Here’s a breakdown of the best-of-seven first-round Western Hockey League playoff series between the Everett Silvertips, the top seed from the U.S. Division, and the Spokane Chiefs, the top wild-card qualifier:
Offense
Goals scored: Everett 237, Spokane 216
Power play: Everett 24.3 percent, Spokane 23.7 percent
At first glance it seems Everett has the advantage. The Tips scored 21 more goals during the regular season and appear to have more players who are legitimate offensive threats. That includes contributions from defensemen as Everett had three blue-liners tally 30-plus points. The Chiefs had just one.
However, a closer look gives a different read. Despite winning the season series 5-3, Everett outscored the Chiefs by just two goals in the eight head-to-head matchups. Spokane was nearly unstoppable on the power play against the Tips, converting at a blistering 34.8 percent, and Spokane winger Adam Helewka was by far the most effective offensive player in the series, notching eight goals and seven assists in the eight games. The Chiefs also caused Everett all kinds of trouble in the Tips’ zone with their aggressive forecheck, leading to Spokane out-shooting the Tips in six of the eight games.
Advantage: even
Defense
Goals allowed: Everett 193, Spokane 228
Penalty kill: Everett 76.6 percent, Spokane 82.6 percent
Everett once again had one of the stingiest defenses in the WHL. Of the league’s 22 teams, only Kelowna allowed fewer goals than the Silvertips.
The goal prevention got even better once Carter Hart grabbed the reins in goal. The 16-year-old rookie carried the load down the stretch, making eight straight starts as Everett held off Portland to win the U.S. Division title, and he ended up leading the league in goals against average at 2.29. Hart is screened by a defense that’s led by a formidable top pairing in overager Ben Betker and NHL draft prospect Noah Juulsen, as well as a forward group that’s adept at blocking shots.
Spokane, in contrast, was a middle-of-the-pack defensive team, and the Chiefs really struggled to keep the scores down during the final two weeks of the regular season — during Spokane’s season-ending five-game losing streak the Chiefs surrendered 29 goals. Spokane’s No. 1 goaltender, Garret Hughson, finished eighth in the league in goals against average at 2.80.
If either starting goaltender struggles, Everett is in a far better position with veteran Austin Lotz, who has two seasons worth of playoff experience, in reserve.
Advantage: Everett
Intangibles
Both these teams overachieved this season. Everett was expected to be a middle-of-the-pack team in the U.S. Division, but wound up winning the division title. Spokane was universally picked to finish dead last in the division and perhaps the entire Western Conference, but surprised everyone by playing solid hockey despite a lack of high-end talent. Both coaches — Everett’s Kevin Constantine and Spokane’s Don Nachbaur — deserve much of the credit for that, and both can draw upon past playoff success.
A year ago, Spokane would have had a huge home-ice advantage. Between March 14, 2010, and March 12, 2014, the Chiefs won 18 straight home games against Everett. However, a victory in the last meeting in Spokane last season seems to have broken the spell and the Tips won three of the four games at Spokane Arena this season.
The Tips definitely head into the postseason with more momentum. Everett finished the regular season 3-0-0-2 in its last five contests, earning the points needed to win the division title. Meanwhile Spokane, with little to play for down the stretch, comes into the playoffs riding a five-game losing streak.
Advantage: Everett
Overall
This is not your typical one-seed-vs.-four-seed matchup. Although Everett finished 23 points ahead of Spokane in the standings, the teams played one another almost dead even during the regular season. Throw out the season finale, which meant nothing and saw both teams rest several top players, and in the seven games between the two teams Everett collected eight points and Spokane took seven, with the Tips outscoring the Chiefs by a single goal.
Everett broke an eight-year banner drought when it claimed the division title this season. The Tips also have gone the same length of time without winning a playoff series, with the last postseason victory coming in the first round in 2007. Who did Everett beat in that instance? None other than Spokane. Are things destined to come full circle?
Prediction: Everett in six games
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