EVERETT — Prior to each regular-season WHL hockey game, rosters denoting forward lines and defensive pairings are delivered to the press box and released on social media.
That is not the case in the postseason as the bench grows shorter and line-matching becomes an art unto itself over the course of a best-of-seven series.
A big reason the Everett Silvertips handled the Portland Winterhawks in five games to reach the Western Conference finals for the first time in a dozen years was the play of the Tips’ top two lines.
Everett’s top six combined for 13 goals and 21 assists in the five-game series while Portland’s top six mustered just three goals and eight assists.
In fact, Portland’s vaunted top line that features leading goal-scorer Skyler McKenzie, and first-round NHL draft picks Kieffer Bellows and Cody Glass finished with just three goals and five assists in the series. Four of those eight points coming in Portland’s 5-2 win in Game 1.
The bulk of the credit goes to Everett’s line of Connor Dewar, Riley Sutter and Garrett Pilon as that trio was charged with defending the McKenzie-Glass-Bellows line.
“For (that line) to go out there and shut them down while contributing offensively too is the big part,” Everett head coach Dennis Williams said.
“It wasn’t just a pure shutdown line, although we did want them going against that line there because of the defensive capabilities and responsibilities with those three guys. I thought they did a really good job.”
The Dewar-Sutter-Pilon line indeed produced offensively. The trio combined for seven goals and 10 assists in the five-game series, and that line has contributed 15 goals and 20 assists in Everett’s 10 playoff games.
But holding Portland’s top line to just a goal and three assists combined in the final four games may have been just as crucial to winning the series.
“Dewar and Sutter have kind of had those habits built into them,” said Pilon, who was acquired from Kamloops in January. “It’s the style of play Everett has had the last couple of years, and I think they’ve been pretty defensively minded in their play, and I just try to follow suit with them. That just kind of lets us outwork (our opponent) and win our one-on-one battles and kind of shutting them down.”
Everett’s reward for beating Portland is a conference final series against the Tri-City Americans. During the regular season the Americans had three players score 30 or more goals and three defensemen who put up 45 or more points.
Tri-City features seven players averaging a point or more per postseason game and are led by Morgan Geekie and Michael Rasmussen, who each have 24 points in eight games.
It remains to be seen how the Tips will line-match against the Americans.
“We try not to put too much emphasis on it,” Williams said. “We try to educate all our guys on all their lines and who they’re playing, and sometimes we put so much energy into who is going against who and you forget to coach a play. We’ll definitely do some in-depth pre-scouting and find out (Tri-City’s) strengths.”
The play from Everett’s third line of Bryce Kindopp, Reece Vitelli and Martin Fasko-Rudas will also be important, particularly when the Tips are in Kennewick. The home team gets the final change after a stoppage in play, meaning Everett’s third line could end up facing an opponent’s first or second line.
“We’re comfortable with those three going up against anybody in the sense of playing good in the defensive zone,” Williams said. “Our challenge with those guys is always keeping the puck out of our own end and bringing the energy. They do a good job of cycling the puck offensively, of keeping their (defensemen) pinned, making them work (and) contributing offensively.”
Kindopp, Vitelli and Fasko-Rudas have combined for seven goals and six assists for 13 points in 10 games. The trio combined for four goals and three assists in the five-game series against Portland.
For the latest Silvertips news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
