Becanic not happy after loss

EVERETT — John Becanic had some strong words Friday night.

Strong words for his own team, strong words for his opponents and strong words for the officials.

The Everett Silvertips head coach saw his frustrations boil over following Everett’s 3-1 loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds at Comcast Arena.

Seattle goaltender Riku Helenius, in his first game back from representing Finland at the World Junior Hockey Championships, played a strong game in goal, making 33 saves to lead the T-birds.

And in the wake of yet another loss to Seattle — Everett’s fifth in five games against the T-birds this season — Becanic let out his frustrations in a series of comments that left few spared.

First Becanic took on the officiating, which gave Seattle eight power plays to five for Everett.

“We were on the wrong side of bad officiating,” Becanic said. “(Dane) Crowley gets hit from behind, then as he’s standing there jawing with Olson gets cross checked from behind to the ground. (Shane) Harper gets hit from behind into the boards. (Jonathan) Harty gets slashed on his hands and can barely hold his stick. Then they call Mickey Mouse stuff out there.”

After that he laid into Everett’s power play, which was sloppy throughout the game. It was a sloppy pass on the power play that led to Seattle’s second goal, a short-handed by Prab Rai. That goal made it 2-0 early in the third period and essentially decided the game.

“Our power play sucked,” Becanic said. “Our power play gave them four unbelievable chances, one a goal. Bottom line is our power play handed them the game.”

Then he took on a Seattle team that’s given Everett fits this season. Not only have the Tips lost all five of their games against the T-birds, they’ve often looked bad in the process. Friday night was as well as Everett has played against Seattle this season, the Tips outshooting the T-birds 34-26. But Helenius was strong and the Tips have scored just five goals in their five games against Seattle.

“They’re never entertaining games when you play (Seattle) because it’s like skating through mud,” Becanic said. “They’re good at slashing and obstructing and not taking penalties while they do it. And they get away with it.”

Sena Acolatse and David Richard scored the other goals for Seattle (18-14-5-1), which is zeroing in on Everett for fifth place in the Western Conference. Everett still leads Seattle by six points in the standings, but the T-birds have seven games in hand on the Tips.

Seattle coach Rob Sumner had no explanation for his team’s success against Everett this season.

“Looking back at it, I think we’ve played well and hard against (Everett),” Sumner said. “But it doesn’t mean anything. Tonight was a good, hard-fought game like most of them have been. We’re certainly pleased with the results, but at the same time it doesn’t mean it’s going to be any easier next time.”

Zack Dailey, back in the lineup after missing six games with a groin injury, scored the lone goal for Everett (23-20-0-2), which had a three-game winning streak snapped. Leland Irving made 23 saves in net for the Tips.

“We played hard, we didn’t lack energy,” Becanic said. “We knocked (Seattle star defenseman Thomas) Hickey off the puck every time he touched it, we spent a lot of time in their zone. Our power play let us down, it lost us the game tonight. And we didn’t get to Helenius tonight, he’s a good goalie.”

Seattle grabbed the lead at 15 minutes, 43 seconds of the first period. A mad scramble ensued in front of the Everett goal, and although the puck was cleared from the goal mouth, it eventually came to Acolatse at the right point with a free lane to goal. Acolatse drifted in, holding the puck, until eventually reaching around the big pile of bodies in front and scoring to make it 1-0.

Seattle then took advantage of an Everett mistake to go ahead 2-0 early in the second period. The Tips were on the power play when Zach Hamill gave a pass right to Seattle’s Jan Eberle, sending the T-birds on a two-on-one. Eberle fed Rai streaking down the middle and Rai skated the puck past Irving and into the corner of the net for a two-goal lead.

Everett gave itself a chance with a power-play goal at 7:44 of the third. Dan Gendur’s shot from the center point deflected off Jordan Mistelbacher in front of the goal right to Dailey in the slot, and Dailey banged it home to cut the deficit to 2-1.

But Richard ended up with a breakaway as Everett pressed for the tying goal late and scored with 26.3 seconds remaining to end it.

Slap shots: Everett defenseman Graham Potuer, who was a game-time decision because of a bruised sternum, was unable to go. … In addition to Helenius, Seattle also had defenseman Hickey back in the lineup after he helped Canada win gold at World Juniors. However, the T-birds played without leading scorer Bud Holloway because of a concussion.

Thunderbirds 3, Silvertips 1

Seattle111—3

Everett001—1

First Period—1, Seattle, Acolatse 3 (Dillon, Boyer), 15:43. Penalties—Mistelbacher, Everett (high sticking), 0:47; McKenzie, Seattle (roughing), 5:20; Burt, Everett (cross checking), 5:20; Harty, Everett (roughing), 5:20; Rai, Seattle (checking from behind), 6:10; Olson, Seattle (roughing), 6:10; Everett, Crowley (roughing), 6:10; Crowley, Everett (interference), 10:06; Chaffin, Seattle (tripping), 13:00.

Second Period—2, Seattle, Rai 3 (Eberle), 2:24 (sh). Penalties—Nielsen, Seattle (high sticking), 1:20; Olson, Seattle (cross checking), 5:39; Gendur, Everett (slashing), 9:21; Crowley, Everett (cross checking), 12:37, Dailey, Everett (roughing), 15:41.

Third Period—3, Everett, Dailey 3 (Mistelbacher, Gendur), 7:44 (pp). 4, Seattle, Richard 6 (Nielsen), 19:33. Penalties—Mistelbacher, Everett (hooking), 1:03; Eberle, Seattle (tripping), 6:29; Gendur, Everett (tripping), 17:19; Chaffin, Seattle (fighting), 19:45; English, Everett (fighting), 19:45; Quakenbush, Seattle (fighting), 19:47; Mistelbacher, Everett (fighting), 19:47.

Shots on goal—Seattle 9-9-8—26. Everett 10-15-9—34. Power-play opportunities—Seattle 0 of 8. Everett 1 of 5.

Goalies—Seattle, Helenius 9-7-5-0 (34 shots, 33 saves). Everett, Irving 17-16-0-2 (26 shots, 23 saves).

A—8,414.

Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog