Games 42 & 44 Vs. Vancouver

[Tipped Off]

The Tips announcers were called on the after game show about the announcement and the ambulance and said there was nothing in the Tips locker room that warranted an ambulance so, unless anyone else has information, I'm going to edit my earlier posts about this.

[ihlemic10]

I agree with the Sonne not needing the 3rd man in. He was standing up for the helpless Harty. Hopefully no suspension for that, but we will have to see what the League does.

[Beaner]

The Tips announcers were called on the after game show about the announcement and the ambulance and said there was nothing in the Tips locker room that warranted an ambulance so, unless anyone else has information, I'm going to edit my earlier posts about this.

That means no ambulance needed by either team then I hope.

As to Sonne getting the third man in, its a tough break. But not much choice for the ref to call that.

Sonne will probably get a game for it.

Will also depend on if this is his 3rd game misconduct of the year as that automatically comes with a 1 game suspension.

[ihlemic10]

That means no ambulance needed by either team then I hope.

As to Sonne getting the third man in, its a tough break. But not much choice for the ref to call that.

Sonne will probably get a game for it.

Will also depend on if this is his 3rd game misconduct of the year as that automatically comes with a 1 game suspension.

Not whining, but is there anything for hitting a guy when he is down like that or Sexsmith going up high on Sonne as he skated by?

[Tipped Off]

I'm pretty sure it's not his 3rd Gamer on the year, but I'm also pretty sure he'll get the game suspension for 3rd man in. Usually pretty automatic.

McCardle seemed to have an edge to him tonight. He wanted to yap and go with anyone...twice knocking the linesman arm off of him when trying to be restrained. Lucic was pretty much a ghost. He got an assist on a goal, but I almost didn't even notice him tonight.

Hopefully Hamill will be back on Sunday. I have a feeling some of the guys will be pretty sore after this one and a normally Tri-Cities team they travel to play tomorrow.

[Tipped Off]

The Sexsmith one is an on ice judgement by the official. Unless there's something really outstanding, nothing is going to come of it. Remember, goalies are like QB's in the NFL...they are protected. Next time maybe Sonne won't skate so close to him...which is exactly the message Sexsmith was sending. Reekie does that a lot.

As for Watt...I guess that could be something that is reviewed by the league, but I doubt anything will come of it. It is a fight after all. The Tips announcers were just talking about how it shows a lack of sportsmanship and class. One of those "unwritten rules" if you will. When a guy is one the ice and covering up, you don;t pound him. But, you go in a fight you get what's coming. You've got to be able to carry it out. Don't bank on someone following unwritten (or written for that matter) rules.

[Beaner]

Not whining, but is there anything for hitting a guy when he is down like that or Sexsmith going up high on Sonne as he skated by?

Well considering Watt didnt get a misconduct I doubt it. KC may send in the tape.

I have no doubt Watt was pounding on the down and out Harty. Im no Watt fan, its completely within his character to do something like that.

As to Sexsmith smacking Sonne? Radio guys said nothing about that, so I cant really comment.

[Beaner]

As for Watt...I guess that could be something that is reviewed by the league, but I doubt anything will come of it. It is a fight after all. The Tips announcers were just talking about how it shows a lack of sportsmanship and class. One of those "unwritten rules" if you will. When a guy is one the ice and covering up, you don;t pound him. But, you go in a fight you get what's coming. You've got to be able to carry it out. Don't bank on someone following unwritten (or written for that matter) rules.

Watt doesnt think the rules apply to him, written or unwritten.

[Tipped Off]

Tips, Giants wage war
Harper leads Everett over Vancouver in penalty-filled game

By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer


EVERETT - The rivalry between the Everett Silvertips and Vancouver Giants has become a war.

And sometimes in war, it's the unsung warrior who becomes a hero.

Enter Shane Harper.

A fourth-line player, Harper was called upon to shoulder a heavier burden because of circumstance, and he delivered with a goal and two assists as Everett defeated Vancouver 4-2 Friday night at the Everett Events Center.

In a game with playoff intensity that had posturing after about every whistle and ended in a brawl, it was Harper who stepped up to lead Everett in a game between the top two teams in the entire Canadian Hockey League.

"I didn't have any big expectations, but to help the team in any way is great," Harper said. "To pop one in is good. It was a new line for me and it worked out pretty well."

Dan Gendur, Dane Crowley and Peter Mueller also scored for Everett (35-7-0-1), which improved to 3-0 against the defending league champions this season.

Everett goaltender Leland Irving wasn't at his sharpest, but still made 35 saves to earn the victory.

