playoffs: T-Birds lose a close one in Spokane, 2-1

The Seattle Thunderbirds opened playoff action last night in Spokane. I could not make the drive to Spokane, so I watched the game live online at the WHL website. It’s not the same experience as being inside an arena surrounding by thousands of crazy fans, but in this case, it’ll do. The radio commentary was provided by Spokane’s play by play man Mike Boyle. His commentary was a few seconds behind the actual action, but it wasn’t too distracting.



The first period featured lots of back and forth action and some great saves by both goaltenders. Seattle’s Calvin Pickard withstood a flurry of shots around the 6 minute mark before making a giant save a minute later. The T-Birds picked up on this momentum and capitalized on a great steal at 9:32, when Brendan Dillon, coming out of the box after serving 2:00 for hooking, stole the puck away from a Chiefs defenseman and shoveled it to Greg Scott. Scott drove the puck right up to Spokane’s net and took his shot. Chiefs goalie Dustin Tokarski slapped it away, but Charles Wells was right there to poke the rebound in and put Seattle up 1-0.



The rest of the first period featured more action swinging from one end to the other, and some great saves by both goalies. There were some tense moments at the T-Birds end when Captain Thomas Hickey skated up to stop Chiefs center Tyler Johnson from running into goalie Calvin Pickard. Hickey checked Johnson, who retaliated by giving Hickey a forearm to the face. Hickey hit him back, but referees stepped in before this could evolve into a full-fledged fight. Spokane fans erupted in anger seconds later, when the refs only gave Johnson a roughing penalty. Radio guy Mike Boyle erupted in anger too, but as I watched the play unfold again in slow motion, I think the refs were correct. Hickey was protecting the net and his move, while a little aggressive, did not cross the line. Johnson’s response did. The penalty resulted in some four-on-four play for about 17 seconds, as Seattle’s David Richard worked off a kneeing penalty. But neither team could score.



As the period wound down, there was more pushing and shoving, especially around Seattle’s net, as T-Birds got physical to keep any Chiefs from running into Pickard. Spokane kept the pressure on, firing several key shots, but Pickard held them off, making one spectacular save after falling flat onto his back! I’m still scratching my head over that one. I was sure the Chiefs were about to get a lucky goal, but the kid they call “Picks” knocked it away with one flailing arm.



The period ended with Seattle up 1-0, and both teams tied for shots on goal at 13 apiece. Charles Wells’ goal and Calvin Pickard’s tremendous play between the pipes were definitely the keys to this period.



The second period began with a huge burst of energy by the Spokane Chiefs. They drove hard into Seattle’s zone and put Calvin Pickard on his heels from the minute the puck dropped. He deflected shot after shot, but the Chiefs did not let up on their attack. It was only a matter of time before they scored, and it happened 4:21 into the period. WHL scoring leader Drayson Bowman found a chink in Pickard’s armor and snuck the puck through, tying things up at 1-1.



Play intensified after the Chiefs scored. Several T-Birds made some great plays, including one by Jeremy Boyer, who intercepted a pass and took it straight to Spokane’s net. Tokarski was ready, though, and turned it away. Greg Scott had a scoring chance a minute later, but was also denied. Spokane’s Brett Bartman was hit with a high sticking penalty with 3 minutes left in the period. This sparked a renewed burst of energy by both teams, as the T-Birds drove to the Chiefs net and Spokane worked to hold them off. The second period ended with things all tied up at 1-1, and the T-Birds outshooting the Chiefs, 13-7.



The third period started with some fireworks by the T-Birds. 24 seconds in, Jim O’Brien went on a breakaway and from my vantage point, it looked as though he would score. But Dustin Tokarski made a monster save, and as much as I hate to say it, I think the momentum turned at that moment to Spokane’s side. They certainly turned on the jets after that and attacked the T-Birds net again and again. As I refer to my notes for this story, I realize I wrote the following: “Good save by Picks @ 1:30.” “Picks gloves a shot @ 2:00.” “Picks glove save @ 3:00.” “Great save by Picks @3:44.” This gives some idea of just how aggressive the Chiefs had become. One frightening moment came at the 5:00 mark when Drayson Bowman went on a breakaway, but at the last second, his shot deflected off T-Bird d-man Stefan Warg’s stick! Warg went a little wild here, hitting everyone who came near the net, and working to hit the puck away.



