TALKING POINTS
This is not the type of trend a team wants to set.
Everett once again found itself with a one-goal lead late in the third period. Once again the Tips couldn’t hold it, allowing the tying goal in the final moments. And once again Everett dropped a point by losing the shootout.
This was the fourth time in the past five games Everett has allowed a late tying goal, and it’s the third time in the past four games the Tips lost in a shootout. Every one of those were at home.
Everett actually clinched a playoff spot tonight, stretching its record of making the playoffs in every season in franchise history to 12. However, that was small consolation for the Tips.
Everett was clearly missing the presence of Noah Juulsen on the blue line. Juulsen missed the game because of a minor lower-body injury, and Everett struggled to adjust. The defensive pairings were all switched up, and they never looked fully comfortable. The Tips also missed Juulsen on the power play. Cole MacDonald took Juulsen’s spot on the point and although MacDonald has a good shot, he’s a lefty shooter instead of a righty like Juulsen, and as a result he couldn’t one-time feeds from Ivan Nikolishin the way Juulsen can.
But that’s hardly an excuse considering all the key players Tri-City was missing. These games against a banged-up Tri-City team with a below-.500 record were ones Everett needed to handle if it wants to be a division champion. Instead, the Tips dropped three of their four meetings with the Americans over the past two weeks. With Portland winning 5-2 against Vancouver tonight, the Winterhawks have crept one point closer to the Tips at the top of the U.S. Division standings, now trailing by just five points with both teams having 14 games remaining.
TURNING POINT
With 3:04 remaining in regulation Everett was leading 1-0 and neither team was generating much in the way of scoring chances. But the Americans got the puck to Justin Gutierrez in front and he was stoned by Everett goaltender Austin Lotz. However, in the ensuing chaos, the puck came out to Parker Wotherspoon at the point. Wotherspoon had enough space to line up his shot and pick out the corner, tying it up and eventually consigning Everett to another loss from a leading position.
THREE STARS
First star: Eric Comrie, Tri-City. 30 saves, didn’t allow any rebounds.
Second star: Carson Stadnyk, Everett. One goal, it was a nice one.
Third star: Lotz. 26 saves, bailed out his defense on one or two occasions.
The Herald’s honorable mention: Lucas Nickles, Tri-City. One assist, he was a handful because of his skating.
BOX SCORE
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