TALKING POINTS
Well, something tells me this game is going to get the fans talking a little …
So here’s the deal. Tri-City finished with 19:06 of power-play time, Everett had 6:10. In the first period the discrepancy was 11:56-zip. Tri-City’s power plays included a four-minute penalty to Manraj Hayer for checking from behind, and major penalties to Ryan Harrison for interference and Cody Fowlie for checking from behind. Tri-City scored all three of its goals during the major penalties.
Make no mistake, the call to Harrison decided this game. At 9:44 of the first Harrison lined up the Tri-City puck carrier for a big hit. It appeared that player dodged the hit, and Harrison went slamming straight into Jesse Mychan, who was right behind. Definite interference penalty, definite violent hit. But a major? That may have been harsh. It didn’t seem intentional, it wasn’t to the head, it wasn’t from behind, it wasn’t even from the side as it was straight on. Everett coach Mark Ferner certainly didn’t think it warranted a major, either at the time or in the postgame interview after having watched replays of the incident.
The direct results of this call:
1) The Tips lost Harrison, arguably their best forward, for more than 50 minutes of the game.
2) Everett ended up on the penalty kill for seven more minutes — the Tips got an illegal substitution penalty afterward because they forgot to put anyone in the box to serve Harrison’s penalty, and a player came off the bench after the penalty expired. This after the Tips had already spent 4:56 on the kill earlier in the period, including 56 seconds of five-on-three. Everett’s penalty killers were gassed.
3) Tri-City scored twice during the five-minute major to take a 2-0 lead.
Afterward the Tips lost their cool for a while and ended up losing another player early in the second when Fowlie received his major.
So the Tips are now down 2-0 as the best-of-seven series heads to Everett, and they may find themselves severely short-handed. Harrison and Fowlie are both facing the possibility of suspensions for their majors. Also, I’m guessing Hayer faces the possibility of supplemental discipline as Tri-City defenseman Drydn Dow was injured by the hit that led to the double-minor. The Tips are not a deep team, and if those three are unavailable Tuesday and Wednesday, it’s a big problem.
TURNING POINT
See above.
HIT OF THE DAY
Early in the first period Tri-City’s Jordan Messier leveled Reid Petryk in the corner.
THREE STARS
First star: Patrick Holland, Tri-City. One goal and one assist, very effective at the point on the power play.
Second star: Mason Wilgosh, Tri-City. One goal, gets in the greasy areas.
Third star: Zach Yuen, Tri-City. No points, is he the Americans’ designated third-star guy?
The Herald’s honorable mention: Everett’s penalty killers. They did a pretty valiant job, given the circumstances.
BOX SCORE
SERIES SCHEDULE
Game 1: Tri-City 7, Everett 2
Game 2: Tri-City 3, Everett 1 (Tri-City leads series 2-0)
Game 3: Tri-City at Everett, Tuesday, 7:05 p.m.
Game 4: Tri-City at Everett, Wednesday, 7:05 p.m.
Game 5: Everett at Tri-City, March 31, 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 6: Tri-City at Everett, April 2, 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 7: Everett at Tri-City, April 4, 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
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