At this point, the T-Birds had only made 3 shots on Spokane’s goal, and they worked hard to take action back into the Chiefs’ zone. Jonathan Parker had a great scoring chance, but Dustin Tokarski came up with an even greater save and the Chiefs took things back to Seattle’s net.



Again, my notes are peppered with save after save by Calvin Pickard. At 11:44, though, Spokane’s top line scored again. Drayson Bowman got past Pickard to put the Chiefs up 2-1. The lead seemed to give Spokane even more energy and they turned away drive after drive by the T-Birds. As the clock wound down, Seattle yanked Pickard to send an extra attacker on the ice. It looked as though the T-Birds would tie things up with about a minute left, but the Chiefs cleared it and missed an empty net goal by about a foot. The Chiefs clearly rallied, though, and came away with a hard-fought, Game 1 victory.



Game 2 takes place tonight at 7pm tonight at Spokane’s Veterans Arena. The action then comes to ShoWare Center in Kent for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday, March 24 and Wednesday, March 25. Game time for both games is 7:05pm. For more information on the games and tickets, click here.

T-Birds, 'Tips share favorite bands, songs

KING 5 Morning News showed its support for the Everett Silvertips and Seattle Thunderbirds’ quest for the Memorial Cup, by using its “Friday Playlist” segment to feature songs that Silvertips and T-Birds say help them get pumped for a game. Players shared their favorite music in interviews conducted during the course of the season for the hockey blog at king5.com (www.king5.com/sports/hockey).

Here’s the list of players, songs and bands featured on Friday:

1. Lady Gaga - "Poker Face" (Dan Iwanski/Silvertips)
2. Dierks Bentley - "Sideways" (Calvin Pickard/T-Birds)
3. MGMT - "Electric Feel" (Taylor Ellington/Silvertips)
4. Nickelback - "Someone that You're With" (Jim O'Brien/Thomas Hickey - T-Birds)
5. Coheed & Cambria - "Welcome Home" (Shane Harper/Silvertips)
6. Kevin Rudolf - "Let It Rock" (Jonathan Parker/T-Birds - and a ShoWare favorite)

If you’d like to read interviews with any of these players, just click on their names.

New Mitch Love Blog

I've just posted Mitch Love's 13th blog!!!
Lucky number 13 is a double blog, packed with two weeks worth of hockey and shenanigans.

Here's the link: http://blogs.king5.com/sports/2009/03/ahlwhl-mitch-love-blog-13.html

Mitch is going under the knife tomorrow morning to have a surgical procedure to fix a broken nose. He says it's the second time he's having to undergo this procedure.

We wish him a speedy recovery!!!!

Update: Mitch says the surgery went well. He is healing up and expects to take the ice this weekend!!

Mitch Love/Photo Courtesy of Fred Trask (http://thethirdintermission.blogspot.com/)

T-Birds vs. Silvertips - Photos

T-Birds vs. Silvertips
Sunday, March 15, 2009
ShoWare Center, Kent
Score: T-Birds 10, Silvertips 0
Photos: Su Ring

Kyle Jahraus/Seattle

Kent Simpson/Everett

L-R: Kyle Jahraus (3rd Star), Jeremy Boyer (1st star), Devon LeBlanc (2nd star)

Humanitarian Award: Lindsay Nielsen

Scholastic Player: Erik Fleming

Most Dedicated Player: Thomas Hickey, Lindsay Nielsen

Most Improved Player: Jeremy Schappert

Defenseman of the Year: Thomas Hickey

Top Scorer: Greg Scott

T-Birds hand 'Tips their worst loss in history, 10-0

I read two very different headlines today describing the same story. The title of The Seattle Times' Jim Riley's story read: "T-Birds set record in 10-0 win over 'Tips." Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald titled his story: "'Tips save worst for last in 10-0 loss to Seattle."



