EVERETT — The Everett Silvertips and Portland Winterhawks are in the midst of the interminable wait.
Everett and Portland are taking an unusual break from their playoff series as they wait out the long break between Games 2 and 3.
“I think it’s nice,” Everett overage winger Brayden Low said. “It was a pretty quick turnaround from Spokane (in the first round of the playoffs) to Portland. It gives guys a chance to rest their bodies, get some injuries taken care of, and we’ll be fresh come Thursday.”
The first two games of the series were played at Everett’s Xfinity Arena, with the most recent contest being Saturday’s Game 2, which Portland won 4-3 in overtime to tie the best-of-seven series at one game apiece.
Usually after Game 2 a series will take a day or two off before resuming at the lower-seed’s home for Games 3 and 4. But Portland, of all teams, had issues with building availability.
Portland is the only team in the WHL with two home buildings. When available, the Winterhawks play home games at the Moda Center, the home of the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers. When the Moda Center is unavailable, the Winterhawks cross the street to play at Memorial Coliseum.
However, country music star Garth Brooks is occupying the Moda Center all week, playing five concerts between Sunday and Thursday. Meanwhile, the Craft Brewers Conference is taking place at Memorial Coliseum on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Therefore, the Tips and Winterhawks have four full days off before the series resumes Thursday at Memorial Coliseum.
“I don’t think it really makes any difference,” was Everett coach Kevin Constantine’s reaction to the long break. “It’s nice to get rested up, but they’ve had the exact same schedule as us, so it’s nice for them to get rested up. It’s just the schedule, I don’t think it means much.”
The time off may serve as a welcome respite for both teams. Both went six games in the first round, finishing last Tuesday with overtime victories, meaning there was little off time between series. Everett has played four overtime games in the playoffs already, including three that required multiple overtimes, so the Tips have an opportunity to recover from that. Meanwhile, Portland stars Oliver Bjorkstrand and Nicolas Petan, who log a lot of minutes, get a chance to recharge.
Everett also has injury issues that may be helped by the break. Defenseman Noah Juulsen and winger Dawson Leedahl both missed the first two games of the series because of injuries. It’s possible one or both will be able to return at some point in the series. The long break increases the odds they’ll recover in time for Game 3.
“Both teams have had a bit of a grind, so I don’t think it’s an advantage to either team,” Constantine said.
“It might (help with injuries), but we don’t know if we’re getting any of those guys back,” Constantine added.
Constantine also didn’t think the long break would disrupt the flow of the series.
“The regular season ended and we had a whole week (before the first-round series against Spokane began),” Constantine said. “Did that disrupt the series? I don’t think so. It’s a slightly longer break than most, but I don’t think it means much.”
The other consequence of the long break is that it condenses the back end of the series. If the series ends up going the distance, Everett and Portland will play the final five games over a seven-day stretch. The winner of the series would then likely have just one day off before the Western Conference championship series begins.
“It’s not our main focus,” Low said about the potential crammed schedule. “We’re aware of it, but we’re not hoping for it to go seven, we want to get the job done. If it requires seven fatigue might be a little bit of a factor, but we’re up to the challenge.”
Therefore, the Tips and the Winterhawks are going to take full advantage and rest up now. It may be their last chance to catch their breath for a while.
Check out Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.
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