Kootenay 3, Everett 1
Published 10:45 pm Tuesday, November 30, 2010
TALKING POINTS
It was another rough night at Comcast Arena from a Tips perspective. Friday’s 4-1 loss to Seattle was an ugly one if you’re an Everett supporter. This performance was right there with the one against Seattle, especially considering Kootenay didn’t play its best game, either.
This Everett team really looks out of sync right now. There’s a sluggishness and disjointedness that makes for some ragged-looking hockey. Bad turnovers continue to plague the team, and tonight they led directly to Kootenay’s go-ahead and insurance goals. Any type of goals that come as the result of a mistake are deflating, and the Tips aren’t responding well to those. Some players respond by becoming a little shell shocked, others press and try to do too much.
And now the Tips face some tough circumstances with which to try to turn things around. Everett departed right after the game for its six-game trip through the East Division, nearly two full weeks of long bus rides through the snow-covered Canadian prairies. Who knows, perhaps getting away for a while will give the Tips a chance to get things fixed. But there’s definitely some fixing that needs to be done.
Tips captain Landon Ferraro returned after his eight-game absence because of a concussion. He had an assist on Everett’s goal, but he looked rusty. Ferraro began the game in an unfamiliar spot on the wing, but by the third period he was back centering a line with Kellan Tochkin and Tyler Maxwell.
Finally, Jeff Chynoweth introduced himself to me down by the locker rooms after the game. Chynoweth, Kootenay’s general manager, is the father of one of the Tips’s top prospects, forward Ryan Chynoweth. Jeff Chynoweth jokingly admitted that Everett is now his second-favorite team in the league.
TURNING POINT
Play was fairly even during a first period that ended 1-1. But just 28 seconds into the second Kootenay’s Max Reinhart scored following an Everett turnover, and the Tips were thrown for a loop the rest of the period.
HIT OF THE DAY
Late in the second period Kootenay’s James Martin put a shoulder right into Maxwell’s grill after Maxwell had just gotten rid of the puck during a speedy rush.
THREE STARS
First star: Nathan Lieuwen, Kootenay. 26 saves, made a couple decent saves late, but not until the Ice already had a two-goal lead.
Second star: Reinhart. One goal and put in a good effort.
Third star: Ryan Murray, Everett. He’s trying to do everything he can, but honestly I thought he was a little off tonight.
The Herald’s honorable mention: none. I’m not sure anyone really had a stellar performance in this one.
BOX SCORE