No matter which way you look at it, one thing jumps out at you: the score.



The T-Birds returned to ShoWare center looking for redemption. The last time they hit the ice in Kent, the Portland Winter Hawks spanked them, 9-1. They went down to Portland Saturday for a little payback and came away with a 4-3 overtime win. Now, they were ready to leave their mark on the place they've called "home" since January and end the regular season on a high note.



The Silvertips came into Kent looking to turn things around, following a 3-2 loss to the Chilliwack Bruins Saturday night at Comcast Arena. Recent history was on their side. The last time the Silvertips faced the T-Birds at ShoWare, Everett came away with a 2-1 shootout win. Forward Shane Harper notched the winning goal.



So, the showdown was set and the crowd was ready. A small but extremely vocal contingent of Everett fans made its presence known as the puck dropped and the action began. From the beginning, Seattle controlled the puck and the play, firing a number of shots at the Silvertips net. Goalie Kent Simpson seemed up to the task, though, deflecting shots away and even catching a speeding puck in one gloved hand. Everett didn't manage its first shot on Seattle's goal until 7:16 into the period. The T-Birds called up Kyle Jahraus to man the net and give 16-year-old rookie starter Calvin Pickard, who has played 16 games in a row, a much-needed night off.



Seattle scored its first goal at the 8:14 mark. Defenseman Stefan Warg notched the first goal of his WHL career, assisted by Chris Cloud and Devon LeBlanc. Play picked up considerably after that, with players hitting hard and getting in each others' faces. Silvertips D-man Taylor Ellington went to the penalty box for interference, then teammate Daniel Bartek was called 3 and a half minutes later for cross checking.



The T-Birds scored twice near the end of the first period. Luke Lockhart found the net at 18:01, with help from Charles Wells. A minute later, Devon LeBlanc took a puck up the ice and slapped it past Simpson for an unassisted goal.



The first period ended with the T-Birds on top, 3-0. Shots on goal: Everett: 5, Seattle: 16.

The second period had barely gotten under way when T-Bird Jeremy Boyer scored the first of what would be a hat trick for the talented Center. He deflected a great slap shot by Jeremy Schappert. A minute later, RW David Richard slipped one past Kent Simpson, putting Seattle up 5-0. Devon LeBlanc was credited with the assist on this one.



Immediately following the goal, a fight broke out next to Everett's net. Strike that. Several fights broke out, involving at least 6 players. When the dust cleared, Seattle's Eric Fleming and Everett's Campbell Elyniuk were in the box, serving 5 minute majors for fighting. Silvertips D-man Taylor Ellington was also called for a 4 minute double minor penalty for roughing. T-Birds LW Chance Lund was given a game misconduct for being the third man to jump into a fight.



Things settled down a little after this, although players on both teams levied hard hits on each other. One play snapped T-Bird Devon LeBlanc's stick in half. He left it on the ice and raced to the bench to grab another. Just shy of the 10 minute mark, Seattle found the net yet again. Greg Scott skated around the back of Everett's net and fed the puck to Jeremy Boyer, who slipped it past Kent Simpson's right skate.



Seattle was now up 6-0, and the Silvertips were becoming increasingly frustrated. Plays at either net ended in pushing and shoving, but referees broke up the scrum before it could deteriorate into a fight. Silvertips Center Jesse Burt was called for elbowing. Seattle D-Man Sena Acolatse went to the box for cross checking. The T-Birds made another run for Everett's goal with a minute left in the period, but Kent Simpson held them off. The second period ended with Seattle widening their lead on Everett, 6-0. Shots on goal: Everett-7, Seattle 11.



