Tips 5, Ams 1 - Final

[Tipped Off]

Wheat with the Hat Trick, Mueller with 4 Assists, Hromas 2 assists and a goal. Heshka scored the longest (in distance) goal ever for the Tips as he shot a shorthanded, empty netter from behind his own red line (just to the side of the net) the length of the ice and into the center of the Ams net with about a minute to go.

The game was playd at a much faster pace than the shots indicate...although after the Ams got down 2-0 it seemed as if they were more intent on checking and hitting than trying to score.

Mueller once again is making my "Mueller is overrated" post earlier in the year look pretty silly. His vision on the ice and ability to pin point his passes is a thing of beauty. The only complaint I would have...and it is a pretty nitpicky thing...is I would like to see him more aggressive to the net instead of always looking for the pass.

[Tipped Off]

It’s Harvest Time: Wheat Tallies 3 Goals in Win Over Tri-Cities
Silvertips Pummel Americans 5-1
Everett Silvertips Press Release

Everett, WA - Torrie Wheat earned his first career hat trick in tonight's win over the Tri-City Americans. The Silvertips defeated the Americans by a final score of 5-1. This is the second of 10 meetings between these two teams and Everett leads the series 2-0. Everett's record raises to 6-4 while the Tri-Cities' drops to 3-5.

The Silvertips were on fire with Captain Torrie Wheat leading the way in tonight's game. Wheat started the scoring off late in the first with a power play tally. Karel Hromas, two minutes later, followed suit and propelled Everett to 2-0. Midway through the second Wheat earned his second of the night and then again midway through the third he tallied his third, for his first ever career hat trick. This is Everett's fourth hat trick to date. Veteran Shaun Heshka nailed the coffin shut with a shot that sailed the entire length of the ice into an empty net to finalize the scoreboard at 5-1.

An honorable mention in tonight's game was Silvertip newcomer Peter Mueller. Mueller assisted in every goal but one, bringing his assists for the night up to four. Along with scoring, both Karel Hromas and Shaun Heshka earned some helpers with Hromas receiving two and Heshka tallying one. John Lammers joined the fun with an added assist while Zach Sim earned his first point of the season with an assist also.

The Americans' only goal was scored by Matt Schneider early in the third. Tyler Procyshen received the helper.

In goal tonight was Everett's number one, Leland Irving. Irving stopped 28 of 29 shots and lifts his statistics to 6-4. Carey Price, in the net for Tri-Cities, let in four of 26 shots and drops his record to 1-4. On the power play the Silvertips went 1 for 6 while the Americans could not score on three chances. Tri-Cities outshot Everett 29 to 26.

The Silvertips are back on the road tomorrow night at the Rose Garden in Portland, OR. The puck drops early at 5:05pm.

Silvertips Box Scores

Torrie Wheat (5,6,7) 3 G (Hat Trick)
Karel Hromas (4) 1 G, 2 A
Shaun Heshka (2) 1 G, 1 A
Peter Mueller 4 A
John Lammers 1 A
Zach Sim 1 A
Leland Irving (6-4): 28/29 saves
Power Play: Everett 1/6, Tri-Cities 0/3
Shots on Goal: Everett 26, Tri-Cities 29
Attendance: 6,993

3 Stars of the Game

1. Torrie Wheat (EVT)
2. Peter Mueller (EVT)
3. Karel Hromas (EVT)

[Tipped Off]

Wheat's hat trick sparks Silvertips
Tips top Tri-City 5-1

By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer


EVERETT - As Torrie Wheat departed the ice after taking his final bow Saturday night, he held a handful of hats he'd been presented aloft toward the 6,993 fans at the Everett Events Center, all of whom were on their feet screaming their approval.

It was a fitting acknowledgement of what was as impressive a display of finishing by a player in an Everett Silvertip uniform.

Wheat had just the fourth hat trick in franchise history, leading the Silvertips to a 5-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans.

"It feels good," Wheat said about the first hat trick of his career. "I've had a lot of two-goal games in my career, but I've never been able to finish it. I had a few chances, now I've got one and it's a good feeling, but even better was we beat a good team tonight."

Wheat scored once in each period, each time finishing in clinical fashion, joining Marc Desloges, Alex Leavitt and Karel Hromas as Silvertips with hat tricks.

"He put some pucks in from strange angles, and then from right in front of the net," Everett coach Kevin Constantine said about Wheat. "He did a great job."

Peter Mueller also had a big night for Everett (6-4), registering four assists in a quality display of passing. He's scored eight points in his last three games.

Hromas added a goal and two assists and Shaun Heshka had a goal and an assist for the Tips. Largely dependent on its power play for offense so far this season, Everett scored three goals even strength and one short-handed.

Leland Irving made 28 saves in goal for Everett.

" (Friday) night was a big loss for us," said Mueller, referring to Everett's 3-2 loss at Seattle when the Tips lost a 2-0 lead. "We wanted to come back with energy and see what we could do. We luckily got a win."

Matt Schneider scored and Carey Price made 21 saves in goal for Tri-City (3-5).

"We had our chances," Tri-City coach Don Nachbaur said. "We didn't convert them, they did. I think at the end of the day it's not a 5-1 game. But they're a good team, a disciplined team, and their power play is outstanding."

Wheat's finishes left Price, taken fifth overall by Montreal in the 2005 NHL Draft, grasping at air.

His first goal opened the scoring at 17 minutes, 25 seconds of the first period. Sitting in the left slot, Wheat one-timed a shot in off the crossbar after a nice feed from John Lammers.

