Redwic
03-31-2006, 08:48 AM
Published: Friday, March 31, 2006
Tips want quick ending
Everett gets first crack at winning series tonight
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
EVERETT - It's closing time for the Everett Silvertips.
Everett has the opportunity to close out its first-round playoff series with a victory over the Tri-City Americans in tonight's Game 5 at the Everett Events Center.
"Any time you can finish off a series, that's what you want to do in hockey," Everett left wing John Lammers said. "We know what we have to do."
By winning back-to-back games on the road, Everett took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Therefore, the Tips have three chances to end it, beginning tonight.
However, Everett would rather end it sooner than later. If Everett wins tonight the Tips have a full week off to prepare for the second round. If Everett loses the Tips will be forced to make a quick turnaround for Game 6 Saturday in Kennewick. Everett would just assume save the extra trip.
"You'd like to close out the series as soon as possible, get a few extra days of rest," Everett center Peter Mueller said. "But we can't think like that. We've got to go in and play hungry."
Added Lammers: "Obviously it would be nice to do that in front of our fans. But we know it's going to take a lot of effort."
Everett is in commanding position in the series. Not only did the Tips win three of the first four games, Game 5 and an if necessary Game 7 are at home. Everett won six straight at home against Tri-City before the Americans prevailed 2-1 in Game 2.
However, the Tips aren't chalking this series up in the win column just yet. Everett is expecting Tri-City, with its back against the wall, to come out at full throttle tonight.
"Any time you're up 3-1 you're happy, but you can't get too comfortable," Lammers said. "We know they're a good team and are going to play as hard as they can. We're going to have to come out real strong. The last couple games we haven't come out very good, and we're going to have to come out really hard because they're going to be a desperate team."
Everett also has first-hand knowledge of how tenuous a 3-1 series lead can be. Two seasons ago the Tips dug out from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Kelowna for the Western Conference title. Then last year the Tips took a 3-1 series lead against Portland in the first round, only to watch the Winter Hawks win twice to force a Game 7. Everett won that game on the road.
But the Tips are aware of the team's history - as well as the fact they're capable of more than they've shown so far in this series.
"There's still a lot of hard work to be done," Everett goaltender Leland Irving said. "You just have to take things one game at a time because anything can happen.
"I still think we have more to bring, we haven't played our best hockey yet."
So do the Tips do anything different because it's potentially a deciding game? The answer was a resounding "no."
"We've got to go into it like it's any other game," Lammers said. "We've got to play as hard as we can because it takes four games to win a series. We know that. We're just going to have to come out hard, they're going to come out hard, and it should be a good game."
If both teams continue to play the way they have in the first four games, Everett should be in good position to finish the series off. The Tips have limited Tri-City's offense and have been effective on the power play.
But whether the Tips close out the series tonight or not, they're not going to worry.
"It would be nice to close it out tonight," Irving said. "But as long as we're moving on to the second round, however we get there is not really a factor."
Tips want quick ending
Everett gets first crack at winning series tonight
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
EVERETT - It's closing time for the Everett Silvertips.
Everett has the opportunity to close out its first-round playoff series with a victory over the Tri-City Americans in tonight's Game 5 at the Everett Events Center.
"Any time you can finish off a series, that's what you want to do in hockey," Everett left wing John Lammers said. "We know what we have to do."
By winning back-to-back games on the road, Everett took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Therefore, the Tips have three chances to end it, beginning tonight.
However, Everett would rather end it sooner than later. If Everett wins tonight the Tips have a full week off to prepare for the second round. If Everett loses the Tips will be forced to make a quick turnaround for Game 6 Saturday in Kennewick. Everett would just assume save the extra trip.
"You'd like to close out the series as soon as possible, get a few extra days of rest," Everett center Peter Mueller said. "But we can't think like that. We've got to go in and play hungry."
Added Lammers: "Obviously it would be nice to do that in front of our fans. But we know it's going to take a lot of effort."
Everett is in commanding position in the series. Not only did the Tips win three of the first four games, Game 5 and an if necessary Game 7 are at home. Everett won six straight at home against Tri-City before the Americans prevailed 2-1 in Game 2.
However, the Tips aren't chalking this series up in the win column just yet. Everett is expecting Tri-City, with its back against the wall, to come out at full throttle tonight.
"Any time you're up 3-1 you're happy, but you can't get too comfortable," Lammers said. "We know they're a good team and are going to play as hard as they can. We're going to have to come out real strong. The last couple games we haven't come out very good, and we're going to have to come out really hard because they're going to be a desperate team."
Everett also has first-hand knowledge of how tenuous a 3-1 series lead can be. Two seasons ago the Tips dug out from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Kelowna for the Western Conference title. Then last year the Tips took a 3-1 series lead against Portland in the first round, only to watch the Winter Hawks win twice to force a Game 7. Everett won that game on the road.
But the Tips are aware of the team's history - as well as the fact they're capable of more than they've shown so far in this series.
"There's still a lot of hard work to be done," Everett goaltender Leland Irving said. "You just have to take things one game at a time because anything can happen.
"I still think we have more to bring, we haven't played our best hockey yet."
So do the Tips do anything different because it's potentially a deciding game? The answer was a resounding "no."
"We've got to go into it like it's any other game," Lammers said. "We've got to play as hard as we can because it takes four games to win a series. We know that. We're just going to have to come out hard, they're going to come out hard, and it should be a good game."
If both teams continue to play the way they have in the first four games, Everett should be in good position to finish the series off. The Tips have limited Tri-City's offense and have been effective on the power play.
But whether the Tips close out the series tonight or not, they're not going to worry.
"It would be nice to close it out tonight," Irving said. "But as long as we're moving on to the second round, however we get there is not really a factor."