Tipped Off
01-15-2006, 11:35 AM
Mueller powers Tips
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
EVERETT - Just when it seemed the Everett Silvertips couldn't get on any better of an offensive roll, look who strolled into the building.
Welcome back to Everett, Peter Mueller.
In his return game Mueller scored a hat trick, and the Silvertips defeated the depleted Portland Winter Hawks 5-1 Friday night.
"That was a good performance right off the bat," said Mueller, who looked thrilled to be back playing with the Tips. "Getting comfortable with (linemates Torrie Wheat) and (Karel Hromas), it's good to be back in the lineup with them. It was a good night, the puck was going my way.
"I told the guys in the locker room that I'm gone for a couple weeks and I miss this place to death," Mueller added. "The fans, the players, the coaches, it's amazing how good they treat me here, and I love it here."
Mueller, who just returned from a week break following a fourth-place showing with Team USA at the World Junior Hockey Championships, made a triumphant return to the Everett Events Center, scoring a mere 18 seconds into the contest and netting the game's first three goals.
"He did some pretty special stuff tonight," Everett coach Kevin Constantine said of Mueller. "Each of his goals was not of the lucky nature.
"Our history with guys coming back after long layoffs is that they're rusty and it takes at least a game to get back in the swing of things," Constantine added. "To score three when you've been off a week, not many guys can do that."
Zach Hamill and Hromas also scored for Everett (25-15-2-0), which reached 10 games above .500 for the first time in franchise history and extended its lead atop the U.S. Division over Portland to nine points. Leland Irving was strong in goal for the Tips, making 24 saves and helping Everett weather a difficult first period.
Brian Woolger scored a five-on-three power-play goal for Portland (20-18-1-2), which dressed just 15 skaters - three fewer than the norm - because forwards Brandon Dubinsky (knee) and Colton Sceviour (jaw) and defenseman Cameron Cepek (wrist) were injured, defenseman Scott Gabriel had the flu and forward Jon Bubnick and defenseman Garth Collins were suspended. The Winter Hawks were clearly hampered by the lack of bodies.
"It's a big obstacle," Portland coach Mike Williamson said about playing short-handed. "The guys out of the lineup are key guys. When you're short like this it's so mentally tough, and I thought that's what we weren't good enough at tonight. Our lapses came from not being mentally tough and aware, and against a good team like Everett that can put the puck in the net, you can't afford those lapses."
Everett came into Friday's game, played before a crowd of 6,801, on an offensive high. The Tips scored 22 goals in their first five games following the Christmas break, including a franchise-record eight Wednesday against Tri-City.
Now with Mueller, who missed six games because of the World Juniors, Everett's offense is that much more potent.
Mueller wasted little time announcing his return to Everett. Moments after the opening faceoff he was played into the offensive zone on the left, skated around a defender, got to the front of the net and slid the puck under Butler to give the Tips an early 1-0 lead.
Mueller then struck again in the final minute of the period. With Everett on the power play, Jason Fransoo played a perfect diagonal pass to Mueller deep in the left circle, and Mueller one-timed a rocket in at the near post, making it 2-0 at 19:27.
Mueller then completed the first natural hat trick - scoring three consecutive goals - in franchise history with a penalty shot at 14:58 of the second period. Portland's Libor Gadzik caught and gloved a puck from out of the air while standing in the crease, giving the Tips the penalty shot. Mueller waited until the last moment before putting the puck through Butler's legs, making it 3-0 and prompting a cascade of hats onto the ice.
Slap shots: Everett center Mark Kress, who suffered a shoulder-related injury in Wednesday's 8-1 victory over Tri-City, is expected to miss two-to-three weeks, Constantine said. ... Everett's trade for forward Kyle Howarth from Prince Albert is now officially off because Howarth is not reporting. Everett gets back center Jesse Burt and its' fifth-round pick in the 2007 Bantam Draft pick. ... Wheat, with two assists, extended his streak of consecutive games with a point to 10, matching the franchise record set by Mueller earlier in the season.
Silvertips 5, Winter Hawks 1
Portland 0 0 1-1
Everett 2 1 2-5
First Period-1, Everett, Mueller 16 (Wheat, Thoring), 0:18. 2, Everett, Mueller 17 (Thoring, Fransoo), 19:27 (pp) Penalties-Dailey, Everett (hooking), 4:49; Calla, Everett (tripping), 6:33; Milhouse, Everett (kneeing), 9:44; Sauer, Portland (hooking), 15:14; McLaren, Portland (roughing), 15:14; Heshka, Everett (roughing), 15:14; Balan, Portland (roughing), 18:06.
Second Period-3, Everett, Mueller 18, 14:58 (penalty shot). Penalties-Calla, Everett (tripping), 8:32; Golin, Portland (tripping), 11:46; Bailey, Portland (cross-checking), 18:04.
Third Period-4, Everett, Hamill 13 (Calla, Harty), 1:12. 5, Portland, Woolger 18 (Funk, Hansen), 8:19 (pp). 6, Everett, Hromas 9 (Wheat, Mueller), 14:47 (pp). Penalties-Lammers, Everett (diving), 3:01; Balan, Portland (roughing), 3:33; Heshka, Everett (roughing), 9:29; Golin, Portland (hooking), 13:39; McLaren, Portland (fighting), 14:52; Potuer, Everett (fighting), 14:52; Bailey, Portland (elbowing), 17:32.
Shots on goal-Portland 13-6-6-25. Everett 10-13-10-33. Power-play opportunities-Portland 1 of 7. Everett 2 of 7.
Goalies-Portland, Butler 13-8-1-2 (25 shots, 21 saves), Mucha (8 shots, 7 saves). Everett, Irving 23-13-1-0 (25 shots, 24 saves).