The third period started with pushing and shoving from both teams, and a pair of penalties 1:29 to both teams' big men. Everett's Cameron Abney and Seattle's Stefan Warg were hit with 2:00 each for roughing. The T-Birds pulled goalie Jahraus to give the team a man advantage. Just as the penalties ran out, Seattle struck again. Brad Haber scored, with help from Jeremy Boyer and Jonathan Parker. Tom Helm had just begun announcing the goal to a cheering ShoWare crowd, when Jeremy Schappert found the net. David Richard got the assist on this one.



The score was now 8-0 in the T-Birds' favor and tempers were really heating up. Silvertip Paul van de Velde went to the box for high sticking. Several minutes later, Jeremy Boyer was called for goaltender interference. Around this time, the Silvertips made a great run for the Seattle net, but Kyle Jahraus made some spectacular saves, including one where he knocked a puck away as he lay sprawled on his stomach in front of the net.



At 11:47, Jeremy Boyer took a pass from Devon LeBlanc and went on a breakaway, demonstrating a beautiful bit of skating. He slid the puck a stunned Simpson. Hats rained down onto the ice to celebrate Boyer's hat trick. Play was stopped so the refs could gather up the hats and get them off the ice. As soon as the whistle blew, though, Chris Cloud scored, with help from David Richard and longtime linemate Devon LeBlanc.



Much pushing and shoving ensued just after this goal and then an ugly fight broke out between Chris Cloud and Everett's Kellan Tochkin. Tochkin went to the box on a roughing minor. Cloud was called for roughing and 4 minutes for butt-ending. I had never heard this penalty and asked Everett Herald reporter Nick Patterson what it was. He explained that butt-ending is taking the handle end of the stick and ramming into another player's body. The referees ejected Cloud from the game. Captain Thomas Hickey served the penalty time for him.



The Silvertips tried valiantly to get a goal on the scoreboard, but the T-Birds defense and goalie Kyle Jahraus turned away shot after shot. The game ended with Seattle clearing the puck out of its own zone and Everett sitting on the worst loss in franchise history. Final Score: Seattle 10, Everett 0. Shots on goal: Everett: 15, Seattle: 17.



The three stars of the game: 1. Jeremy Boyer (3 goals, 1 assist), 2. Devon LeBlanc (1 goal, 4 assists) 3. Kyle Jahraus (27 saves, shutout).



The Silvertips now return home to Everett to prepare for first round playoff action against a strong Tri City Americans team. The first two games will be played March 20 and 21 in Tri City. The third and fourth games will be played March 25 and 27 at Comcast Arena in Everett. For more information on the games, including tickets, click here.



The T-Birds are still waiting to learn who they'll face in first round action. They hope to find out later this week, whether they'll go up against the Spokane Chiefs or Kelowna Rockets, both very strong teams. The first two games will take place in either Spokane or Kelowna. The teams will come to ShoWare Center for games 3 and 4. For more information on the T-Birds playoff schedule, including tickets, click here.

Photos: Silvertips v. Chilliwack, March 14, 2009

Bittersweet Loss for Silvertips; Fall 3-2 to Chilliwack

Emotions ran high on the ice and in the stands at Comcast Arena last night for the Everett Silvertips’ final home game of the regular season against the Chilliwack Bruins. The game was sold out, yet people braved the icy wind blowing outside the Arena, hoping to score a ticket.  I thanked my lucky stars that I had bought my ticket earlier in the week.  I ended up in a great location, Section 108, Row 6, Seat 10. It’s four rows up from center ice in what the arena calls the “club section.”  (One perk, you don’t have to get up to buy food; someone can do that for you, so you don’t miss a second of action).  

I ended up next to a nice woman whose family have been season ticket holders for years.  She knew all of the players and had a great grasp of the game.  At first, she thought I was a Chilliwack fan because I was there alone.  I quickly pointed out my green shirt and white tank top, Silvertips colors.  The Bruins are black and gold, like the Boston team for which they’re named.  Once we got that settled, we sat back to enjoy the game.

