Everett 5, Spokane 1
Published 11:00 pm Saturday, February 6, 2010
TALKING POINTS
Tremendous performance by the Tips tonight. Everett not only beat a good team by four goals, it easily could have been more. In one-sided contests like these you wonder how much was because one team was good and how much was because the other was bad. But upon reflection I think Everett was just that good tonight. The Tips didn’t allow Spokane to do much of anything as they hounded the Chiefs throughout.
It was a good game up and down the lineup for Everett, but it was the Artists Formerly Known as the Kid Line who provided the offense. Those three had been quiet of late with just one point combined in the previous four games, but they combined for four goals and six assists tonight. All four goals came off rebounds as they worked for their offense. Maxwell’s goal snapped a 15-game goalless drought, and both Maxwell and Froese surpassed the 100-point mark in their WHL careers.
The game also featured the fight everyone in the arena was waiting to see as Everett’s Radko Gudas and Spokane’s Kyle Beach squared off for a doozy late in the game. These two have had a running battle throughout the season series, and I believe this was the first time Gudas was involved in an agreed-to fight rather than being challenged/jumped for a big hit. I think Gudas may have learned a thing or two during those prior incidents as he landed some big shots.
Everett went the entire game without taking a minor penalty, which may be the first time I’ve ever seen that for the Tips, and it spawned the quote of the night from Froese: “Our PK was at its finest tonight.”
TURNING POINT
Everett was controlling play in the first period without creating much in the way of chances. However, Froese and Tochkin scored 1:36 apart late in the first period to finally break the ice.
HIT OF THE DAY
There were some solid hits tonight, but it wasn’t the best night for accuracy. In the first period both Everett’s Zack Dailey and Beach nearly knocked themselves silly when they went for hits along the boards and missed.
THREE STARS
First star: Froese. Two goals and two assists, see above.
Second star: Maxwell. A goal and two assists, see above.
Third star: Tochkin. A goal and two assists, see above.
The Herald’s honorable mention: Ryan Murray, Everett. No points, but was firing BBs out there to go along with his impeccable defensive play.
BOX SCORE
