TALKING POINTS
Go figure. Friday night, beat the Western Conference’s best team on the road. Saturday night, lose to the conference’s worst team at home. Everett had that great result Friday when it won 5-3 in Vancouver, but then followed it up with a bad result tonight. I didn’t really think it was that bad a performance by the Tips. But Kent Simpson, who I was a little surprised to see in net tonight, gave up a pair of soft goals in the first period. Although the Tips later tied it, they couldn’t capitalize on chances to go ahead and ended up paying the price.
Good to see a large contingent of Chilliwack fans in section 216, and their team gave them something to cheer about. It’s too bad they had to watch their team’s star, Ryan Howse, go down early after crashing feet first into the boards in the first period. Howse had to be helped from the ice while favoring a leg and did not return.
Now for Everett’s award winners, as presented following the game:
– MVP: (tie) Shane Harper and Taylor Ellington
– Rookie of the year: Kellan Tochkin
– Most improved: Cameron Abney
– Unsung hero: Graham Potuer
– Coaches award: Byron Froese
– Ironman award: Harper, Tochkin, Froese, Zack Dailey
– Scholastic player: Tyler Maxwell
– Community relations: Froese and Shayne Brown
For the record, I don’t have any major differences of opinion with the selections, with one exception. Ellington totally got jobbed out of an ironman award. Yes, he missed three games, but all three came while he was at camp with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. Do they happen to have another one of those trophy thingies floating around the office?
TURNING POINT
With the score tied 2-2 early in the third period, Dailey made a nice move around a defender on a short-handed rush, but then put his shot off the post. If Everett scores there the Tips probably win. But it remained tied and allowed Dylen McKinlay the opportunity to take advantage of a bounce to score what proved to be the winning goal.
HIT OF THE DAY
A lot of good hitting tonight, but I’ll go with when Ellington bowled over, then fell on top of Chilliwack’s Mike Krgovich early in the third period.
THREE STARS
First star: Tochkin. A goal and an assist, the kid line has been reawakened by the return of Maxwell.
Second star: Kevin Sundher, Chilliwack. A goal, an assist and excellent skating from the 16-year-old. My No. 1 star tonight.
Third star: Ellington. Scored as goal and laid out some good hits.
The Herald’s honorable mention: McKinlay. A goal and an assist, the 16-year-old appears to have found his legs at this level.
LINEUP NOTES
Everett is trying out some new line combinations. The kid line is intact, but Dailey is centering Dan Iwanski and Ryan White, while Daniel Bartek moved back to center on a line with Harper and Paul Van de Velde. Right wing Dale Hunt (concussion) remains sidelined, while left wing Markus McCrea (flu) and defenseman Paul Sohor (lower body) were also held out for health reasons. Defenseman Alex Theriau and left wing Campbell Elynuik were healthy scratches. Fifteen-year-old defenseman Ryan Murray has also been added to the roster, but he doesn’t get in until tomorrow (Sunday) morning.
Chilliwack had 15-year-old defenseman Mitch Topping in the lineup. Forwards Jadon Potter (neck), Blair Wentworth (knee) and Randy McNaught (back) were out injured, while defensemen Matt Strong and James Bettauer were healthy scratches. Defenseman Brett Ward skated the game as a forward.
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