Right off the opening puck drop, both teams played at a furious pace.  The puck seemed to whiz from one end to the other, players racing to keep up with it.  I noticed lots of hits being leveled by both teams.  Early in the period, the pace of play sent a Chilliwack player crashing into Everett’s net, knocking goalie Kent Simpson flat.  About four minutes into the period, a play near the Everett net knocked Chilliwack’s Ryan Howse (#22) to the ice.  He remained on the ice for several minutes while trainers checked him out.  Two of his teammates lifted him to his feet and one helped him skate off the ice into the locker room.  I noticed that he kept his right leg lifted and just let his teammate glide him off the ice.  The bad thing about injuries is that you never hear exactly what’s wrong, because coaches don’t want to tip off opponents to any perceived weaknesses.  I’m going to guess he will end up having a “lower body injury”, when all is said and done.  It looked like an ankle or knee problem to me.

Play got pretty chippy here.  Players were hitting each other all over the place. I mean, every player was leveling hits any chance they could get.  Chilliwack got on the board first, about 12 minutes into the first period.  David Robinson (#18) snuck it past Simpson. Kevin Sundher (#9) was credited with the assist.  The Bruins struck again, with about six seconds left in the period, when Everett’s Ryan White went to the box for interference.  This time, Sundher scored, with help from David Robinson and Dylen McKinlay (#19).  The first period ended with Chilliwack up 2-0.

*Interesting note:  the referees left the ice to the left of where I sat.  As they walked past, I noticed one ref pull a puck out of his pocket and hand it to a young girl who was peering over the railing.  The girl looked to be about 4 years old.  I thought that was a sweet gesture from someone who spends pretty much every hockey game being booed.

The second period started with a change in net for the Silvertips.  Kent Simpson was out, replaced by Thomas Heemskerk.  This period featured more hitting and a faster pace, if this could be possible.  Heemskerk made a few good saves and took a hit, when teammate Mike Alexander accidentally knocked fellow Silvertip Campbell Elynuik into the net.  Everyone shook themselves off and play continued.  At the 9:07 mark, Chilliwack’s Brandon Manning (#32) was called for cross-checking, setting Everett up on a power play.  Kellan Tochkin rose to the occasion, finding the net a minute later and sending the puck through.  Tyler Maxwell got the assist.

More hits, pushing and shoving ensue here.  The Bruins’ David Robinson (#18) seemed to be spoiling for a fight and tried to pick on with Ryan White.  The refs stepped in and separated the two, and dispersed other players who had converged around them.  Shortly after that, Chilliwack’s Matthew Ius (#27) went to the box for roughing and the Silvertips wasted no time taking advantage of the situation.  This time, D-man Taylor Ellington sent a shot flying into the net, on a pass from Byron Froese and Kellan Tochkin.

Chilliwack got called for two more penalties and Everett went to the box for one, but neither team could capitalize on their respective power plays, so the second period ended with things all tied up at 2-2.

The third period featured more physical play, and both teams fighting to keep the play in their opponent’s end.  Neither team lost focus nor energy and it would only be a matter of time before one team scored to pull ahead.  On this night, Chilliwack would prevail.  Just under eight minutes into the third period, Dylen McKinlay got past Thomas Heemskerk, putting the Bruins up 3-2. No matter how hard the Silvertips tried, they could not find a way to tie things up.  They pulled Heemskerk late to give themselves an extra attacker on the ice.  But as time ran out, the score remained: Chilliwack 3, Everett 2.

As the Bruins celebrated on the ice, the Silvertips grouped together and skated around the rink, raising their sticks in salute to the fans who have supported them from Day One.  The crowd responded by cheering more loudly than I’d heard through the entire game (and believe me, they were pretty loud throughout the game).   

