EVERETT — The unbalanced schedule of the Western Hockey League rarely offers the sort of treat that awaits Western Hockey League fans Friday at Xfinity Arena.
That would be a head-to-head matchup of the Western Conference-leading Everett Silvertips and the Eastern Conference-leading Medicine Hat Tigers.
The Tips (19-3-4-0, 42 points) face Eastern Conference opponents such as Medicine Hat (21-5-1-0, 43 points) only once per season and the teams alternate making the long bus ride each year.
Just 2,716 fans witnessed Everett’s 5-0 dismantling of the Kootenay Ice on Wednesday. Friday’s crowd likely will be far larger, but the Everett coaching staff isn’t counting on the fans to make the difference.
“Sometimes a crowd can get you going, sometimes a rivalry can get you going, none of which as an athlete you should depend on because those are external influences and an athlete should be 99 percent internally motivated,” Tips head coach Kevin Constantine said after Wednesday’s game. “(But) it’s sports, and people like to play in big games in front of big crowds.”
The Tigers topped Eastern Conference cellar-dwelling Prince Albert 4-1 for their 10th straight win Tuesday before leaving southeast Alberta for the Pacific Northwest. Everett’s win Wednesday was its fourth straight.
“We’ll enjoy this win, but we’re obviously thinking about (Medicine Hat) now,” Everett defenseman Kevin Davis said. “They’re a good team. They score a lot of goals — I know that for sure.
“I’m excited for (Friday).”
The Tigers do indeed score a lot of goals. Their 5.11 goals per game ranks second in the WHL behind Regina’s 5.30 average.
The Tigers have seven players who have scored 12 or more goals. The Tips have none, and have just two players, Dominic Zwerger and Patrick Bajkov, who have scored more than 10 times.
Medicine Hat has 10 players with 23 or more points while Everett has two: the aforementioned Zwerger and Bajkov.
Suffice to say there are a few Medicine Hat names worth watching Friday.
Mason Shaw (five goals, 35 assists), Chad Butcher (12 goals, 27 assists), David Quenneville (13 goals, 20 assists), Steven Owre (seven goals, 26 assists) and Matt Bradley (14 goals, 17 assists) are all names worth noting. All five players have 31 or more points. Bajkov is the only Silvertip with 31 points.
Friday’s game may well feature the irresistible force paradox: What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?
Everett boasts the hottest and arguably the best goalie in the WHL and CHL in Carter Hart. The two-time defending WHL Goaltender of the Week and reigning CHL Goaltender of the Week has recorded three straight shutouts and brings a 14-3-3-0 record, and a league-leading .1.59 goals-against average and .939 save percentage.
Medicine Hat’s netminder is Nick Schneider, who leads the WHL in wins and sports a 19-2-1-0 record with a 2.62 GAA and a .908 save percentage.
Last year the Tigers knocked off the Tips 2-1 at the Canalta Centre in Medicine Hat.
Since the two franchises see one another only once a year, there isn’t much history between the teams, though the Tigers swept the Tips in Everett’s lone trip to the WHL finals in 2004.
Likely no current Medicine Hat or Everett player remembers that.
But the man behind the bench in 2004? None other than Kevin Constantine.
More honors for Hart
Hart was named the WHL Goaltender of the Month for November, the league announced Tuesday. The netminder was 6-1-2-0 in November with a 1.11 GAA and a .959 save percentage. This is the second time Hart has been named hte WHL Goaltender of the Month after earning the honor last November.
For the latest Silvertips news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter.
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