Game 6: Portland @ Everett

[Tipped Off]

This was probably one of the worst hockey game sI've ever seen. Both clubs absolutely stunk. Portland wins 3-0. First goal was a soft wrister from just inside the zone and somwhow it went through Irving. Second goal was a great goal scored by Portland on a two on two shorthanded break. Horrible defensive positioning by the two defenders gave up both the passing and shooting lane and Portland didn't miss. The third goal came in garbage time when neither team seemed to know what anyone else on the ice was doing....looked a lot liek street hockey.

This Tips team is not good. They have the ability to be good. There are about 7-8 guys all playing as individuals and some of the defensive players are always out of position and coughing up pucks (Cough cough Alexander). After a fairly solid game Wednesday that had me starting to think maybe I was originally too harsh on the lad, he coughed up the puck repeatedly tonight and it was his gaff that cost the third goal.

As much as I was a proponent of it being KC's time to move on, it is obvious this team is not disciplined enough to play within their positions or as a team. As I said, they have the skill to still be one of the top teams, but they need to play as one and come together. Maybe they jsut need a few games or half a season in this "new" system or maybe they will fall apart. Time will tell. It' just lucky for us Portland is in our division so we have someone to battle with for that 4th spot. They looked ALMOST as bad as we did.

[Tipped Off]

'Desperate' Winter Hawks blank the Tips

By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer

EVERETT -- Desperation.

The Portland Winter Hawks played with it. The Everett Silvertips should have.

In a matchup of teams scuffling to start the season, it was Portland that played with the requisite desperation, and the Silvertips fell 3-0 to the Winter Hawks on Friday night at Comcast Arena.

Portland came into the game having yet to win this season, scoring just three goals in the process. But goals from Kevin Undershute, Viktor Sjodin and Tyler Swystun matched the Winter Hawks' total from their first four games, and Kurtis Mucha did the rest by stopping all 31 shots he faced, including a penalty shot.

"I think we played desperate," Portland coach Richard Kromm said. "We weren't great all night, but we had some desperation in a lot of areas and I thought that made a big difference for us."

Everett, meanwhile, appeared to relax a bit after finally scoring its first win Wednesday, and as a result the Tips were unable to match Portland's desire to win, particularly early in the game.

"They were desperate," Everett coach John Becanic lamented. "We probably eased up a little in our desperation. I don't think you ever want to play desperate all year, but you have to when you're still trying to figure out where you belong. By the time we got desperate it was 2-0."

Leland Irving finished with 28 saves in goal for the Tips (1-4-0-0).

The same two teams face off tonight in Portland.

Everett never got anything going offensively. The Tips particularly struggled on the power play. Everett had shots blocked constantly, overhandled the puck, and to top it off, gave up a short-handed goal.

The ineffectiveness on the power play took away the major source of Everett's offense. The Tips have scored 11 of their 16 goals this season with the advantage.

"It was selfishness," Becanic explained about Everett's ineptitude on the power play. "Selfishness and an inability to get pucks through.

"Our power play was oh-for-9 tonight and gave up a goal. Too much selfishness from our star players."

On the rare occasions when the Tips did pose a threat, Mucha closed the door. Even when Everett had a chance to salvage something by breaking the shutout in the final two minutes, Mucha made a nifty glove save to deny Zach Hamill's penalty shot.

"I think we played a little more aggressive all over the ice," Kromm, said. "Obviously we were able to score -- we only scored three goals in the prior four games (combined). And I thought Mucha was really good in the net for us, too. They peppered us good at certain times in the game and he was equal to the task."

Slap shots: In addition to center Zack Dailey, who suffered a concussion in Wednesday's 4-0 victory over Spokane, Everett was without defenseman Jonathan Harty because of the flu. ... The Tips gave two players their WHL debuts as right wing Eric English and defenseman Friesen were in the lineup for the first time this season. ... Portland center Colton Sceviour had to be helped off the ice in the second period as he was checked into the boards just as the penalty box was being opened and got caught on the opening. He did not return.



Winter Hawks 3, Silvertips 0

Portland 2 0 1--3

Everett 0 0 0--0

First Period--1, Portland, Undershute 1 (Alexiuk, Valchar), 2:39. 2, Portland, Sjodin 1 (Swystun), 14:23 (sh). Penalties--Ellington, Everett (holding), 0:30; Gabriel, Portland (interference), 4:10; Beach, Everett (charging), 4:28; Burt, Everett (tripping), 7:57; Hotson, Portland (slashing), 9:40; Hamill, Everett (hooking), 11:12; Hotson, Portland (boarding), 12:37; Valchar, Portland (hooking), 14:28; Gabriel, Portland (tripping), 18:53.

Second Period--No goals. Penalties--Panchyson, Portland (hooking), 1:44; Mistelbacher, Everett (hooking), 6:34; Beach, Everett (hooking), 7:42; Walker, Portland (hooking), 12:27.

Third Period--3, Portland, Swystun 2, 14:48. Penalties--Jordan, Portland (interference), 3:31; Panchyson, Portland (interference), 14:51.

Shots on goal--Portland 14-11-6--31. Everett 8-13-10--31. Power-play opportunities--Portland 0 of 6. Everett 0 of 9. Goalies--Portland, Mucha 1-3-0-0 (31 shots, 31 saves). Everett, Irving 1-4-0-0 (31 shots, 28 saves). A--5,633.