Published: Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Silvertips not resting on home-ice edge
Despite gaining the home-ice advantage with Saturday night's win, Everett players and coaches say there's still a lot of work to do.
EVERETT -- Technically speaking, by splitting the first two games of their first-round playoff series against the Tri-City Americans, the Everett Silvertips wrested away home-ice advantage.
Just don't tell the Silvertips that.
Although Everett can now win the best-of-seven series simply by winning its home games, the Tips do not consider themselves in the home-ice driver's seat.
"Honestly, I'm not placing a lot of emphasis on home-ice advantage," Everett coach John Becanic said. "If you do that and split at home, then it's a bit of a mental block for people because they think you lost something. It takes four to win."
Everett, the seventh seed in the Western Conference, achieved a split in the first two games against the second-seeded Americans, falling 6-5 in overtime in Game 1 and prevailing 3-2 in Game 2, both in Kennewick.
The series now shifts to Everett for Games 3 and 4, which take place Wednesday and Friday, respectively. With a possible three games remaining at Comcast Arena in Everett and just two at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, the home-ice advantage has shifted toward Everett.
"It's a different series now," Tri-City coach Don Nachbaur said following Saturday's Game 2. "They've regained home-ice advantage, and any time that happens it gives that team confidence."
Confidence? Yes. Home-ice advantage? Maybe not. During the regular season Everett notched both its victories against Tri-City at home, yet the Tips still only finished 2-3 at home against the Americans, with one of those wins coming in a shootout. There are no shootouts in the playoffs.
Therefore, although the Tips are sleeping in their own beds and will have the fans behind them, they don't consider themselves in control against the heavily-favored Americans.
"The split is always huge," Tips defenseman Taylor Ellington said. "Any time you're playing a team as good as Tri-City and you get a split, it's a confidence boost. But we can't get too high or too low."
Added Becanic: "We're still playing a team that had 49 wins (in the regular season). I'm not putting any emphasis on the home-ice advantage. I think it's just important we won one of the first two games because now the mountain doesn't seem so difficult to climb."
There is one specific advantage Everett will have now that it's playing at home: The Tips will be able to make the last line change after whistles. That means Everett will be better able to dictate the on-ice matchups.
That's particularly important for an Everett team that is not deep. The Tips will be more capable of matching overage defensemen Ellington and Graham Potuer against Tri-City's top offensive players. The Tips will also be able to avoid having its fourth line overwhelmed. That was particularly problematic during the second period of Game 1, when the Tips got caught with bad matchups and gave up three straight goals to the Americans.
"We had our fourth line out several times where (Nachbaur) quickly got his top line out there, and there's nothing you can do about it except try to get them off the ice. In the second period (when the teams have the long line change) it's 150 feet and that's a long way to go."
And while the Tips aren't emphasizing home-ice advantage, neither are the Americans.
"We won't change," Nachbaur said. "I'm pretty happy with how we played tonight outside of the loss. We have a lot of pride in that locker room and we'll keep marching on."
Nick Patterson's Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog
Just don't tell the Silvertips that.
Although Everett can now win the best-of-seven series simply by winning its home games, the Tips do not consider themselves in the home-ice driver's seat.
"Honestly, I'm not placing a lot of emphasis on home-ice advantage," Everett coach John Becanic said. "If you do that and split at home, then it's a bit of a mental block for people because they think you lost something. It takes four to win."
Everett, the seventh seed in the Western Conference, achieved a split in the first two games against the second-seeded Americans, falling 6-5 in overtime in Game 1 and prevailing 3-2 in Game 2, both in Kennewick.
The series now shifts to Everett for Games 3 and 4, which take place Wednesday and Friday, respectively. With a possible three games remaining at Comcast Arena in Everett and just two at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, the home-ice advantage has shifted toward Everett.
"It's a different series now," Tri-City coach Don Nachbaur said following Saturday's Game 2. "They've regained home-ice advantage, and any time that happens it gives that team confidence."
Confidence? Yes. Home-ice advantage? Maybe not. During the regular season Everett notched both its victories against Tri-City at home, yet the Tips still only finished 2-3 at home against the Americans, with one of those wins coming in a shootout. There are no shootouts in the playoffs.
Therefore, although the Tips are sleeping in their own beds and will have the fans behind them, they don't consider themselves in control against the heavily-favored Americans.
"The split is always huge," Tips defenseman Taylor Ellington said. "Any time you're playing a team as good as Tri-City and you get a split, it's a confidence boost. But we can't get too high or too low."
Added Becanic: "We're still playing a team that had 49 wins (in the regular season). I'm not putting any emphasis on the home-ice advantage. I think it's just important we won one of the first two games because now the mountain doesn't seem so difficult to climb."
There is one specific advantage Everett will have now that it's playing at home: The Tips will be able to make the last line change after whistles. That means Everett will be better able to dictate the on-ice matchups.
That's particularly important for an Everett team that is not deep. The Tips will be more capable of matching overage defensemen Ellington and Graham Potuer against Tri-City's top offensive players. The Tips will also be able to avoid having its fourth line overwhelmed. That was particularly problematic during the second period of Game 1, when the Tips got caught with bad matchups and gave up three straight goals to the Americans.
"We had our fourth line out several times where (Nachbaur) quickly got his top line out there, and there's nothing you can do about it except try to get them off the ice. In the second period (when the teams have the long line change) it's 150 feet and that's a long way to go."
And while the Tips aren't emphasizing home-ice advantage, neither are the Americans.
"We won't change," Nachbaur said. "I'm pretty happy with how we played tonight outside of the loss. We have a lot of pride in that locker room and we'll keep marching on."
Nick Patterson's Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog
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