The 3 Stars of the Game:   1. Kellan Tochkin (1 goal, 1 assist), 2. Kevin Sundher (Chilliwack- 1 goal, 1 assist), 3. Taylor Ellington (1 goal).

Following the game, the ‘Tips remained on the ice.  First, the team paid tribute to three players who would not be returning next year, because they have reached the WHL age limit:

Defenseman Taylor Ellington (#3).  Ellington played his entire WHL career with Everett. This 20 year old was drafted 33^rd overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.  He’ll most likely play for the Canucks’ ECHL affiliate, the Victoria Salmon Kings, which is good news for Taylor, as he’s from Victoria.  In an interview earlier this week, Taylor told me about being drafted by his favorite team (Vancouver). You can read the interview by clicking here.

Defenseman Graham Potuer (#8).  Potuer also played all four years in Everett. This 20 year old was an Alternate Captain for this year’s Silvertips, along with Ellington.  The native of Red Deer, Alberta, has not decided on the next move in his hockey future, although college remains a consideration.

Center Daniel Bartek (#29).  Bartek joined the Silvertips at the start of this season in a trade with the Brandon Wheat Kings, for a fourth round draft pick in the 2009 Bantam Draft.  The 20 year old is from Olomouc in the Czech Republic.  It’s not clear what he plans to do next, although I’ve heard that college is also possibly in his future.

The tribute was followed by presentation of player awards. 

MVP:  Two players received this award:  Right Wing Shane Harper (#11) and D-Man Taylor Ellington (#3).  Harper has played an amazing regular season.  In 70 games, he’s amassed 32 goals and 34 assists for 66 points.  That surpassed the team record for most points scored by a Rookie, which was held by Kyle Beach.  Ellington was honored not only for his amazing play, but also his leadership and for being such a wonderful mentor for younger players. 

Rookie of the Year:  Right Wing Kellan Tochkin (#16).  Tochkin leads the WHL in Rookie scoring. In 70 games, he has 20 goals and 54 assists for 74 points.  If you haven’t seen this kid play, you need to. His star is rising quickly.  Tochkin was the first Silvertip I interviewed this year. You can read about his journey to the WHL by clicking here.

Most Improved:  Right Wing Cameron Abney (#26). This 17 year old has worked hard to improve his skating and puck handling skills.  Extra training sessions before and after practice have paid off for this hard hitting player, who ends the regular season with one goal and 3 assists.  In an interview two weeks ago, Cameron told me about his extra training sessions and his desire to be more than a hitter.  You can read that interview by clicking here.

Unsung Hero:  Defenseman Graham Potuer (#8).  He led the team in blocked shots and pretty much makes an impact every time he steps on the ice.  Last night, the announcer said his number may not be on many fans’ jerseys, but he is the backbone of the team.  Funny thing. I saw more Graham Potuer jerseys where I was sitting than anyone else.

Coaches’ Award:  Center Byron Froese (#14).  Byron joined the Silvertips on September 18, 2008 and made his impact felt right away. He’s been a key player all season and has 19 goals and 36 assists for 55 points. 

Iron Man Award:  Four players were recognized for playing in the first 71 games of the season: Center Zack Dailey (#21), RW Kellan Tochkin (#16), C Byron Froese (#14), RW Shane Harper (#11) (Read interview with Shane Harper here)

Scholastic Player of the Year Award:  This was given to Center Tyler Maxwell (#9) for his achievements in high school.  Several players are still in school and must combine a grueling playing schedule with classes and work hard to keep their grades up.  Byron seems to have had the most fun in Drama.  To see what happened when KING 5 cameras went to class with Byron and several other ‘Tips, click here.

Community Relations Award:  The was presented to C Byron Froese and D-Man Shayne Brown (#5) shared this award, which highlights their work in the community, which ranged from reading to elementary children to other appearances within the community.

The Silvertips wrap up the regular season tonight against the Seattle Thunderbirds at ShoWare Center.  The puck drops at 5:05pm. And I'll be there.