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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   ADDITIONAL ITEMS • Everett Silvertips (External Link) • Schedule (External Link)   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 Silvertips notebook Playoffs on Tips' minds By Nick Patterson Herald Writer EVERETT -- The Everett Silvertips can sense it coming. There it is, lurking just around the corner. The playoffs. With just nine games remaining in the regular season and a playoff berth long since locked up, the Silvertips now find their thoughts drifting toward what awaits them once the postseason arrives. "I think our team's been thinking about the playoffs for quite some time," Everett coach John Becanic said. "Our focal point is continuing to play at a high level heading into the playoffs." It's likely many teams are thinking along the same lines. The league finds itself in an unusual position this season. With three weeks worth of games still remaining, all 16 playoff teams already have been determined. Therefore, there's no one left fighting for their playoff lives, just teams jockeying for position. In the Western Conference, that jockeying has broken down into three groups. Everett is fighting for fourth along with Seattle and Kelowna. Seattle currently leads the race with Kelowna trailing by one point and Everett by four. Vancouver, Tri-City and Spokane find themselves within two points of one another for the top spot. Chilliwack and Kamloops are still battling for seventh. As a result, no one has a clue who their first-round opponent will be -- and there's a lot of scoreboard watching going on. "I think a lot of the guys do standings watch, while some guys couldn't care less, they just go out there and do what they do," Everett center Zach Hamill said. "You kind of want to just focus on what you can control, but at the same time it's human nature to see what other teams are doing." Everett faces a difficult schedule down the stretch. It includes two games against Tri-City, one against Vancouver, and three against a Seattle team the Tips have beaten just once in seven meetings. "I'm glad we've got a harder schedule here down the stretch," Becanic said. "I think that if you play soft teams going into the playoffs it sets you up for a false sense of security. I think our schedule will be a real test for us as to how well we're playing heading into the playoffs." There certainly can't be much complaint at how the Tips are playing at this point. With the exception of two poor games to start the second half, Everett is 17-7-0-1 since the Christmas break, indicating the building of momentum as the playoffs approach. "I like how we're playing, I like how (goaltender Leland Irving) is playing, and I think our best players have been our best players," Becanic said. "You want them to be your best players all year, but certainly at this time of year you want them to be picking it up, and they all seem to be picking it up." Sweating it out: Tuesday's NHL trade deadline might not have much relevance to the WHL, but for Everett's players whose rights are owned by NHL teams -- Hamill (Boston), Irving (Calgary), Taylor Ellington (Vancouver), Dane Crowley (Tampa Bay) and Dan Gendur (Vancouver) -- there was some personal intrigue. "I didn't really think about it until my brother texted me this morning," Hamill said. "He said he was watching TSN (the Canadian equivalent of ESPN) and they were saying the Boston Bruins were looking to get Marian Hossa (from Atlanta) and I guess they said they'd have to give up me. "I guess I've gone through two trade deadlines this year." None of Everett's players were traded. Injury update: It looks as though the Tips will still be down two defensemen for this weekend's games. Defenseman Graham Potuer returns from his two-game suspension to help ease the situation, but Ellington and Mike Alexander remain on the shelf. Alexander, recovering from a shoulder injury, is back practicing with the team. However, Becanic said it was unlikely Alexander would be ready by the weekend. He's expected back next week. Ellington is still wearing a walking boot because of the fractured bone in his foot. He's still at least two weeks away. Fresh faces: Defenseman Paul Sohor and goaltender Andres Walsh skated with the team in practice Tuesday. The 1991-born Sohor played in Friday's 2-1 victory in Spokane as an emergency call-up. He returned to Everett with the team, but is not expected to stay for this weekend's games. The 1990-born Walsh is a recent addition to Everett's protected list. He's a teammate of call-up defenseman Brenden Stephen with the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League's Princeton Posse and is not expected to dress for any games. Nick Patterson's Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog

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