PG Reminds Tips of Dark Days
from Heraldnet.com
Dredging up dark memories
Today's game against Prince George evokes flashbacks of the most humbling moment in Everett Silvertips' history.
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
EVERETT -- The last time the Prince George Cougars visited Comcast Arena was perhaps the darkest day in Everett Silvertips franchise history:
April 14, 2007. Game 5 of the second-round playoff series between the Silvertips and the Prince George Cougars.
Everett was the top-ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League and the Silvertips were expected to carve a path straight to the Memorial Cup. Prince George was a team largely considered an underachiever, barely breaking .500 during the regular season.
The teams split the first four games of the best-of-seven series, each winning its two home games. Game 5 was well on its way to continuing that theme as the Tips took a seemingly secure 3-0 lead into the third period.
And then Everett's house came crashing down.
Prince George scored four goals in 10 minutes to snatch victory away from the Tips in stunning fashion.
Sure, it wasn't until two days later when the Cougars throttled the Tips 8-2 in Prince George that the dream officially died for Everett.
But make no mistake, that series -- and hence what should have been Everett's greatest season -- was over the moment Chris Durand scored Prince George's fourth goal in Game 5.
Although its a new season and the teams have completely changed, for those who experienced it, Game 5 still will be on the mind when the teams face off again tonight and Saturday.
"It wasn't a very fun time for any of us, obviously," said Everett goaltender Leland Irving, who was the unfortunate victim of the Cougars' four Game 5 goals. "We had that series under control and the turning point was that game. For the guys coming back, it's still pretty fresh in our memories."
Said Everett captain Jonathan Harty: "Yeah, that was probably the darkest moment since I've been around, for sure. We blew it in the third. You've got to play a full 60 minutes no matter what. That's why hockey is three periods long."
Both teams have undergone major transformations since that fateful Game 5. Everett no longer has the services of star center Peter Mueller and finds itself in the middle of the pack, currently sitting sixth in the Western Conference. Prince George has fallen out of the playoff hunt at ninth in the West, and the Cougars have just seven players remaining from last season's team.
Both teams also have more pressing concerns than a playoff game from 10 months earlier. Everett needs a win after losing its past five and surrendering fifth place in the conference to the Seattle Thunderbirds. Prince George is just trying to find a way to be competitive on a nightly basis after selling off key components at the trade deadline.
Nevertheless, when the teams take the ice tonight those Tips who took part in Game 5 will still remember the sting.
"For myself I can't think of a lower point," Irving said. "It was tough seeing a couple guys like Brady Calla and Cody Thoring leave this team (when traded last season), but that game is something we'll have on our minds each and every shift out there. Hopefully that will be enough to get these guys motivated to keep us going for 60 minutes."
And for some, getting that full 60 minutes is much more on the mind than Game 5.
"That playoff series to me, I erased it from my mind the minute it ended," said Everett coach John Becanic, who was the associate head coach under Kevin Constantine at the time. "Now this year I'm in a different role with the organization and I really don't think about it. I'm just thinking about how we can get out of a five-game losing streak. It doesn't matter if it's Prince George (tonight), Calgary or Vancouver, we're going to focus on winning that game."
Slap shots: Everett addressed its injury crisis on defense by calling up 1990-born defenseman Brenden Stephen. Stephen, a 6-foot-7 native of Vanderhoof, B.C., has four goals, six assists and 11 penalty minutes in 45 games this season for Princeton of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. Stephan's presence helps ease the pressure from the loss of defensemen Taylor Ellington (foot), Graham Potuer (flu) and Mike Alexander (shoulder). ... Everett will be getting one player back from injury as center Vitaly Karamnov is set to return after missing five games with a bruised shoulder. ... The Tips again had travel difficulties. They were forced to spend Wednesday night in Ritzville after being unable to make it home following Wednesday's 4-1 loss in Spokane. Last week Everett had all kinds of trouble traveling to and from a game in Kelowna, B.C.
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