Tipped Off
04-21-2006, 10:37 AM
WHL Playoffs: Everett poised for upset
By Jim Riley
Special to The Seattle Times
The Everett Silvertips will check in as big underdogs when the Western Conference finals of the Western Hockey League playoffs begin at 7:30 tonight at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, B.C.
They wouldn't have it any other way.
The Silvertips, who will take on the Vancouver Giants, weren't favored to win most of their eight WHL playoff series but prevailed in six of them.
The Giants not only earned 15 more points in the regular season (100-85) to earn home-ice advantage for the series, they also feature Gilbert Brule, who has NHL experience, on their front line.
"We realize what we have to overcome," Everett's Shaun Heshka said. "They have a lot of skilled players, and we have to find a way to win one in their building and come home and do something magical."
But, he said, Everett knows how to win in the postseason.
"Our team excels in the playoffs," Heshka said. "A lot of it has to do with preparation; the coaches put in countless hours in on video. And then it comes down to detail and discipline."
The Silvertips beat the Giants in four of their six regular-season meetings, but Everett coach Kevin Constantine is quick to discount those results.
"The regular season doesn't mean crap now," he said. "In two of our wins, we outscored them, but they outplayed us. The only thing we did right in those games was to sneak in some goals in games we really didn't play very well."
John Lammers, who hails from the Vancouver suburb of Langley, had eight goals and six assists for Everett in those eight games. He also had a pair of hat tricks in front of plenty of family and friends at Pacific Coliseum.
"He was kind of like our team against Vancouver," Constantine said. "He got points, but I don't think he had some of his better games of the year. It's typical of what we did."
Constantine said Brule turned the Giants from a very good team to great.
Brule started the season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He had two goals and six points in seven games, but was injured and returned to the Giants.
He leads the Giants with 11 points in 10 playoff games.
"Once he got there," Constantine said, "they really started to dominate and were the best team in the league over the last four months."
Note
• Several Everett players are listed among the final rankings by the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau, with C Peter Mueller ranked sixth, the highest of any player in the WHL. Other ranked Silvertips are: Ondrej Fiala (14), Brady Calla (28), Graham Potuer (43) and Jonathan Harty (121). Leland Irving is second among goaltenders from North America.
The NHL draft is June 24 in Vancouver.
Everett vs. Vancouver
The best-of-seven Western Hockey League playoff series opens tonight.
Date Site, Time
Tonight At Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday At Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Tuesday At Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Thursday At Everett, 7:05 p.m.
April 29 *At Vancouver, 7 p.m.
May 1 *At Everett, 7:05 p.m.
May 2 *At Vancouver, 7 p.m.
By Jim Riley
Special to The Seattle Times
The Everett Silvertips will check in as big underdogs when the Western Conference finals of the Western Hockey League playoffs begin at 7:30 tonight at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, B.C.
They wouldn't have it any other way.
The Silvertips, who will take on the Vancouver Giants, weren't favored to win most of their eight WHL playoff series but prevailed in six of them.
The Giants not only earned 15 more points in the regular season (100-85) to earn home-ice advantage for the series, they also feature Gilbert Brule, who has NHL experience, on their front line.
"We realize what we have to overcome," Everett's Shaun Heshka said. "They have a lot of skilled players, and we have to find a way to win one in their building and come home and do something magical."
But, he said, Everett knows how to win in the postseason.
"Our team excels in the playoffs," Heshka said. "A lot of it has to do with preparation; the coaches put in countless hours in on video. And then it comes down to detail and discipline."
The Silvertips beat the Giants in four of their six regular-season meetings, but Everett coach Kevin Constantine is quick to discount those results.
"The regular season doesn't mean crap now," he said. "In two of our wins, we outscored them, but they outplayed us. The only thing we did right in those games was to sneak in some goals in games we really didn't play very well."
John Lammers, who hails from the Vancouver suburb of Langley, had eight goals and six assists for Everett in those eight games. He also had a pair of hat tricks in front of plenty of family and friends at Pacific Coliseum.
"He was kind of like our team against Vancouver," Constantine said. "He got points, but I don't think he had some of his better games of the year. It's typical of what we did."
Constantine said Brule turned the Giants from a very good team to great.
Brule started the season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He had two goals and six points in seven games, but was injured and returned to the Giants.
He leads the Giants with 11 points in 10 playoff games.
"Once he got there," Constantine said, "they really started to dominate and were the best team in the league over the last four months."
Note
• Several Everett players are listed among the final rankings by the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau, with C Peter Mueller ranked sixth, the highest of any player in the WHL. Other ranked Silvertips are: Ondrej Fiala (14), Brady Calla (28), Graham Potuer (43) and Jonathan Harty (121). Leland Irving is second among goaltenders from North America.
The NHL draft is June 24 in Vancouver.
Everett vs. Vancouver
The best-of-seven Western Hockey League playoff series opens tonight.
Date Site, Time
Tonight At Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday At Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Tuesday At Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Thursday At Everett, 7:05 p.m.
April 29 *At Vancouver, 7 p.m.
May 1 *At Everett, 7:05 p.m.
May 2 *At Vancouver, 7 p.m.