KENNEWICK — The Everett Silvertips are hoping their improved play late in the season will propel them to a historic upset of the Tri-City Americans in the first round of the Western Hockey League playoffs.
However, Friday’s Game 1 looked a lot like the mismatch the series appears on paper.
Tri-City struck early and often and the Tips never recovered as the Americans topped Everett 7-2 at the Toyota Center, drawing first blood in their best-of-seven series.
“A 7-2 loss, obviously we weren’t very good,” Everett coach Mark Ferner said.
“We just didn’t play very well, plain and simple,” Ferner added. “Give them credit, they’re a good hockey team, but we know we need to be better.”
The series between the top-seeded Americans and the eighth-seeded Tips pits teams that were separated in the regular season standings by a whopping 50 points. Friday night they played those parts. The Tips were beset by defensive breakdowns in the first period, and Tri-City pounced to quickly build a 3-0 lead that was never threatened.
And Tri-City didn’t even need to rely on its big three to dominate. Brendan Shinnimin, Adam Hughesman and Patrick Holland, who each eclipsed the 100-point barrier during the regular season, accounted for just one of Tri-City’s seven goals.
Malte Stromwall led Tri-City’s balanced attack with two goals and an assist. Former Silvertip Jesse Mychan began the barrage less than four minutes into the game. Hughesman, Mason Wilgosh, Connor Rankin and Brian Williams also found the net for the Americans.
“I’m really satisfied with the way we played,” Tri-City coach Jim Hiller said. “I thought we had a game plan and we executed it. Coaches usually aren’t completely happy after games, but I’m pretty satisfied with what I saw tonight.
“The thing we’re probably the most happy with is Shinnimin, Hughesman, Holland and (Justin) Feser had one (goal) the whole night,” Hiller added. “We have some guys we knew were going to get hot and really spread it around, and I think that was the best thing that came from tonight.”
Ty Rimmer had a quiet night in goal for Tri-City as he was required to make just 14 saves.
Ryan Murray had a goal and an assist to lead Everett. JT Barnett, playing for the first time since Jan. 14 because of a knee injury, scored Everett’s other goal.
Tips goaltender Kent Simpson was the victim of Everett’s defensive breakdowns as he surrendered five goals on 23 shots before being removed midway through the second period. Austin Lotz made a series of acrobatic stops in relief, turning aside 17 of the 19 shots he faced.
“Off the rush we were getting beat,” Ferner lamented. “That can’t happen, not this time of the year.
“We knew coming into this building it was going to be a tough place to win, no question,” Ferner added. “They seem to always get a few more power plays than the other team, and it was no different tonight.”
Tri-City finished 1-for-7 on the power play, Everett was 0-for-4.
The first period couldn’t have gone much worse for the Tips. Tri-City controlled play and found all kinds of holes in the Everett defense, taking a 4-1 lead.
The Americans blitzed the Tips, taking a 3-0 lead in the span of six minutes in the first period. Mychan opened the scoring on the power play at 3:11, scoring on an open shot from the slot. Stromwall made it 2-0 at 8:50, slipping a rebound under Simpson with the defense nowhere to be found. Then Wilgosh netted Tri-City’s third just 17 seconds later, putting a shot into the top corner after a point shot was blocked in front.
“We have to match their physicality, they’re physical team with a good forecheck, and I think we matched that well tonight,” Mychan said about Tri-City’s storming start. “We just got pucks low and went to work down low.”
Murray temporarily stemmed the tide at 10:47, blasting a one-timer into the corner that caused a small tear in the netting that needed to be repaired.
But the Americans restored their three-goal advantage with 41.2 seconds remaining, Stromwall undressing the Everett defense and setting up Rankin for a tap-in, and there was no way back for the Tips.
Americans 7, Silvertips 2
Everett 1 1 0—2
Tri-City 4 1 2—7
First Period—1, Tri-City, Mychan 1 (Shinnimin, Holland), 3:11 (pp). 2, Tri-City, Stromwall 1 (Topping, J. Messier), 8:50. 3, Tri-City, Wilgosh 1 (Shinnimin, Hughesman), 9:07. 4, Everett, Murray 1 (Petryk, Winquist), 10:47. 5, Tri-City, Rankin 1 (Stromwall, Ryckman), 19:18. Penalties—Boyd, Everett (hooking), 1:55; Barnett, Everett (roughing), 18:19; Shinnimin, Tri-City (roughing), 18:19.
Second Period—6, Tri-City, Hughesman 1 (Holland), 8:04. 7, Everett, Barnett 1 (Murray, Boyd), 17:53. Penalties—Shinnimin, Tri-City (tripping), 4:47; Fowlie, Everett (roughing), 5:59; Yuen, Tri-City (slashing), 5:59; MacMaster, Tri-City (roughing), 5:59; Erricson, Everett (tripping), 11:29; Walters, Everett (fighting), 14:25; J. Messier, Tri-City (fighting), 14:25; Hayer, Everett (unsportsmanlike conduct), 19:56; Holland, Tri-City (unsportsmanlike conduct), 20:00.
Third Period—8, Tri-City, Stromwall 2 (J. Messier, Rankin), 13:23. 9, Tri-City, Williams 1 (Dow, Mychan), 17:46. Penalties—McPhee, Everett (slashing), 5:42; Mychan, Tri-City (roughing), 14:34; Yadlowski, Everett (tripping), 14:56; Fowlie, Everett (roughing-10-minute misconduct), 14:56; Harrison, Everett (10-minute misconduct), 14:56; Ryckman, Tri-City (10-minute misconduct), 14:56; Hayer, Everett (charging), 18:08.
Shots on goal—Everett 6-7-3—16. Tri-City 17-13-12—42. Power-play opportunities—Everett 0 of 4. Tri-City 1 of 7.
Goalies—Everett, Simpson 0-1 (23 shots, 18 saves), Lotz (19 shots, 17 saves). Tri-City, Rimmer 1-0 (16 shots, 14 saves).
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