TALKING POINTS
Everett knocked on the door in the third period earlier this week while on the road, but the door never opened for the Tips. However, back home Everett found a way to hold on in the third.
The Tips had their chances in the third period at Seattle on Tuesday and in Portland on Saturday, but ended up falling 5-3 in both. Tonight Everett got the all-important two-goal lead early in the third, then held on as Spokane pressed late.
The win gets Everett within one point of sixth-place Vancouver with one game in hand. Think the Tips front-office personnel consider’s Friday’s home game against the Giants an important one?
I saw something I’ve never seen before tonight: a retroactive penalty. In the first period Everett’s Joshua Winquist caught a stick up high and headed to the bench holding his mouth. No penalty was called on the incident, and play continued a couple minutes until a whistle brought the first-period timeout. When the timeout ended I looked up and Spokane had a four-minute penalty on the board and Dominic Zwerger in the box. I found out after the game that the penalty was called after-the-fact on the high stick on Winquist. I didn’t even know a call like that was possible.
Lastly, there was a Carter Hart sighting at Comcast Arena tonight. The 15-year-old prospect goaltender tweeted out during the week that he’d signed with the Tips, though it was never confirmed by the team. My guess is that an official announcement will be coming in the next day or two.
TURNING POINT
I’m not sure it was a turning point, but I thought it was a key point. In the first period both teams had a lengthy five-on-three power play. Everett got the first one and converted. Then the Tips killed off Spokane’s to take a 1-0 lead into the second. Everett goaltender Austin Lotz made a lightning save on Mitch Holmberg, the league’s leading scorer, to make sure the Chiefs didn’t convert.
THREE STARS
First star: Joshua Winquist, Everett. Two goals and one assist, overcame a physical beating reach 36 goals for the season.
Second star: Matt Pufahl, Everett. One goal and one assist, fought hard in the corners.
Third star: Austin Lotz, Everett. 16 saves, he may not have faced many shots, but he was severely tested by those he saw.
The Herald’s honorable mention: Keanu Yamamoto, Spokane. No points, but the rookie hometown boy was as dangerous as I’ve seen this season.
BOX SCORE
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