Published: Friday, February 10, 2012
Wins give Silvertips a positive outlook
EVERETT -- The Everett Silvertips returned to the mainland Thursday after their two-game jaunt to Vancouver Island. And on the ferry ride Thursday morning, there was a quiet sense of achievement.
Everett is coming off crucial back-to-back victories over the Victoria Royals, and the Tips are feeling good about getting themselves back in the playoff race.
"Everyone is really positive," Tips winger Ryan Harrison said Thursday afternoon via cell phone from Vancouver, where the Tips play the first of a home-and-home set against the Giants. "We took an early ferry, so no one was too hyper. But we're a happy team right now and looking forward to another sweep of Vancouver. That would definitely put is in the thick of things."
Everett beat the Royals by identical 3-2 scores Tuesday and Wednesday, and now the Tips are well and truly in the middle of the playoff race. Once 10 points off at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, the Tips have climbed to ninth place with 37 points, just three behind Seattle and Victoria, which are tied in seventh. Seattle has played one less game than Everett, Victoria has played two more. Eight teams make the playoffs.
There's plenty of opportunity for the Tips to directly make up that gap, too. Everett's remaining 18 games include four against Seattle and two against Victoria.
And it was two solid performances at Victoria that put the Tips in that position.
"The kids came out and played hard in both games," Everett coach Mark Ferner said. "When you play back-to-back games against the same team it's always hard to come away with two victories. But the kids played well. They competed for 60 minutes. Even when bad things happened they responded in a good way."
Two players in particular stepped up to the challenge.
Harrison was a big factor in both victories, totaling three goals and an assist in the two contests. He scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in both games. Ferner said Harrison's performance Wednesday, when he had two goals, may have been his best of the season.
That extended what's been a hot stretch for Harrison. The 19-year-old has eight goals and 18 assists in his past 22 games. With 40 points total, he's moved within five of Josh Birkholz for the team lead in scoring.
"It was nice to get the goals," Harrison said. "I just happened to get in the right spot at the right time and was able to make a few plays happen. It's a good feeling getting the game-winners and winning for the boys."
The other standout was goaltender Kent Simpson. The 19-year-old has had a roller-coaster season, but he was strong in both games in Victoria, saving 29 of 31 shots in each contest. He did his best work in both games in the third period, helping preserve Everett's leads as the Royals pushed hard in comeback efforts.
"He was just solid," Ferner said of Simpson. "We did a good job keeping the shots down in the first and second periods. Then they turned it up in the third and he made the saves he needed to -- and he made some darn good saves to help hold it for us."
Another player who had a notable two games was Carson Stadnyk. The 16-year-old was called up for the two games to help cover for injuries up front. Despite it being his first two career WHL games, he gave the Tips some useful minutes.
"He was really good," Ferner said of Stadnyk. "If we had a little more finish, he would have had three or four points in the two games. He was responsible in his own end, he competed hard and he made some nice plays."
Slap shots
Tips winger Jordyn Boyd is questionable for tonight's game. Boyd sat out Wednesday's game after he had to be helped off the ice following a hard hit by Victoria's Tyler Stahl in Tuesday's contest. Stahl received a charging major penalty and game misconduct for the hit. Boyd joins forwards JT Barnett (knee), Manraj Hayer (concussion) and Zach McPhee (head) on Everett's injury list. ... Despite the continuing injury issues up front, Stadnyk has returned to his midget team in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Ferner said that if Boyd is unable to go tonight, the Tips will call up one of their Vancouver-area prospects to fill out the lineup. ... Tonight's game is being televised live on ROOT Sports. It is the second of Everett's three televised games this season, including the second consecutive Friday.
Check out Nick Patterson's Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at NickHPatterson.
Everett is coming off crucial back-to-back victories over the Victoria Royals, and the Tips are feeling good about getting themselves back in the playoff race.
"Everyone is really positive," Tips winger Ryan Harrison said Thursday afternoon via cell phone from Vancouver, where the Tips play the first of a home-and-home set against the Giants. "We took an early ferry, so no one was too hyper. But we're a happy team right now and looking forward to another sweep of Vancouver. That would definitely put is in the thick of things."
Everett beat the Royals by identical 3-2 scores Tuesday and Wednesday, and now the Tips are well and truly in the middle of the playoff race. Once 10 points off at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, the Tips have climbed to ninth place with 37 points, just three behind Seattle and Victoria, which are tied in seventh. Seattle has played one less game than Everett, Victoria has played two more. Eight teams make the playoffs.
There's plenty of opportunity for the Tips to directly make up that gap, too. Everett's remaining 18 games include four against Seattle and two against Victoria.
And it was two solid performances at Victoria that put the Tips in that position.
"The kids came out and played hard in both games," Everett coach Mark Ferner said. "When you play back-to-back games against the same team it's always hard to come away with two victories. But the kids played well. They competed for 60 minutes. Even when bad things happened they responded in a good way."
Two players in particular stepped up to the challenge.
Harrison was a big factor in both victories, totaling three goals and an assist in the two contests. He scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in both games. Ferner said Harrison's performance Wednesday, when he had two goals, may have been his best of the season.
That extended what's been a hot stretch for Harrison. The 19-year-old has eight goals and 18 assists in his past 22 games. With 40 points total, he's moved within five of Josh Birkholz for the team lead in scoring.
"It was nice to get the goals," Harrison said. "I just happened to get in the right spot at the right time and was able to make a few plays happen. It's a good feeling getting the game-winners and winning for the boys."
The other standout was goaltender Kent Simpson. The 19-year-old has had a roller-coaster season, but he was strong in both games in Victoria, saving 29 of 31 shots in each contest. He did his best work in both games in the third period, helping preserve Everett's leads as the Royals pushed hard in comeback efforts.
"He was just solid," Ferner said of Simpson. "We did a good job keeping the shots down in the first and second periods. Then they turned it up in the third and he made the saves he needed to -- and he made some darn good saves to help hold it for us."
Another player who had a notable two games was Carson Stadnyk. The 16-year-old was called up for the two games to help cover for injuries up front. Despite it being his first two career WHL games, he gave the Tips some useful minutes.
"He was really good," Ferner said of Stadnyk. "If we had a little more finish, he would have had three or four points in the two games. He was responsible in his own end, he competed hard and he made some nice plays."
Slap shots
Tips winger Jordyn Boyd is questionable for tonight's game. Boyd sat out Wednesday's game after he had to be helped off the ice following a hard hit by Victoria's Tyler Stahl in Tuesday's contest. Stahl received a charging major penalty and game misconduct for the hit. Boyd joins forwards JT Barnett (knee), Manraj Hayer (concussion) and Zach McPhee (head) on Everett's injury list. ... Despite the continuing injury issues up front, Stadnyk has returned to his midget team in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Ferner said that if Boyd is unable to go tonight, the Tips will call up one of their Vancouver-area prospects to fill out the lineup. ... Tonight's game is being televised live on ROOT Sports. It is the second of Everett's three televised games this season, including the second consecutive Friday.
Check out Nick Patterson's Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at NickHPatterson.
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