Everett 4, Portland 3 (OT)
Published 11:06 pm Saturday, March 1, 2008
TALKING POINTS
First of all, I want to congratulate Portland on a well-played game. The Winter Hawks looked nothing like a team that had lost 18 straight games. They played with desire, passion and skill. It seems the Winter Hawks always get fired up when they play in Everett as I’m certain I’ve personally witnessed several of their best efforts of the season.
But that being said, what a dismal performance by Everett tonight. For more than two periods the Tips were nowhere to be found, seemingly having been replaced by a rec team from over at the community rink. Even after they woke up and went ahead 3-1, they somehow managed to allow the Winter Hawks to score twice in the final 1:04 to force overtime. Dan Gendur salvaged the game with a goal with 6.5 seconds remaining in overtime, but it should never have come to that.
The two points moved Everett into fifth place in the Western Conference, one point ahead of Kelowna, and the Tips kept pace with Seattle and remain two back from fourth. But any more performances like that and Everett can kiss away any chance at home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
TURNING POINT
The most dramatic change occurred after Portland tied it at 1-1 early in the third period. The Tips woke up after that goal and scored twice in the next five minutes to go ahead 3-1. But it didn’t end up amounting to much.
HIT OF THE DAY
Early in the third period Everett’s Vitaly Karamnov put a good crunch on Scott Gabriel against the boards behind the Portland goal.
THREE STARS
First star: Gendur, Everett. Two goals and an assist, had a little more life than your average Tip tonight.
Second star: Zach Hamill, Everett. Scored a nice goal, ditto the comment on Gendur.
Third star: Chris Francis, Portland. A goal and an assist, showed some decent skill now that he’s back playing forward again.
The Herald’s honorable mention: The posts. Three times the posts saved Everett in the first period, perhaps contributing as much to the victory as any player.
LINEUP NOTES
Everett fielded the same lineup as in Friday’s 2-0 victory over Seattle. Defensemen Taylor Ellington (foot), Mike Alexander (shoulder) and Chris de la Lande (leg) are out injured, meaning another appearance for call-up Paul Sohor. Forwards Tyler Eskesen and Eric English were healthy scratches.
Portland was without forwards Kevin Undershute (shoulder), Jason Grecica (knee) and Riley Boychuk (hip flexor) and defensemen Ryan Kerr (shoulder), Lee Morrow (shoulder) and Brock Cornish (shoulder) because of injury. All but Grecica are out for the season. However, left wing Keith Voytechek (hand) and defenseman Bo Montgomery (head) returned from injury to bolster the lineup, and call-up defenseman David Watt made his WHL debut. That gave Portland a full team of 20 players for the first time in about six weeks.
