Everett 5, Moose Jaw 1
Published 10:49 pm Saturday, February 13, 2010
TALKING POINTS
An important two points for Everett tonight as the Tips needed these in the race for playoff positioning with Portland and Spokane. Spokane already beat Moose Jaw, and Portland will be favored Monday over a Warriors team that has won just twice in its past 12 games. All three teams won tonight, so the race remains the same, with Portland in second place in the U.S. Division, two points ahead of Everett and five ahead of Spokane. The Winterhawks have played two more games than the Tips and Chiefs.
The Warriors almost put a monkey wrench into the proceedings when Quinton Howden wired a shot in off the crossbar just 1:32 into the game. The Tips were slow to respond, but once they did they skated to a comfortable victory.
Several Tips achieved milestones tonight. Tyler Maxwell’s first goal of the night gave him 50 career goals. He’s now in fourth place on Everett’s career goal-scoring list. Goaltender Thomas Heemskerk picked up his 50th career WHL victory. And Shane Harper played in his 200th consecutive game. I can’t say for sure whether that’s a franchise record or not, but I can’t think of anyone else who’s even come close to that.
I also wrote a feature story this week about the unsung contributions of Clayton Cumiskey and Scott MacDonald. Tips coach Craig Hartsburg said in the story that he thought those two had more offense in their repertoire. They did that today, combining for a goal and three assists.
TURNING POINT
Everett was down 1-0 and doing little when, at 12:31 of the first period, Chris de la Lande stepped into a slap shot to tie it up. The Tips took over from there.
HIT OF THE DAY
Midway through the first period Everett’s Radko Gudas flattened Jesse Paradis as Paradis tried to skate the puck out of the zone on the penalty kill.
THREE STARS
First star: Maxwell. Two goals, both taken well.
Second star: MacDonald. A goal and an assist, a good effort on his goal.
Third star: Cumiskey. Two assists, I thought he was perhaps the best all-around player on the ice tonight.
The Herald’s honorable mention: de la Lande. A goal and a couple vital poke checks early.
BOX SCORE
