REFLECTIONS: Everett Silvertips take second battle from Kelowna
Published 1:30 am Monday, January 16, 2017
The Game
On Monday, the United States celebrated the life of a man who used peaceful nonviolence to bring change to America, but the hockey game in which the Everett Silvertips and the Kelowna Rockets engaged Monday afternoon? That was anything but peaceful.
Everett head coach Kevin Constantine called it war. Assistant coach Mitch Love had some post-game words with Kelowna head coach Jason Smith. Tips forward Devon Skoleski left the game after a first-period hit from Dillon Dube and needed stitches.
Yet the biggest hit of the game was friendly fire as Kelowna winger Calvin Thurkauf inadvertently leveled teammate Reid Gardiner when they collided near the benches in the second period. Gardiner, who recently joined the team from the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, stayed on the ice for several minutes before stumbling when he tried to stand up. He did not return.
Everyone agreed Monday’s game had “a playoff feel” as the Tips never trailed en route to a 5-4 win over the Rockets.
A seesaw opening period ended tied 3-3 before the Tips went ahead with a pair of power-play goals in the second. Kelowna drew within one in the third before the Tips held on.
After the game Love and Smith chirped at each other from the opposing benches before heading to their respective dressing rooms.
“It’s an emotional game on the ice (and) it was that tonight,” Love said afterward. “It was a playoff-type atmosphere, and I think both myself and Jason are emotional guys, and played the game that way, and that’s the way she went tonight.”
Everett’s Riley Sutter had a goal and two assists while teammates Kevin Davis and Dominic Zwerger each had a goal and an assist.
Carter Hart, who earlier in the day was named the WHL Goaltender of the Week, overcame a tough opening period to finish with 25 saves on 29 shots. It was Hart’s 71st career victory and moves him into a tie with Kent Simpson for third on the franchise’s all-time list.
About that Defense…
If it seemed like the Tips were mixing and matching their defensemen, it’s because they were. Love said that’s been a work in progress since the organization acquired Aaron Irving two weeks ago.
“I’m still trying to feel out who has some good chemistry, and I’ve always typically been a guy that tries to play (left-handers) on the left side and (right-handers) on the right,” Love said. “Obviously with having more righties on our back end than lefties it’s a challenge. I’m trying guys on a trial basis to see who is comfortable playing on that left side.”
With Lucas Skrumeda sidelined due to a lower-body injury, Jake Christiansen is the only southpaw in the lineup. Christiansen started the game alongside Noah Juulsen, but that varied as the game wore on.
“Once that thing settles and I think I can get my head wrapped around it and we’re completely healthy with Skrumeda back, I think you’ll see more consistency with the pairs,” Love said.
Skrumeda and Juulsen have been defensive partners for several seasons. Juulsen provides the physicality and the heavy shot, and Skrumeda brings more finesse.
“One thing about Lucas is that he’s a pretty underrated defenseman,” Love said. “He’s not a real (flashy) type of defenseman, but he seems to get the job done, and so when we get him back that will be a welcomed addition.”
Irving and Davis have been paired together since Irving arrived and possess a similar physical-finesse dichotomy to that of Juulsen and Skrumeda. But Irving and Davis are both right-handed, so it could be a few more games before this all gets sorted out.
The Turning Point
Zwerger’s power-play goal at 9:27 in the second gave Everett the lead for good at 4-3 and chased starting goalie Michael Herringer.
Three Stars
1. Everett F Dominic Zwerger: The Austrian overager had a goal and an assist.
2. Everett F Riley Sutter: The second-year forward had a goal and two assists.
3. Everett D Kevin Davis: The fourth-year blueliner had a goal and an assist.
