Game 68 @ Portland

[Tipped Off]

Scouting report: Tonight is the last of 10 meetings between Everett (52-12-1-2) and Portland (16-48-1-1) this season. The Tips are 7-2 against the Winter Hawks this season, including a perfect 4-0 in Portland.

Tonight is the first meeting since the infamous game-ending incident last Friday in Everett, in which Portland players clashed with fans behind the bench after the Winter Hawks' 5-2 victory. Portland had four players suspended from the game and Everett was fined. Defenseman Scott Gabriel remains suspended, but forwards Frazer McLaren and Matt Schmermund and defenseman Stefan Langwieder have completed their suspensions.

Portland's victory last Friday snapped a nine-game losing streak, and the Winter Hawks lost all three of their games since, being outscored 10-1. Portland's top line of 19-year-old right wing Nick Hotson (17 goals, 18 assists), 17-year-old center Colton Sceviour (eight goals, 25 assists) and 19-year-old left wing Frazer McLaren (18 goals, 12 assists) gave the Tips fits in the last meeting, but the Winter Hawks have little else.

In goal, 17-year-old Kurtis Mucha (16-38-1-1, 3.88 goals against average, .883 save percentage) has borne the brunt of a rebuilding season in Portland.

Slap shots: Everett is expected to get one of its injured bodies back tonight. Gutierrez, Everett's leading goal scorer who's missed the past five games with a head injury, skated at full speed in Thursday's practice and will probably be back in the lineup tonight. However, forwards Jesse Smyke (head), Brennan Sonne (spleen) and defenseman Taylor Ellington (neck) remain sidelined. ... Defenseman Tyler Hlookoff, whose season is over with Quesnel of the British Columbia Hockey League, has returned to Everett for the remainder of the season. ... The dates and times of the first two games of the playoffs have been set. Everett opens at home against its still-to-be-determined opponent, with Game 1 at 7:35 p.m. on March 23 and Game 2 at 7:05 p.m. on March 24. Single-game tickets are now available for both games.

[Tipped Off]

Tips clinch best record for the regular season


Herald staff







PORTLAND, Ore. - The Everett Silvertips added another another honor to their 2006-07 season Friday night.

Everett clinched the WHL regular season championship by defeating the Portland Winter Hawks 3-0, thus clinching the Scotty Munro Trophy.

The victory gave Everett 109 points. Medicine Hat can still match Everett's point total, but the Tips hold the tiebreakers. It's the first time in franchise history Everett has won the regular-season title.

Lukas Vartovnik, Graham Potuer and Zach Hamill scored goals and Leland Irving registered the shutout for Everett (53-12-1-2), which will have home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.

Irving made 18 saves for his 10th shutout of the season.

Kurtis Mucha made 22 saves in goal for Portland (16-49-1-1).

Everett was short-handed yet again. Although Everett got leading goal scorer Moises Gutierrez back from his head injury, the Tips played without center Peter Mueller, who was sick. Mueller joined forwards Jesse Smyke (head), Brennan Sonne (spleen) and defenseman Taylor Ellington (neck) on the sidelines. Everett was also without left wing Ondrej Fiala, who's returning home to his native Czech Republic to undergo season-ending knee surgery.

Nonetheless, Everett took the lead just 2 minutes, 20 seconds into the game. Dane Crowley wasn't able to get a hold of his shot, but the puck went to Vartovnik, who squeezed it by Mucha to give the Tips an early 1-0 lead.

Everett doubled its lead early in the second period. At 4:14 Shane Harper won a face-off back to Potuer, whose wrist shot beat Mucha to make it 2-0. The goal was Potuer's first of the season.

The Tips added an insurance goal with 2:10 remaining in the game when Hamill punched a face-off forward that went all the way into an empty Winter Hawks net.

Silvertips 3, Winter Hawks 0

Everett 1 1 1 - 3

Portland 0 0 0 - 0

First Period-1, Everett, Vartovnik 9 (Crowley, Campos), 2:20. Penalties-Cepek, Portland (high sticking), 3:20; Montgomery, Portland (delay of game), 6:53; Sokol, Portland (holding), 8:43; Langwieder, Portland (checking from behind), 15:49; Campos, Everett (hooking), 17:10.

Second Period-2, Everett, Potuer 1 (Harper), 4:14. Penalties-Schmermund, Portland (slashing), 6:26; Gordichuk, Portland (holding), 12:49.

Third Period-3, Everett, Hamill 32, 17:50 (en). Penalties-Strong, Everett (hooking), 4:17; Alexander, Everett (hooking), 15:42; Gordichuk, Portland (roughing), 18:10.

Shots on goal-Everett 8-10-7-25. Portland 5-6-7-18. Power-play opportunities-Everett 0 of 7. Portland 0 of 3.

Goalies-Everett, Irving 33-8-1-2 (18 shots, 18 saves). Portland, Mucha 16-39-1-1 (24 shots, 22 saves).

A-5,835.