My apologies for not posting a follow-up blog last night. I drove over to Kennewick Monday afternoon with colleague Andy Eide where we witnessed Everett’s 8-4 thrashing of the Tri-City Americans to take a 2-1 series lead.

Silvertips put 4-0 road playoff record on the line tonight. Guessing this guy hopes the Americans sully the mark: pic.twitter.com/Hk50ecp2nB

— Jesse Geleynse (@JesseGeleynse) April 24, 2018

Following post-game interviews and filing my quick gamer, it was back in the car to the west side. I walked in the door of the llama farm bunkhouse at 2:45 a.m.

Andy, who covers the Seattle Thunderbirds for 710 ESPN Seattle, has taken a hiatus to cover the series and had this story from Game 3. Annie Fowler had this story in the Tri-City Herald. Yes, Andy and I are planning to do it again on Thursday.

Our view for the night pic.twitter.com/ftU4zf0Mfa

— Andy Eide (@AndyEide) April 24, 2018

The Americans scored twice on the power play Monday and are now 4-for-8 in the series. That essentially matches the 48 percent clip they were converting through the first two postseason rounds. Meanwhile Everett is 2-for-9 on the man advantage, or 22.2 percent. That is a higher mark than the first two rounds, but still below its regular-season clip of 23.5 percent.

The Tips have held Tri-City to an average of 3.67 goals per game. That is far higher than the 1.9 goals per game Everett allowed through the first two rounds, but more than two goals lower than Tri-City’s 5.75 average in the first two rounds. Everett is averaging 4.67 goals per game in this series after tallying 4.3 per game in the first two rounds.

Moreover, the Tips are holding Tri-City’s top line of Michael Rasmussen-Morgan Geekie-Kyle Olson in check at even strength. That trio has just one five-on-five goal (plus a Rasmussen empty-netter) and that even-strength goal was a bit of a fluke as Rasmussen banked the puck off the back boards, off defenseman Wyatte Wylie and then off Carter Hart into the net to tie Game 3 at 4-4.

We've got a game! The @TCAmericans get a bounce in front and it's 4-4 early in the third! #EVTvsTC #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/v0LaesAiK1

— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 24, 2018

The bulk of that defensive responsibility has fallen to the Connor Dewar-Riley Sutter-Garrett Pilon line that has combined for six goals and eight assists in three games. The Rasmussen-Geekie-Olson line has combined for five goals and two assists – with Rasmussen responsible for five of those seven points.

Obviously the Tips will look to continue that trend in Game 4 on Thursday at the Toyota Center. If Everett wins that contest it could clinch its second-ever Western Conference title Saturday at home.

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