Silvertips look to stave off elimination against T-birds

Published 1:30 am Thursday, April 13, 2017

EVERETT — The Everett Silvertips are looking elimination in the face when they take the ice Friday night at ShoWare Center in Kent.

But the detail-oriented and disciplined Tips are preparing like they do every other game rather than focusing on a three-game deficit in the best-of-seven series when the puck drops in Game 4 against the Seattle Thunderbirds at 7:35 p.m.

“We definitely know where we’re at in the series, but all the games have been really close — just one-goal games — I think we just have to take it one game at a time,” defenseman Lucas Skrumeda said. “Go win a game in their building, win a game in our building, but we’re definitely looking forward to (Friday). It’s been a close series so we’re excited.”

Yet the Tips have been on the losing end of all three games despite battling back to claim leads in Games 2 and 3 after falling behind early.

Everett led 2-1 in the second period of Game 2 and erased a 3-0 deficit to take a 4-3 lead in Game 3 only to watch the T-birds come back both times. Tuesday’s Game 3 went to overtime before Mathew Barzal won it by stashing a rebound past Carter Hart less than two minutes into the extra frame.

Nevertheless, head coach Kevin Constantine found some silver linings in the 5-4 defeat.

“Obviously when you’ve lost you’re not in love with everything,” Constantine said, “(but) the fact we came back, the power play got some important goals for us, we actually created a little more offense in that game than we had in the previous two. Not a ton because they don’t give you a lot, but we created a little more. Not just in goals, but in terms of scoring chances.”

The special teams stood out in contrast to the first two games of the series. Everett finished 2-for-3 on the power play after being shut out on the man advantage for Games 1 and 2. The penalty kill also held the T-birds off the board after Seattle tallied power-play goals in each of the first two games of the series.

The power play carried the Tips during their six-game, opening-round series against the Victoria Royals, and Everett relied heavily on the man advantage during the regular season. The Tips also led the league in penalty killing during the season, although that hasn’t been as strong in the postseason.

The chances to score on the man advantage tend to be fewer in the postseason than the regular season. Everett averaged 4.42 power-play opportunities per game during the regular season. So far in this postseason the Tips are averaging 3.67 power-play chances per contest.

“If you look at the regular season, we end up with a power play or two more per game and for me it’s staying disciplined in how we play the game,” Constantine said.

“Every single year we lose a bit of that because the refs just call less,” Constantine continued. “So our chances of maybe having a power play or two more per game because of discipline disappears because they just don’t call penalties. So we lose that advantage during the playoffs and so that always takes away a little element of our team in the playoffs. But that’s just the way it’s been so we’ve gotta do what we can do to get the offense that we can get.”

Everett was able to contain Seattle defenseman Ethan Bear’s powerful shot from the point during Tuesday’s game, but the T-birds boast so many weapons that it can be challenging to contain them all. Barzal has three goals and three assists in the series while the return of linemate Ryan Gropp in Game 3 gives the Tips another offensive star to worry about.

The past two games are perhaps more high-scoring than fans might have anticipated coming into the series with the teams combining for 16 goals in Games 2 and 3. The Tips have created more offense in the past two games and it starts with creating traffic in front of Seattle rookie goalie Carl Stankowski.

“All season we’ve been harping on getting to the net,” Everett forward Matt Fonteyne said. “That’s where goals are scored and Seattle’s goalie and all the goalies in this league are here for a reason. They’re really good goalies and if they see the puck they’re going to stop it. In hockey nowadays that’s just how goals are scored going to the net.”

If necessary, Game 5 will take place Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at Xfinity Arena in Everett.

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