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
EVERETT - Just when it seemed the Everett Silvertips couldn't get on any better of an offensive roll, look who strolled into the building.
Welcome back to Everett, Peter Mueller.
In his return game Mueller scored a hat trick, and the Silvertips defeated the depleted Portland Winter Hawks 5-1 Friday night.
"That was a good performance right off the bat," said Mueller, who looked thrilled to be back playing with the Tips. "Getting comfortable with (linemates Torrie Wheat) and (Karel Hromas), it's good to be back in the lineup with them. It was a good night, the puck was going my way.
"I told the guys in the locker room that I'm gone for a couple weeks and I miss this place to death," Mueller added. "The fans, the players, the coaches, it's amazing how good they treat me here, and I love it here."
Mueller, who just returned from a week break following a fourth-place showing with Team USA at the World Junior Hockey Championships, made a triumphant return to the Everett Events Center, scoring a mere 18 seconds into the contest and netting the game's first three goals.
"He did some pretty special stuff tonight," Everett coach Kevin Constantine said of Mueller. "Each of his goals was not of the lucky nature.
"Our history with guys coming back after long layoffs is that they're rusty and it takes at least a game to get back in the swing of things," Constantine added. "To score three when you've been off a week, not many guys can do that."
Zach Hamill and Hromas also scored for Everett (25-15-2-0), which reached 10 games above .500 for the first time in franchise history and extended its lead atop the U.S. Division over Portland to nine points. Leland Irving was strong in goal for the Tips, making 24 saves and helping Everett weather a difficult first period.
Brian Woolger scored a five-on-three power-play goal for Portland (20-18-1-2), which dressed just 15 skaters - three fewer than the norm - because forwards Brandon Dubinsky (knee) and Colton Sceviour (jaw) and defenseman Cameron Cepek (wrist) were injured, defenseman Scott Gabriel had the flu and forward Jon Bubnick and defenseman Garth Collins were suspended. The Winter Hawks were clearly hampered by the lack of bodies.
"It's a big obstacle," Portland coach Mike Williamson said about playing short-handed. "The guys out of the lineup are key guys. When you're short like this it's so mentally tough, and I thought that's what we weren't good enough at tonight. Our lapses came from not being mentally tough and aware, and against a good team like Everett that can put the puck in the net, you can't afford those lapses."
Everett came into Friday's game, played before a crowd of 6,801, on an offensive high. The Tips scored 22 goals in their first five games following the Christmas break, including a franchise-record eight Wednesday against Tri-City.
Now with Mueller, who missed six games because of the World Juniors, Everett's offense is that much more potent.
Mueller wasted little time announcing his return to Everett. Moments after the opening faceoff he was played into the offensive zone on the left, skated around a defender, got to the front of the net and slid the puck under Butler to give the Tips an early 1-0 lead.
Mueller then struck again in the final minute of the period. With Everett on the power play, Jason Fransoo played a perfect diagonal pass to Mueller deep in the left circle, and Mueller one-timed a rocket in at the near post, making it 2-0 at 19:27.
Mueller then completed the first natural hat trick - scoring three consecutive goals - in franchise history with a penalty shot at 14:58 of the second period. Portland's Libor Gadzik caught and gloved a puck from out of the air while standing in the crease, giving the Tips the penalty shot. Mueller waited until the last moment before putting the puck through Butler's legs, making it 3-0 and prompting a cascade of hats onto the ice.
Slap shots: Everett center Mark Kress, who suffered a shoulder-related injury in Wednesday's 8-1 victory over Tri-City, is expected to miss two-to-three weeks, Constantine said. ... Everett's trade for forward Kyle Howarth from Prince Albert is now officially off because Howarth is not reporting. Everett gets back center Jesse Burt and its' fifth-round pick in the 2007 Bantam Draft pick. ... Wheat, with two assists, extended his streak of consecutive games with a point to 10, matching the franchise record set by Mueller earlier in the season.
Silvertips 5, Winter Hawks 1
Portland 0 0 1-1
Everett 2 1 2-5
First Period-1, Everett, Mueller 16 (Wheat, Thoring), 0:18. 2, Everett, Mueller 17 (Thoring, Fransoo), 19:27 (pp) Penalties-Dailey, Everett (hooking), 4:49; Calla, Everett (tripping), 6:33; Milhouse, Everett (kneeing), 9:44; Sauer, Portland (hooking), 15:14; McLaren, Portland (roughing), 15:14; Heshka, Everett (roughing), 15:14; Balan, Portland (roughing), 18:06.
Second Period-3, Everett, Mueller 18, 14:58 (penalty shot). Penalties-Calla, Everett (tripping), 8:32; Golin, Portland (tripping), 11:46; Bailey, Portland (cross-checking), 18:04.
Third Period-4, Everett, Hamill 13 (Calla, Harty), 1:12. 5, Portland, Woolger 18 (Funk, Hansen), 8:19 (pp). 6, Everett, Hromas 9 (Wheat, Mueller), 14:47 (pp). Penalties-Lammers, Everett (diving), 3:01; Balan, Portland (roughing), 3:33; Heshka, Everett (roughing), 9:29; Golin, Portland (hooking), 13:39; McLaren, Portland (fighting), 14:52; Potuer, Everett (fighting), 14:52; Bailey, Portland (elbowing), 17:32.
Shots on goal-Portland 13-6-6-25. Everett 10-13-10-33. Power-play opportunities-Portland 1 of 7. Everett 2 of 7.
Goalies-Portland, Butler 13-8-1-2 (25 shots, 21 saves), Mucha (8 shots, 7 saves). Everett, Irving 23-13-1-0 (25 shots, 24 saves).