Tips beat TC, Seattle Loses

[Tipped Off]

Tips win 3-0 Versus TC
Seattle drops one to Kelowna 4-2
LEad in U.S. Division back to 10

106 PIM's in tonights game including three fights (see fight thread).

[Tipped Off]

Everett Goes 3-0 Over Tri-Cities
Irving Earns 4th Shut Out of Season
Everett Silvertips Press Release

Kennewick, WA - Tonight at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, WA the Everett Silvertips trounced the Tri-City Americans 3-0 and snaps their three game road losing streak. This was the final meeting between these two US Division rivals and the Silvertips come out on top 7-2-1-0. Everett has a 35-21-2-3 record and 75 points, ten points ahead of second place Seattle. Tri-Cities, third place in the division, has 61 points and a 27-29-4-3 history.

John Lammers earned his 33rd goal on the year at 8:14 of the first period. On a power play, Torrie Wheat sent a pass down low to Lammers, who buried his shot and earned Everett's first point. Early in the second Jonathan Harty maneuvered around Chet Pickard to earn his fourth goal of the season. Then, late in the middle period on another Everett power play, Ondrej Fiala beat Pickard after he had turned away two previous Silvertip shots.

In goal Leland Irving earns his fourth shut out of the year, turning away all 17 American shots. His record jumps to 32-19-1-3. Chet Pickard, between the pipes for Tri-Cities, makes 34 saves on 37 shots and evens out his goaltending history at 8-8-1-0. On the power play Everett converted on two of eleven while the Americans were scoreless on five opportunities. Everett out shot their opponents 37-17.

With win number 35 the team ties the previous franchise record for the most wins in a regular season. The Silvertips set this record in their 2003-04 inaugural season.

The Everett Silvertips are back in action on Tuesday, February 28th, at the Memorial Coliseum where they will drop the puck against the Portland Winterhawks. Game time set for 7:05pm.

Silvertips Box Scores

John Lammers (33) 1 G, 1 A
Jonathan Harty (3) 1 G, 1 A
Ondrej Fiala (15) 1 G
Shaun Heshka 1 A
Torrie Wheat 1 A
Cody Thoring 1 A
Zach Hamill 1 A
Leland Irving (32-19-1-3): 17/17 saves (4th shut out)
Shots on Goal: Everett 37, Tri-Cities 17
Power Play: Everett 2/11, Tri-Cities 0/4
Attendance: 3,660

[Tipped Off]

By D. Soleski 2/26/2006

In what seems like a season-long epic, the Kelowna Rockets have finally caught the Kootenay Ice for second place in the BC Division.

By following up Friday’s electrifying 5-3 win over the Ice at Prospera Place with consecutive road wins in Tri-City and Seattle, the Rockets bussed home from the Emerald City last night with a share of second place. Saturday’s 4-3 over the Americans was followed by Sunday evening’s sloppy 4-2 decision over the Thunderbirds at Key Arena.

The latter victory allowed Kelowna to pull even with the idle Ice as they made good on an important game in hand. And, they still have 3 more games in hand.

“Games in hand mean nothing unless you win them,” said Assistant Coach, Ryan Huska on the Oldies 1150 post game show Sunday. “Tonight was a big win for us.”

Justin Keller (right) continued to shoot out the lights as he continued his march to the lofty plateau of the 50-goal club. He scored twice on both Friday and Saturday. On Sunday he scored another – his 46th of the season in his 61st game.

Furthermore, Kris Westblom stepped between the pipes to earn victories in both road games. He was particularly sharp during Sunday’s somewhat agonizing victory.

“It was nice to come out with the win tonight,” said Huska. “It wasn’t a very good game to watch. Both teams looked like clubs who were playing 3 games in 3 nights. It was a goofy game.”

“Kris made some big saves for us early in the game and allowed us to get our legs. He bought us time.”

Westblom now has a tidy 14-5 record for the Rockets with 9 of his 14 wins coming away from home. He’s also 6-0 in calendar 2006. Sunday, he nearly became the first Rocket goalie to get credit for a goal – another odd event that seemed routine on a weird night.

With the clock winding down and Seattle pressing with 6 attackers, Ladislav Skurko attempted a centering pass from deep in the Kelowna zone. However, the puck slid 180 feet into the back of the gaping Thunderbird goal. Mike Card got credit as the last Rocket to touch the puck. Huska saw it differently.

“We all thought Westy was going to get credit for the goal,” he said. “He was the last guy to touch the puck I thought. And he was sure hoping to get credit as well.”

Lauris Darzins (left) scored the game winner in the third period just 58 seconds after Seattle had erased a 2-0 Kelowna lead to tie the score on a goal by the aforementioned Skurko. Darzins was dynamite on Friday night and has been playing possessed since being a healthy scratch recently. He’s also been reunited with Chris Ray and Brent Howarth – a unit that was the Rockets best line for much of last season’s playoff run.

Rookie defenseman Tyler Myers, a 15-year-old affiliated player who was the club’s top pick in the 2005 Bantam Draft, made his WHL debut on Sunday. Myers was called up last week and will spend the rest of the season and the playoffs with the Rockets. Huska commented on his play.

