The Everett Silvertips defeat the Seattle Thunderbirds (including post-game video from Carter Hart and Cole MacDonald)
Published 12:19 am Sunday, January 17, 2016
First Things First
One thing I wanted to incorporate into this blog when I took the job was video. It’s taken a little while to get all of that stuff figured out, but Saturday seems like a good time to debut some postgame video interviews on the blog. I can’t promise this will happen after every game, but I’ll do my best. Check out interviews from goaltender Carter Hart and defenseman Cole MacDonald below.
Everett Silvertips G Carter Hart 1/16/16 from Everett Herald on Vimeo.
Everett Silvertips D Cole MacDonald 1/16/16 from Everett Herald on Vimeo.
The Game
The Silvertips are on some kind of tear, having picked up points in nine straight games. Saturday they withstood a first period stalemate while growing stronger as the game wore on, scoring five goals in the final 40 minutes to cruise to a dominating 5-1 win over the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds.
Head coach Kevin Constantine was quick to point out that this was Seattle’s fourth game in five nights. Nevertheless the Tips moved five points in front in the U.S. Division standings with the victory. The importance of picking up points in division games cannot be overstated as MacDonald alluded in his interview.
The Thunderbirds have the league’s best penalty kill average at 83.9 percent. Yet the Tips converted 2-of-6 opportunities (though one came with a two-man advantage).
The Tips shuffled the lines a bit as captain Dawson Leedahl was scratched after taking a shot to the head during Friday’s win at Vancouver. Brandon Ralph, though not feeling 100 percent, jumped up to the first line and joined Carson Stadnyk and Remi Laurencelle.
“On one hand we’re trying to leave some of the lines together chemistry-wise, but we don’t know how long Dawson will be out,” Constantine said. “Brandon had been a little sick and we probably wouldn’t have brought him back tonight energy-wise, but he was willing to play and we were minus some guys so he just jumped in.”
It’s also worth noting that Hart has never lost to the Thunderbirds in regulation (5-0-3-0).
The Turning Point
MacDonald and Kevin Davis each scored within a minute of one another less than five minutes into the third period to turn a 2-0 lead into a 4-0 advantage.
Three Stars
1. Everett D Cole MacDonald: The overager had two goals and an assist.
2. Everett G Carter Hart: The 17-year-old had 25 saves while earning his league-leading 25th victory.
3. Everett D Kevin Davis: The taciturn D-man quietly had a goal and an assist to go along with a plus-two rating.
Honorable mention: 16-year-old F Connor Dewar had a goal and an assist while going plus-two on the night.
