TALKING POINTS
Once again the lead changes in the race for second place in the U.S. Division. With the victory Everett leapfrogged Portland into second, one point ahead of the Winterhawks. Spokane also won tonight, meaning there are three teams separated by two points with less than a month remaining in the season. Finishing second is significant, too, because the teams that finish third and fourth are almost certainly going to meet in the first round of the playoffs.
Everett played a solid first two periods, and the Tips got a little help from Portland goaltender Ian Curtis, who had all kinds of trouble with his rebound control tonight. After Everett’s third goal, when Tyler Maxwell scored on a shot from along the boards late in the second period, Curtis was halfway to the bench, looking like he was expecting to be pulled. He wasn’t, though Mac Carruth took over to start the third.
Portland turned up the juice in the third and pulled back within one, but the Tips settled down after the goal, and Scott MacDonald clinched it with a wicked one-timer with 2:09 remaining.
Both Portland goals came on the power play as the Winterhawks finished 2-for-4. Opponents have gone 7-for-15 on the power play against the Tips the past four games.
Tips defenseman Ryan Murray did not complete the game. I saw him on the bench being attended to by athletic trainer Chris Walker midway through the third period, and though it didn’t seem to be anything serious Murray didn’t take another shift. I forgot to ask what happened, but I’ll have more information tomorrow.
TURNING POINT
This game wasn’t over until MacDonald’s goal. Clayton Cumiskey pulled the puck away from a scrum along the boards and fed it to the high slot, where MacDonald let rip to finally take the wind out of Portland’s sails.
HIT OF THE DAY
Early in the second period Everett’s Markus McCrea had a shift where first he unseated Stefan Schneider with a hit into the boards behind the Portland net, then later flattened Taylor Peters with an open-ice hit.
THREE STARS
First star: Maxwell. A goal and an assist, though neither of those were exactly what I would consider vintage.
Second star: Shane Harper, Everett. Two goals, including an empty netter.
Third star: Kellan Tochkin, Everett. One goal, coming from great hustle to win the race to the rebound on his own shot from the neutral zone.
The Herald’s honorable mention: Chris Francis, Portland. Two assists. Portland’s 17-year-old trio of Nino Niederreiter, Ryan Johansen and Brad Ross is the reason why Comcast Arena is filled with NHL scouts every time the Winterhawks visit, but Francis usually seems to be the guy who does the most damage.
BOX SCORE
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