His second goal made the score 3-0 at 11:16 of the second period. On the rush Mueller fed Wheat into the offensive zone on the right, and Wheat rifled a shot into the far corner.

His third goal put the game away at 7:52 of the third period. Heshka carried the puck into the left corner and although his first pass was blocked, his second found Wheat in front, where his goal gave Everett a 4-1 lead.

"I got good wood on all the shots and found an open hole," Wheat said. "It actually went where I was aiming for a change."

Hromas' goal made it 2-0 at 19:21 of the first period, Mueller's defense-splitting pass setting him free on a breakaway. Schneider gave Tri-City a little life at 4:57 of the third, putting in a rebound to make it 3-1. Heshka finished off the scoring with 33 seconds remaining, firing the length of the ice into an empty net.

Slap shots: The Tips played without forward Ondrej Fiala. Fiala suffered a knee injury during Friday's 3-2 loss at Seattle and will undergo an MRI on Monday. He's out until the extent of the injury is determined. ... In Everett's defensive rotation, Eric Doyle and Graham Potuer cycled back into the lineup Saturday while Jonathan Harty and Taylor Ellington cycled out.

Silvertips 5, Americans 1

Tri-City 0 0 1 - 1

Everett 2 1 2 - 5

First Period-1, Everett, Wheat 5 (Lammers, Mueller), 17:25 (pp). 2, Everett, Hromas 4 (Mueller, Sim), 19:21. Penalties-Swaby, Tri-City (holding), 1:21; Stephenson, Tri-City (holding), 8:09; Wuchterl, Everett (elbowing), 10:37; Boogaard, Tri-City (slashing), 15:54.

Second Period-3, Everett, Wheat 6 (Mueller, Hromas), 11:16. Penalties-Butterfield, Tri-City (interference), 1:33; Stephenson, Tri-City (holding), 2:39; Boogaard, Tri-City (roughing), 13:06; Wuchterl, Everett (cross-checking), 13:06; Thoring, Everett (delay of game), 17:02; Magistrale, Tri-City (holding), 19:05.

Third Period-4, Tri-City, Schneider 4 (Procyshen), 4:57. 5, Everett, Wheat 7 (Heshka, Hromas), 7:52. 6, Everett, Heshka 2 (Mueller), 19:27 (sh-en). Penalties-Inglis, Tri-City (fighting), 8:59; Kress, Everett (fighting), 8:59; Everett bench (too many men, served by Wuchterl), 18:21; Glennie, Tri-City (roughing), 20:00; Fransoo, Everett (roughing), 20:00.

Shots on goal-Tri-City 13-6-10-29. Everett 12-9-5-26. Power-play opportunities-Tri-City 0 of 3. Everett 1 of 6.

Goalies-Tri-City, Price 1-4 (25 shots, 21 saves). Everett, Irving 6-4 (29 shots, 28 saves).

[Tipped Off]

Wheat hat trick propels Silvertips

By Jim Riley

Special to The Seattle Times

EVERETT — With a team this offensively talented, fans of the Everett Silvertips are going to have to start bringing more hats.

For a crowd of 6,993 at the Everett Events Center, there weren't a lot of bonnets for Torrie Wheat to collect last night after he became the fourth player in franchise history to score three goals in a single game during a 5-1 win over the Tri-City Americans.

Linemates Peter Mueller had four assists and Karel Hromas added a goal and two assists as Everett's international line was again the best in show.

It was the first hat trick of Wheat's career and gives him seven goals in the eight games he's played this season.

"I've had a lot of two-goal games, but I've never been able to finish one off before," Wheat said after the Silvertips improved to 6-4-0-0. "It's a good feeling, but it's even better to beat a good team tonight."

Wheat's feat came against Tri-City goaltender Carey Price, a first-round selection in last June's NHL draft.

"He's a great goalie, so I just have to count my lucky stars," Wheat said. "I was able to get good wood on all the shots and found the open holes."

Mueller, a rookie from Bloomington, Minn., has two goals and 10 assists in the 10 games he has played and has melded perfectly on a line with Wheat, a Canadian, and Hromas, a native of the Czech Republic.

"We knew he'd be able to score," Wheat said of Mueller. "He has all the skill in the world and it was just a matter of time before it was his time."

Everett built a 2-0 lead with goals by Wheat and Karel Hroma late in the first period. Unlike the previous evening when the Silvertips lost a 2-0 lead to lose to Seattle 3-2, the Silvertips poured it on.

Leland Irving stopped 28 of 29 shots for the Silvertips.

"It's important to win any night, but it became more important once we got a 2-0 lead," Everett coach Kevin Constantine said.

SILVERTIPS 5, AMERICANS 1

Tri-City 0 0 1 — 1
Everett 2 1 2 — 5
First — 1. Everett, Wheat 5 (Lammers, Mueller) 17:25 (pp). 2. Everett, Hromas 4 (Mueller, Sim) 19:20. Second — 3. Everett, Wheat 6 (Mueller, Hromas) 11:16. Third — 4. Tri-City, Schneider 4 (Procyshen) 4:57. 5. Everett, Wheat 7 (Heshka, Hromas) 7:52. 6. Everett, Heshka (Mueller) 19:27 (sh) (en). Shots on goal by — Tri-City 13-6-10 — 29. Everett 13-8-5 — 26. Power plays — Tri-City 0-3, Everett 1-6. Att — 6,993