Tim Kraus and Wacey Rabbit scored for Vancouver (29-10-3-4), which lost for the fifth time in its past seven games.

"It was definitely a playoff atmosphere, a really intense game," said Vancouver left wing and former Silvertip Michael Wuchterl. "There was a scrum every whistle. But that's good hockey and those are fun games to play in."

For the third straight time Everett and Vancouver played to a virtual deadlock, but for the third straight time it was Everett that found a way to come out on top.

And although it didn't seem possible, Friday's game took the rivalry's intensity meter up another notch as a total of 154 penalty minutes were handed out between the two teams.

"That's intense," said Crowley, who was experiencing the Everett-Vancouver rivalry for the first time since arriving at the trade deadline from Swift Current. "There's nothing quite like that in the east.

"I haven't even played against them and I don't like them already."

Harper came into the game with just eight points in 31 games. However, he played a crucial role in Everett prevailing this time. Filling in at center on one of Everett's top lines for an ill Zach Hamill, Harper broke a scoreless tie with a goal early in the second period, then made the passes that set up Everett's second and third goals.

"He's filled in at center a couple other times and had done an OK job doing that," Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. "He came up with a great night for us.

"He's very capable offensively, always has been," Constantine added. "I really hope for him he can have a great second half."

Everett opened the scoring on the power play 6 minutes, 6 seconds into the second period. Sexsmith misplayed a pass behind the net, allowing Brandon Campos to send the puck out front for Harper to tip in and make it 1-0.

Harper was at it again at 14:20 to make it 2-0. He circled behind the net before feeding Gendur in the right slot. Gendur's backhander slipped past Sexsmith to double Everett's lead.

The Tips gave one back at 18:11. Kraus skated into the zone on the right and wristed a shot toward the near post. Irving appeared to anticipate pass, putting himself out of position, and as a result he ended up turning the shot into the top of his own net, making it 2-1.

Everett restored its two-goal cushion 1:15 into the third period. Harper found the puck in the corner and sent it to the center point to Crowley, who took a peek before sneaking a shot over Sexsmith's glove.

The Giants got back within one again at 7:47 when, just after a Vancouver power play expired, Michal Repik fed a pass from behind the net out front that Rabbit forced in.

But Mueller scored a crucial insurance goal at 13:42, skating the length of the ice and wristing a shot into the top corner.

Slap shots: With Everett goaltender David Reekie scratched because of a sprained ankle, 15-year-old Brett Gagnon served as Irving's backup. Gagnon, Everett's 11th-round pick in the 2006 bantam draft, arrived from Winnipeg, Manitoba, just hours before the game. ... Vancouver right wing Spencer Machacek, who was questionable because of a concussion, played. ... Silvertips management was not happy that a game between the top two teams in the CHL was officiated by just one referee.

At Everett Events Center

Vancouver 0 1 1 - 2

Everett 0 2 2 - 4

First Period-No goals. Penalties-Campos, Everett (hold stick), 1:40; Kraus, Vancouver (interference), 2:42; Sonne, Everett (interference), 3:31; Bouma, Vancouver (roughing), 9:07; Vartovnik, Everett (unsportsmanlike conduct), 12:52; Gendur, Everett (slashing), 15:27; Blum, Vancouver (holding), 18:39; Franson, Vancouver (high sticking), 20:00; Beach, Everett (roughing), 20:00.

Second Period-1, Everett, Harper 2 (Campos), 6:06 (pp). 2, Everett, Gendur 10 (Harper, Zetariuk), 14:20. 3, Vancouver, Kraus 13 (Rabbit), 18:11. Penalties-McArdle, Vancouver (unsportsmanlike conduct), 3:43; Gutierrez, Everett (unsportsmanlike conduct), 3:43; Kraus, Vancouver (playing without helmet), 4:21; McArdle, Vancouver (fighting-10-minute misconduct), 5:48; Gutierrez, Everett (fighting-10-minute misconduct), 5:48; Sexsmith, Vancouver (delay of game, served by Lucic), 8:27; Kraus, Vancouver (roughing), 11:39; Gendur, Everett (roughing), 11:39; Wuchterl, Vancouver (clipping), 15:10; Harty, Everett (cross-checking), 18:42.

