HAF
02-25-2006, 02:27 PM
Published: Saturday, February 25, 2006
Tips can't finish around the net, lose 2-1
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
SEATTLE - Friday night's game was an odd one for the Everett Silvertips.
Most of the game consisted of moments of promise that fizzled into nothingness. Then it ended with an explosion straight out of Mount St. Helens.
Everett, playing for the first time in six days, showed signs of rust and fell 2-1 to the Seattle Thunderbirds in a game where Everett coach Kevin Constantine was ejected.
Aaron Gagnon and Greg Scott staked Seattle to a 2-0 lead, and Zach Hamill's third-period goal was all Everett could muster in response. As a result, the T-birds (29-26-1-4) pulled within nine points of the Tips (34-21-2-2) for first place in the WHL's U.S. Division.
However, the game will best be remembered for Everett's inability to finish around the net and Constantine's tirade at referee Chris Savage.
"We played OK, but not real sharp," said Constantine, who declined to comment on the officiating.
"Maybe we were a little rusty. They played pretty good. I don't want to take anything away from them. Maybe when you're off a week you forget how absolutely passionate we have to play to have success. We were just B - nobody had an A game. We need 10 people to have A games right now."
Everett peppered Seattle goaltender Bryan Bridges with 40 shots. However, few of those caused Bridges much trouble. In fact, Everett's best chances never resulted in shots. Both John Lammers and Zack Dailey faked themselves around Bridges, but also beyond the net, and Karel Hromas had all sorts of chances in close, but was unable to bury any of them.
"No one likes to make excuses," said Lammers, downplaying the idea that the Tips were rusty. "We have a game (today), so we have to get ready for that. You never like to lose, so maybe we'll take some of the anger we have now into (today's) game."
Those shots that did find their way through were easily handled by Bridges.
"Even though they had 40 shots, a lot of those shots were from the perimeter and there wasn't much traffic in front," Bridges said. "My defense did a great job and I could see the puck easily enough."
The flash point came with 2 minutes, 49 seconds remaining in the game. Hamill had pulled Everett within one with a rebound goal at 9:06 and the Tips turned up the pressure in search of the tying goal. But in the ensuing stretch there were four instances where Seattle could have been called for a penalty that went uncalled, drawing the ire from the Everett bench. When Everett's Brennan Sonne was called for a simple delay-of-game penalty for putting the puck over the glass from his own defensive zone, Constantine erupted. Constantine was slapped with an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty and a game misconduct.
Although the Tips gamely killed off the resulting five-on-three, it deprived Everett of a chance at a tying goal and sucked all the suspense out of the final minutes.
Seattle took the lead 8:12 into the game on a nice four-on-three power-play goal. Quick precision passing by Scott Jackson and Roman Tomanek opened up the goal for Gagnon, and Gagnon slipped a puck into the open net.
The T-birds doubled their lead with three minutes left in the second period. Scott beat Everett defenseman Taylor Ellington, and his centering pass went off traffic and into the net, making it 2-0.
Hamill made it a game, largely due to the efforts of Lammers. Lammers got around the last defender and forced a lunging stick save from Bridges, but Hamill followed up and scored with Bridges down.
Slap shots: Everett reunited one of its top lines when Peter Mueller, Torrie Wheat and Hromas skated together for the first time in a month. Hromas returned after missing a month with a cracked collarbone, Wheat returned after missing the last two games with a lingering foot injury. ... Everett left wing Ondrej Fiala sat out Friday's game with a sore shoulder. ... Seattle played without defenseman Bretton Stamler, who also missed the game with a shoulder injury. ... Ellington did not play in the third period with Eric Doyle, who began the game at forward, taking his place on defense.
At KeyArena
Everett 0 0 1 - 1
Seattle 1 1 0 - 2
First Period-1, Seattle, Gagnon 20 (Tomanek, Jackson), 8:12 (pp). Penalties-Ellington, Everett (holding), 7:34a; Scurko, Seattle (diving), 7:34; Dailey, Everett (tripping), 7:58; Alic, Everett (tripping), 11:27; Richard, Seattle (unsportsmanlike conduct), 13:46.
Second Period-2, Seattle, Scott 6 (McEwan, Jackson), 17:00. Penalties-Durand, Seattle (goaltender interference), 3:24; Hromas, Everett (goaltender interference), 4:51; Heshka, Everett (high sticking), 9:47; Mueller, Everett (unsportsmanlike conduct), 20:00; Barthel, Seattle (unsportsmanlike conduct), 20:00.
Third Period-3, Everett, Hamill 18 (Lammers, Harty), 9:06. Penalties-Sonne, Everett (delay of game), 17:11; Everett coach Constantine (unsportsmanlike conduct-game misconduct, served by Dailey), 17:11.
Shots on goal-Everett 14-9-17-40. Seattle 9-9-9-27. Power-play opportunities-Everett 0 of 2. Seattle 1 of 6.
Goalies-Everett, Irving 31-19-1-2 (27 shots, 25 saves). Seattle, Bridges 19-10-1-2 (40 shots, 39 saves).
