Tipped Off
03-10-2006, 10:24 AM
Silvertips can wrap up U.S. division title on road trip
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
LYNNWOOD - The Everett Silvertips departed on their final long road trip of the regular season earlier this week.
When they return they hope to be trailing a brand new banner behind them.
Everett has the opportunity to wrap up the U.S. Division championship this weekend during its three-game road trip to Prince George and Kelowna. If the Silvertips pull it off, it'll be their second division title in three seasons.
"That's the ultimate goal, definitely," Everett defenseman Shaun Heshka said. "A banner is one of our main goals this season. We haven't quite gotten it yet, but it's definitely within our grasp if we play well this weekend."
Everett, which held practice at the Lynnwood Ice Arena this week before departing because of the boat show at the Everett Events Center, has the title within its reach. The Tips lead second-place Seattle by 12 points, meaning any combination of three points earned by Everett or three points dropped by the Thunderbirds gives the Tips the banner.
If - or perhaps more accurately, when - the Tips clinch the U.S. Division title, it will be Everett's third banner in its three-year history. To put that in perspective, it's well short of the 24 hanging from the rafters of the Interior Savings Centre in Kamloops. But it's equal to the number won by Seattle in its 29-year history, and three more than Tri-City has won in its 18 seasons.
That's an accomplishment not lost on the Tips who were around for the first two.
"It'd be real special," said right wing Torrie Wheat, who along with Heshka, Mark Kress and Cody Thoring was a member of the 2004 division champions. "It's already cool seeing the other two hanging in the rafters, but another one would add to the whole aura of it."
But in order to bring that banner home, the Tips will have to conquer an arena that's been less than friendly the last two seasons. Prince George has been the site of some of the worst hockey the Tips have played in franchise history. Two seasons ago Everett played poorly, only to be rescued by miraculous performances from goaltender Michael Wall in back-to-back wins. Last season the Tips were blown out in the first game, then lost a two-goal lead in the third period and lost the following night.
"I don't know what it is," Wheat said about Everett's struggles in Prince George. "They've been a good, tough, hard-working team and it's a tough place to play. It's an elevation change and it's kind of in the middle of nowhere. It's kind of a weird atmosphere and we haven't come out very strongly."
To try and reverse that trend, the Tips decided to give themselves extra time to acclimatize. Everett began it's 11-hour drive to Prince George on Wednesday, giving the team nearly 48 hours in Prince George to prepare for the games tonight and Saturday.
"The previous years we've played poorly and we left the day before, so this puts us up there one extra day," Everett coach Kevin Constantine explained. "Maybe that helps us get our legs or something, we don't know. We don't know why we've been bad up there, we're just willing to try something different."
"I think it's a great idea,'' Heshka said. ''I think it's just another way to try and get an edge. I think it's a gutsy move by the franchise. It's more money to stay an extra day and we definitely have to take that into consideration. We should see that our franchise is willing to spend money for us to play well, so hopefully going up there a day early will work in our favor and we'll get a few points."
Everett defensemen Zach Sim and Thoring were left behind when the team departed for Prince George. Constantine said Sim is likely done for the year because of his shoulder injury, which will probably require surgery. Thoring remains at least another week away with his high-ankle sprain.
Making the trip but questionable for the games are right wing Jesse Smyke and defenseman Jonathan Harty. Constantine is hopeful Smyke (leg) and Harty (back) recover enough to play sometime during the trip.
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
LYNNWOOD - The Everett Silvertips departed on their final long road trip of the regular season earlier this week.
When they return they hope to be trailing a brand new banner behind them.
Everett has the opportunity to wrap up the U.S. Division championship this weekend during its three-game road trip to Prince George and Kelowna. If the Silvertips pull it off, it'll be their second division title in three seasons.
"That's the ultimate goal, definitely," Everett defenseman Shaun Heshka said. "A banner is one of our main goals this season. We haven't quite gotten it yet, but it's definitely within our grasp if we play well this weekend."
Everett, which held practice at the Lynnwood Ice Arena this week before departing because of the boat show at the Everett Events Center, has the title within its reach. The Tips lead second-place Seattle by 12 points, meaning any combination of three points earned by Everett or three points dropped by the Thunderbirds gives the Tips the banner.
If - or perhaps more accurately, when - the Tips clinch the U.S. Division title, it will be Everett's third banner in its three-year history. To put that in perspective, it's well short of the 24 hanging from the rafters of the Interior Savings Centre in Kamloops. But it's equal to the number won by Seattle in its 29-year history, and three more than Tri-City has won in its 18 seasons.
That's an accomplishment not lost on the Tips who were around for the first two.
"It'd be real special," said right wing Torrie Wheat, who along with Heshka, Mark Kress and Cody Thoring was a member of the 2004 division champions. "It's already cool seeing the other two hanging in the rafters, but another one would add to the whole aura of it."
But in order to bring that banner home, the Tips will have to conquer an arena that's been less than friendly the last two seasons. Prince George has been the site of some of the worst hockey the Tips have played in franchise history. Two seasons ago Everett played poorly, only to be rescued by miraculous performances from goaltender Michael Wall in back-to-back wins. Last season the Tips were blown out in the first game, then lost a two-goal lead in the third period and lost the following night.
"I don't know what it is," Wheat said about Everett's struggles in Prince George. "They've been a good, tough, hard-working team and it's a tough place to play. It's an elevation change and it's kind of in the middle of nowhere. It's kind of a weird atmosphere and we haven't come out very strongly."
To try and reverse that trend, the Tips decided to give themselves extra time to acclimatize. Everett began it's 11-hour drive to Prince George on Wednesday, giving the team nearly 48 hours in Prince George to prepare for the games tonight and Saturday.
"The previous years we've played poorly and we left the day before, so this puts us up there one extra day," Everett coach Kevin Constantine explained. "Maybe that helps us get our legs or something, we don't know. We don't know why we've been bad up there, we're just willing to try something different."
"I think it's a great idea,'' Heshka said. ''I think it's just another way to try and get an edge. I think it's a gutsy move by the franchise. It's more money to stay an extra day and we definitely have to take that into consideration. We should see that our franchise is willing to spend money for us to play well, so hopefully going up there a day early will work in our favor and we'll get a few points."
Everett defensemen Zach Sim and Thoring were left behind when the team departed for Prince George. Constantine said Sim is likely done for the year because of his shoulder injury, which will probably require surgery. Thoring remains at least another week away with his high-ankle sprain.
Making the trip but questionable for the games are right wing Jesse Smyke and defenseman Jonathan Harty. Constantine is hopeful Smyke (leg) and Harty (back) recover enough to play sometime during the trip.