Third Period-4, Everett, Crowley 6 (Gendur, Harper), 1:15. 5, Vancouver, Rabbit 2 (Repik, Lucic), 7:47. 6, Everett, Mueller 10 (Gutierrez, Fiala), 13:42. Penalties-Campos, Everett (holding), 5:38; McArdle, Vancouver (holding), 6:19; Dailey, Everett (roughing), 6:19; Bouma, Vancouver (fighting), 14:02; Beach, Everett (fighting), 14:02; Lucic, Vancouver (slashing), 14:27; Watt, Vancouver (cross-checking), 17:57; McArdle, Vancouver (roughing-roughing-10-minute misconduct), 20:00; Watt, Vancouver (fighting), 20:00; Alexander, Everett (10-minute misconduct), 20:00; Harty, Everett (fighting), 20:00; Sonne, Everett (roughing-roughing-unsportsmanlike conduct-10-minute misconduct-game misconduct), 20:00.

Shots on goal-Vancouver 14-14-9-37. Everett 9-10-7-26. Power-play opportunities-Vancouver 0 of 6. Everett 1 of 7.

Goalies-Vancouver, Sexsmith 19-7-2-3 (26 shots, 22 saves). Everett, Irving 20-4-0-1 (37 shots, 35 saves).

A-8,277.

[Tipped Off]

Classic power struggle
More memorable Everett-Vancouver battles ahead

By Rich Myhre
Herald Writer

EVERETT - Three games in the books, three games yet to play between the Everett Silvertips and the Vancouver Giants in this Western Hockey League regular season.

Somehow, though, you get the feeling there might be more down the road.

The two WHL powers tangled on Friday night, with Everett pulling out a rugged 4-2 victory over the rival Giants before a rowdy gathering at the Everett Events Center. They meet again in Vancouver on Sunday night and then twice more later in the season.

But all these regular-season meetings may be nothing more than skirmishes, with the real battle still to come in the upcoming league playoffs. Somehow, an Everett-Vancouver playoff series, perhaps in the Western Conference finals, seems more likely than not.

And what a clash it would be.

"It would be a war," said Everett's Kyle Beach. "They'd be some of the hardest games we've ever played, some of the most physical games we've ever played."

Everett, of course, is still smarting from last season's playoff showdown with the Giants. That series was a sweep for Vancouver, which went on to win the WHL championship.

This year, it seems, the Silvertips are bigger, stronger and better prepared to match up with Vancouver.

"That's a big key, coming out and matching their physical play," said Everett's Brennan Sonne of the Giants. "Theyre an unbelievable physical team. For anyone to have a chance against them, you have to come out and at least match their physical play."

Should Everett and Vancouver end up in another playoff series, "I would imagine it would be much the same as it was tonight," Sonne said. "Probably more intense, probably more of that same feeling in the air, and more physical I'm sure."

Everett won the first meeting between the teams this season, a 2-1 shootout decision at Vancouver on Dec. 15. One night later, the Silvertips won again, this time a 3-2 outcome in overtime.

Of course, a 3-0 season edge for Everett will mean zip once the puck is dropped in a Tips-Giants playoff series.

Those three wins "are meaningless to me," acknowledged Everett coach Kevin Constantine. "I would trade their 4-0 sweep last year for our regular season games (this season)."

Everett and Vancouver both bolstered their rosters prior to last week's WHL trade deadline, obviously with an eye to the playoffs. The Silvertips picked up beefy defensemen Dane Crowley and Jesse Zetariuk, acquisitions that clearly put them on more of an even physical footing with the Giants.

Vancouver, meanwhile, added forward Wacey Rabbit, defenseman A.J. Thelen and former Silvertips winger Mike Wuchterl.

So, how much better are the Giants?

"I think it's too early to tell," Vancouver coach Don Hay said. "We've not even been able to practice everybody because you make trades, you're on the road for three games in three nights, then there was the Prospects game and three players left the team. So I don't know if we'll really see our team until sometime in February."

Bringing in new players like that means "we have to give these guys time to really blend in. When we're used to each other, then we can see what kind of chemistry we have and how everybody fits in," he said.

"We want to be able to be a very competitive team in the playoffs," Hay added.

Any time the Tips and Giants get together, of course, it's a feisty affair. On Friday, Everett's Moises Gutierrez and Vancouver's Kenndal McArdle dropped the gloves early in the second period. Late in the game, and with the Silvertips enjoying their eventual two-goal margin, Beach battled with Vancouver's Lance Bouma, leaving a good bit of the latter's blood on the ice.

Then, after the final horn, several players punched and jostled before heading to the locker rooms.

All the rough stuff aside, "I think both teams respect each other," Hay said. "Both organizations have shown that they've been very competitive.

"I always enjoy playing against Everett," he went on, "because it makes our team better. We know we have to be prepared. We have to be able to match their execution. We have to be at the top of their game."