Everett 8, Seattle 4
Published 10:55 pm Saturday, February 16, 2008
Everett 8, Seattle 4
TALKING POINTS
All I can say about that game is “wow.”
I remember covering a game between these two teams at Comcast Arena earlier this season and thinking I was watching a contest that would have finished 2-1 even if they’d played without goalies. If someone had suggested I’d see 12 goals tonight I would have laughed at them. And eight goals by Everett? The Tips had scored eight goals TOTAL in their previous SIX games against Seattle, all losses. But tonight the Tips charged down that mental block they’ve had against the T-birds this season.
Zach Hamill and Dan Gendur were tremendous tonight for the Tips. Hamill hasn’t always looked like an NHL lottery pick this season, but he sure did tonight. And Gendur was flying out there.
And what a strange night for Everett goaltender Shayne Barrie. That was probably the easiest victory possible for a goalie who got pulled.
TURNING POINT
The game was in doubt until the Tips scored twice in the final minute of the second period to take a 7-4 lead. The first came when Hamill took advantage of a Seattle line change and made a great move around both defender and goalie. The second came when Graham Potuer finished off a two-on-one after a nice feed from Zack Dailey.
HIT OF THE DAY
Potuer caught Steve Chaffin flush with a high shoulder charge, sending Chaffin flying. Chaffin left the ice woozy and did not return. The Tips threw a lot of big hits tonight as they looked to physically punish the short-handed T-birds.
THREE STARS
First star: Hamill, Everett. Hat trick plus two assists, and he was every bit as good as his numbers tonight.
Second star: Gendur, Everett. Two goals and two assists, see above comment on Hamill.
Third star: Dailey, Everett. A nice goal and a nice assist, maybe this performance will help get his offensive game firing.
The Herald’s honorable mention: Potuer, Everett. Was involved in both of those deciding goals at the end of the second period and also dished out the night’s best hit.
LINEUP NOTES
Everett shuffled its lineup in order to get everyone who’s healthy into a game during parents weekend. So Barrie got the start in goal, while forwards Jordan Mistelbacher and Eric English returned to the lineup in place of forwards Tyler Skauge and Tyler Eskesen. Defensmen Taylor Ellington (foot) and Mike Alexander (shoulder) remain laid up with injuries.
Seattle has injury problems of its own as forwards Ian McKenzie (knee), Jan Eberle (head) and Charles Wells (knee) are all out. Because the T-birds only have 21 players on their roster, that meant Seattle dressed just 16 skaters, two fewer than the limit, and just nine of those were forwards. Defenseman Brad Haber, who was called up for Seattle’s game Friday against Chilliwack, returned to his Junior B team and was unavailable. With Chaffin going out tonight, where is Seattle going to find enough players to field a lineup in its upcoming games?
