Edmonton 3, Everett 1
Published 10:47 pm Saturday, November 1, 2008
TALKING POINTS
Well, pretty simple formula tonight. When you’ve got a struggling penalty kill and you take a bunch of penalties, you lose you’re seven-game home winning streak.
Everett gave Edmonton seven power plays versus just three for themselves. The Oil Kings scored twice on the power play and got their third just as a power play expired. There’s your difference in the game.
Want an idea of how things are going for Everett’s penalty kill? On Edmonton’s first goal Jesse Burt blocked a shot from the point, but fanned on a free clearing attempt. Tomas Vincour reached in and swept a shot under Everett goaltender Kent Simpson through traffic.
And Edmonton played a really good game tonight. The Oil Kings played hard and played smart. They did a great job closing the Tips down whenever they had the puck and making it difficult for the Tips to connect, both in the offensive and defensive zones.
The Tips thus head into their six-game trip through the East Division off a loss. It’ll be interesting to see how a team that’s 1-5-1-0 on the road so far this season fares on that trip.
TURNING POINT
With 33 seconds remaining in the first period and Edmonton leading 1-0, Everett’s Kyle Beach took a questionable hooking penalty. Beach was slapped with an unsportmanlike conduct penalty for arguing the call, then a 10-minute misconduct when he rapped the glass with his stick. Edmonton essentially scored during both of Beach’s minors (aided by a Graham Potuer cross checking penalty that gave the Oil Kings a five-on-three), and the Tips were forced to play almost the entire second period without their best player. There was no recovery from that.
HIT OF THE DAY
Early in the second period Everett’s Taylor Ellington leveled Jeff Lee with a shoulder charge in the corner. It sure seems like Ellington is getting a lot of these.
THREE STARS
First star: Craig McCallum, Edmonton. Two goals in an opportunistic night for him.
Second star: Torrie Jung, Edmonton. Made 30 saves and was particularly strong early during Everett’s best stretch of the game.
Third star: Shane Harper, Everett. Prevented the shutout with his third-period goal.
The Herald’s honorable mention: Pat Smith, referee. He didn’t do the Tips any favors tonight.
LINEUP NOTES
Everett iced the same lineup it used in Friday’s 3-2 victory over Spokane. Defenseman Shayne Brown is out with a hip flexor injury. Forwards Dale Hunt, Markus McCrea and Cameron Abney were healthy scratches.
Edmonton has defensemen Adrian Van de Mosselaer (back spasms) and Drew Nichol (concussion) and goaltender Dalyn Flette (foot) out injured. Forward Colton Stephenson and defenseman Kieran Friesen were healthy scratches. Forward Braden Adamyk, who is still listed on the roster, was reassigned earlier.