“I was pleasantly surprised with his composure out there. The more time we have with him, the better able we’ll be to break him of some bad habits. He likes to pinch a lot but we’re not a team that likes to do that regularly. But, he logged some good minutes for us tonight and he’s got a bright future ahead of him.

The busy Rockets’ schedule shows no signs of a gap for the coming week. They host Prince George and Spokane this coming Tuesday and Wednesday. Friday they start another 3-game weekend in Vancouver that ends with road games in Portland and Everett. The immediate goal: second place as Huska explains.

“I don’t want to say that Vancouver’s out of reach (8 points ahead) but we’re focusing now on staying ahead of Kootenay,” he said. “If we meet them in the playoffs it’s important to have home ice advantage.”

“With the schedule as busy as it is these days, it’s important that we utilize our bench so that we can keep the guys fresh. We play a lot of hockey over the next while.”

[Tipped Off]

Silvertips snap two-game losing streak, beat Americans 3-0


Herald staff



KENNEWICK - The Tri-City Americans clearly do not like the Everett Silvertips.

And the Silvertips continue to take advantage of the circumstances that result from that dislike.

Everett scored two power-play goals, and the Silvertips defeated the Americans 3-0 Sunday evening in an ill-tempered concluding game to the season series.

In a game in which 107 penalty minutes were doled out, Jonathan Harty had a Gordie Howe hat trick with a goal, assist and a fight, John Lammers and Ondrej Fiala also scored goals and Leland Irving recorded his fourth shutout of the season for Everett (35-21-2-3). The 35th win tied the franchise record for wins in a season set in 2003-04.

Tri-City, playing its ninth game in 12 days, fell to 27-29-4-3.

Bad blood has brewed all season between Everett and Tri-City, who are potential first-round playoff opponents. But while Tri-City has dished out most of the physical punishment - Everett had 12 power plays to Tri-City's five, and neither Lammers nor Karel Hromas returned after being helped off the ice in the third period - Everett has dominated on the scoreboard, finishing the season series 7-2-1-0.

Irving finished with 17 saves as Everett moved 10 points ahead of Seattle, a 4-2 loser at home against Kelowna, for first place in the U.S. Division.

Chet Pickard made 34 saves in goal for the Americans.

Tri-City took several penalties early and Everett took advantage with a power-play goal 8:24 into the game. Good puck movement by Torrie Wheat and Shaun Heshka opened up a chance for Lammers in the center slot, and Lammers put his shot past Pickard to give the Tips a 1-0 lead.

Everett doubled its lead 2:32 into the second period shortly after killing a penalty. Harty hopped out of the penalty box and joined the rush. Cody Thoring's shot from the point created a scramble in front of the Tri-City net and Harty put in the rebound to put Everett in front 2-0.

At 10:53 a melee broke out that resulted in the ejection of Wheat and Tri-City defensemen Logan Stephenson and Nicolaus Knudsen.

The Tips made the score 3-0 with 15 seconds remaining in the period with their second power-play goal of the game. Harty skated in free and though both his shot and Zach Hamill's follow were saved, Fiala scored on the third attempt.

Everett played without center Peter Mueller and right wing Brady Calla, who were both held out because of illness.

Silvertips 3, Americans 0

Everett 1 2 0 - 3

Tri-City 0 0 0 - 0

First Period-1, Everett, Lammers 33 (Wheat, Heshka), 8:24 (pp). Penalties-Gracik, Tri-City (cross-checking), 5:44; Bacek, Tri-City (tripping), 8:04; Butterfield, Tri-City (cross-checking), 10:23; Hromas, Everett (interference), 13:41; Bacek, Tri-City (slashing), 17:02.

Second Period-2, Everett, Harty 3 (Thoring, Lammers), 2:32. 3, Everett, Fiala 15 (Harty, Hamill), 19:45 (pp). Penalties-Harty, Everett (interference), 0:17; Smyke, Everett (tripping), 5:40; Jones, Tri-City (hold stick), 8:05; Alic, Everett (boarding), 10:53; Sonne, Everett (roughing), 10:53; Wheat, Everett (fighting-game misconduct), 10:53; Stephenson, Tri-City (fighting-game misconduct), 10:53; Boogaard, Tri-City (roughing), 10:53; Knudsen, Tri-City (fighting-game misconduct), 10:53; Hamill, Everett (high sticking), 12:31; Hromas, Everett (holding), 18:39; Gillen, Tri-City (roughing), 18:39; Aldred, Tri-City (high sticking), 19:03; Jones, Tri-City (unsportsmanlike conduct), 19:45.

Third Period-No goals. Penalties-Beeman, Tri-City (high sticking), 6:07; Procyshen, Tri-City (tripping), 7:41; Boogaard, Tri-City (cross-checking), 10:00; Sonne, Everett (fighting), 12:27; Glennie, Tri-City (fighting), 12:27; Potuer, Everett (tripping), 15:31; Bacek, Tri-City (roughing), 18:27; Harty, Everett (fighting), 19:48; Glennie, Tri-City (fighting), 19:48.

Shots on goal-Everett 5-13-19-37. Tri-City 4-7-6-17. Power-play opportunities-Everett 2 of 12. Tri-City 0 of 5.

Goalies-Everett, Irving 32-19-1-3 (17 shots, 17 saves). Tri-City, Pickard 8-8-1-0 (37 shots, 34 saves).