Tips can't finish around the net, lose 2-1
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
SEATTLE - Friday night's game was an odd one for the Everett Silvertips.
Most of the game consisted of moments of promise that fizzled into nothingness. Then it ended with an explosion straight out of Mount St. Helens.
Everett, playing for the first time in six days, showed signs of rust and fell 2-1 to the Seattle Thunderbirds in a game where Everett coach Kevin Constantine was ejected.
Aaron Gagnon and Greg Scott staked Seattle to a 2-0 lead, and Zach Hamill's third-period goal was all Everett could muster in response. As a result, the T-birds (29-26-1-4) pulled within nine points of the Tips (34-21-2-2) for first place in the WHL's U.S. Division.
However, the game will best be remembered for Everett's inability to finish around the net and Constantine's tirade at referee Chris Savage.
"We played OK, but not real sharp," said Constantine, who declined to comment on the officiating.
"Maybe we were a little rusty. They played pretty good. I don't want to take anything away from them. Maybe when you're off a week you forget how absolutely passionate we have to play to have success. We were just B - nobody had an A game. We need 10 people to have A games right now."
Everett peppered Seattle goaltender Bryan Bridges with 40 shots. However, few of those caused Bridges much trouble. In fact, Everett's best chances never resulted in shots. Both John Lammers and Zack Dailey faked themselves around Bridges, but also beyond the net, and Karel Hromas had all sorts of chances in close, but was unable to bury any of them.
"No one likes to make excuses," said Lammers, downplaying the idea that the Tips were rusty. "We have a game (today), so we have to get ready for that. You never like to lose, so maybe we'll take some of the anger we have now into (today's) game."
Those shots that did find their way through were easily handled by Bridges.
"Even though they had 40 shots, a lot of those shots were from the perimeter and there wasn't much traffic in front," Bridges said. "My defense did a great job and I could see the puck easily enough."
The flash point came with 2 minutes, 49 seconds remaining in the game. Hamill had pulled Everett within one with a rebound goal at 9:06 and the Tips turned up the pressure in search of the tying goal. But in the ensuing stretch there were four instances where Seattle could have been called for a penalty that went uncalled, drawing the ire from the Everett bench. When Everett's Brennan Sonne was called for a simple delay-of-game penalty for putting the puck over the glass from his own defensive zone, Constantine erupted. Constantine was slapped with an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty and a game misconduct.
Although the Tips gamely killed off the resulting five-on-three, it deprived Everett of a chance at a tying goal and sucked all the suspense out of the final minutes.
Seattle took the lead 8:12 into the game on a nice four-on-three power-play goal. Quick precision passing by Scott Jackson and Roman Tomanek opened up the goal for Gagnon, and Gagnon slipped a puck into the open net.
The T-birds doubled their lead with three minutes left in the second period. Scott beat Everett defenseman Taylor Ellington, and his centering pass went off traffic and into the net, making it 2-0.
Hamill made it a game, largely due to the efforts of Lammers. Lammers got around the last defender and forced a lunging stick save from Bridges, but Hamill followed up and scored with Bridges down.
Slap shots: Everett reunited one of its top lines when Peter Mueller, Torrie Wheat and Hromas skated together for the first time in a month. Hromas returned after missing a month with a cracked collarbone, Wheat returned after missing the last two games with a lingering foot injury. ... Everett left wing Ondrej Fiala sat out Friday's game with a sore shoulder. ... Seattle played without defenseman Bretton Stamler, who also missed the game with a shoulder injury. ... Ellington did not play in the third period with Eric Doyle, who began the game at forward, taking his place on defense.
At KeyArena
Everett 0 0 1 - 1
Seattle 1 1 0 - 2
First Period-1, Seattle, Gagnon 20 (Tomanek, Jackson), 8:12 (pp). Penalties-Ellington, Everett (holding), 7:34a; Scurko, Seattle (diving), 7:34; Dailey, Everett (tripping), 7:58; Alic, Everett (tripping), 11:27; Richard, Seattle (unsportsmanlike conduct), 13:46.
Second Period-2, Seattle, Scott 6 (McEwan, Jackson), 17:00. Penalties-Durand, Seattle (goaltender interference), 3:24; Hromas, Everett (goaltender interference), 4:51; Heshka, Everett (high sticking), 9:47; Mueller, Everett (unsportsmanlike conduct), 20:00; Barthel, Seattle (unsportsmanlike conduct), 20:00.
Third Period-3, Everett, Hamill 18 (Lammers, Harty), 9:06. Penalties-Sonne, Everett (delay of game), 17:11; Everett coach Constantine (unsportsmanlike conduct-game misconduct, served by Dailey), 17:11.
Shots on goal-Everett 14-9-17-40. Seattle 9-9-9-27. Power-play opportunities-Everett 0 of 2. Seattle 1 of 6.
Goalies-Everett, Irving 31-19-1-2 (27 shots, 25 saves). Seattle, Bridges 19-10-1-2 (40 shots, 39 saves).