REFLECTIONS: Tips, T-Birds, and fans in for heckuva second-half ride
Published 12:30 am Sunday, January 15, 2017
The Game
As I alluded in my game story, it’s going to be one heck of a ride the rest of the way for the Everett Silvertips, the Seattle Thunderbirds and the fans of both teams.
Saturday night was probably the first real glimpse we’ve had of what these teams will look like down the stretch, as all three WJC participants were back and figured prominently in the result.
Carter Hart earned first star honors with 34 saves on 38 shots. Only the go-ahead goal in the third – by his WJC teammate Mathew Barzal – is one Hart might want to have back. The first two were similar, bizarre net-front scrums that resulted in the puck slipping past Hart. The overtime game-winner was a one-on-one with Keegan Kolesar thanks to a poor (and probably unnecessary) line change.
While the personnel has returned and is set following the trade deadline, the Tips were coming off a game Friday at Kamloops that saw them return to Everett at 4 a.m. Saturday morning. The Thunderbirds did not have a Friday night game.
Thunderbirds goaltender Rylan Toth hasn’t yet reached Landon Bow territory of last year, but the Seattle netminder is settling in well. Like Bow last season, Toth is an overager whose stats have steadily improved in the past month. Toth, combined with Seattle’s two recent defensive acquisitions in Austin Strand and Aaron Hyman, will help solidify the Thunderbirds’ back end – something seen as Seattle’s biggest weakness heading into the season.
The Turning Point
Everett’s failed change with about 20 seconds remaining in overtime resulted in Kolesar’s breakaway goal that gave Seattle the win with 15.9 seconds to go.
Three Stars
1. Everett G Carter Hart: In his first game back at Xfinity Arena Hart saved 34 shots.
2. Everett F Matt Fonteyne: Fonteyne scored the game-tying goal with less than three minutes to go in the third.
3. Seattle F Mathew Barzal: The NY Islanders prospect had a goal and an assist and finished plus-three.
Honorable mention: Seattle F Matthew Wedman (two assists, plus-two).
