Tipped Off
11-20-2005, 10:18 AM
Silvertips drop fourth straight
Everett falls to Spokane 1-0 despite the strong play of goalie Leland Irving - who made 35 saves - for the Tips' sixth loss in seven games and fourth in a row.
Herald staff
SPOKANE - The Everett Silvertips have problems.
For the second straight night Everett's offense came up empty, and the Silvertips suffered their second consecutive shutout, falling 1-0 to the Spokane Chiefs on Saturday.
Jeff Lynch scored the game's only goal with 7 minutes, 30 seconds remaining in the game, and Jim Watt made 23 saves to shut out Everett for the second time this season.
With Everett losing 2-0 at home against Kamloops on Friday, the Silvertips were shut out in consecutive games for just the second time in franchise history. The previous time was in the final two regular season games last season, when Everett had already clinched a playoff spot and was resting its regulars.
Everett goaltender Leland Irving had another strong game in goal, making a series of great saves to keep the Tips in the game. He finished with 35 saves, but it was to no avail.
Everett (14-9-1-0) has lost four straight and six of its past seven. During that stretch the Tips have scored just six goals.
Everett continued to play without six key players - forwards Torrie Wheat, Zach Hamill and Ondrej Fiala and defensemen Shaun Heshka, Jonathan Harty and Eric Doyle all sat out because of various maladies.
Spokane improved to 10-11-1-0.
Both teams snapped off a number of shots on goal in the first period - the shots were 11-11 after one period - but neither team could find the net as both goaltenders were sharp.
In the second period Irving put on a goaltending clinic to keep the game scoreless. He made stunning save after stunning save, the best ones being a reaction glove save on Chris Bruton and a miracle pad save on Drayson Bowman on a rebound try. Irving's performance also helped the Tips kill off a short-handed span of 5:44.
Even when the Chiefs did get the puck past Irving late in the period, the goal was called off because of a slashing penalty against Spokane's Johannes Salmonsson.
Everett could have taken the lead in the opening moments of the third period, when Karel Hromas took advantage of a turnover in the Spokane zone for a free shot on goal. However, his shot went off the post.
Spokane finally broke through at the 12:30 mark when, on the power play, Lynch skated into the zone on the rush and wristed a shot that beat Irving, giving the Chiefs the lead.
Everett had one final quality scoring chance in the final minute, but Brady Calla's shot with Watt stranded was denied by a diving block from Chiefs defenseman Joe Logan.
At Spokane Arena
Everett 0 0 0-0
Spokane 0 0 1-1
First Period-No goals. Penalties-Bruton, Spokane (cross-checking), 4:04; Kress, Everett (holding), 18:53.
Second Period-No goals. Penalties-Kress, Everett (holding), 8:07; Fransoo, Everett (double minor-high sticking), 9:51; Salmonsson, Spokane (slashing), 17:16.
Third Period-1, Spokane, Je. Lynch 7 (Spurgeon, Watt), 12:30. Penalties-Ryan, Spokane (tripping), 2:23; Fransoo, Everett (tripping), 7:41; Ja. Lynch, Spokane (tripping), 9:42; Mueller, Everett (slashing), 11:49; Salmonsson, Spokane (high sticking), 19:34.
Shots on goal-Everett 11-7-5-23. Spokane 11-13-12-36.
Power-play opportunities-Everett 0 of 5. Spokane 1 of 6.
Goalies-Everett, Irving 13-9 (36 shots, 35 saves). Spokane, Watt 9-11 (23 shots, 23 saves).
Everett falls to Spokane 1-0 despite the strong play of goalie Leland Irving - who made 35 saves - for the Tips' sixth loss in seven games and fourth in a row.
Herald staff
SPOKANE - The Everett Silvertips have problems.
For the second straight night Everett's offense came up empty, and the Silvertips suffered their second consecutive shutout, falling 1-0 to the Spokane Chiefs on Saturday.
Jeff Lynch scored the game's only goal with 7 minutes, 30 seconds remaining in the game, and Jim Watt made 23 saves to shut out Everett for the second time this season.
With Everett losing 2-0 at home against Kamloops on Friday, the Silvertips were shut out in consecutive games for just the second time in franchise history. The previous time was in the final two regular season games last season, when Everett had already clinched a playoff spot and was resting its regulars.
Everett goaltender Leland Irving had another strong game in goal, making a series of great saves to keep the Tips in the game. He finished with 35 saves, but it was to no avail.
Everett (14-9-1-0) has lost four straight and six of its past seven. During that stretch the Tips have scored just six goals.
Everett continued to play without six key players - forwards Torrie Wheat, Zach Hamill and Ondrej Fiala and defensemen Shaun Heshka, Jonathan Harty and Eric Doyle all sat out because of various maladies.
Spokane improved to 10-11-1-0.
Both teams snapped off a number of shots on goal in the first period - the shots were 11-11 after one period - but neither team could find the net as both goaltenders were sharp.
In the second period Irving put on a goaltending clinic to keep the game scoreless. He made stunning save after stunning save, the best ones being a reaction glove save on Chris Bruton and a miracle pad save on Drayson Bowman on a rebound try. Irving's performance also helped the Tips kill off a short-handed span of 5:44.
Even when the Chiefs did get the puck past Irving late in the period, the goal was called off because of a slashing penalty against Spokane's Johannes Salmonsson.
Everett could have taken the lead in the opening moments of the third period, when Karel Hromas took advantage of a turnover in the Spokane zone for a free shot on goal. However, his shot went off the post.
Spokane finally broke through at the 12:30 mark when, on the power play, Lynch skated into the zone on the rush and wristed a shot that beat Irving, giving the Chiefs the lead.
Everett had one final quality scoring chance in the final minute, but Brady Calla's shot with Watt stranded was denied by a diving block from Chiefs defenseman Joe Logan.
At Spokane Arena
Everett 0 0 0-0
Spokane 0 0 1-1
First Period-No goals. Penalties-Bruton, Spokane (cross-checking), 4:04; Kress, Everett (holding), 18:53.
Second Period-No goals. Penalties-Kress, Everett (holding), 8:07; Fransoo, Everett (double minor-high sticking), 9:51; Salmonsson, Spokane (slashing), 17:16.
Third Period-1, Spokane, Je. Lynch 7 (Spurgeon, Watt), 12:30. Penalties-Ryan, Spokane (tripping), 2:23; Fransoo, Everett (tripping), 7:41; Ja. Lynch, Spokane (tripping), 9:42; Mueller, Everett (slashing), 11:49; Salmonsson, Spokane (high sticking), 19:34.
Shots on goal-Everett 11-7-5-23. Spokane 11-13-12-36.
Power-play opportunities-Everett 0 of 5. Spokane 1 of 6.
Goalies-Everett, Irving 13-9 (36 shots, 35 saves). Spokane, Watt 9-11 (23 shots, 23 saves).