TALKING POINTS
A well-earned point for Everett tonight. The Tips very easily could have gotten the full two, but the fates haven’t been on Everett’s side against Portland this season. Six close games between the teams, six Winterhawks victories.
Everett played a good game tonight. Tips
coach Craig Hartsburg has been pleading for a full 60-minute effort from his team this season. Tonight he got a 64-minute effort.
Everett’s performance tempered the disappointing news that captain Landon Ferraro is out indefinitely. Ferraro will undergo surgery to repair a sports hernia. Hartsburg said he didn’t know whether Ferraro would return this season. Just the latest tough break in what’s been a frustrating season for Ferraro.
With Ferraro out indefinitely, Everett’s captaincy was handed to Ryan Murray. Murray, at 17, becomes the youngest captain in Tips franchise history by a longshot. No other Everett captain has been younger than 19.
One final question concerning the building. Is there security at Comcast Arena? Portland’s Brad Ross received a cross-checking penalty and a 10-minute misconduct midway through the third period. Some spectators sitting next to the penalty box decided to heckle Ross, and it appeared Ross squirted a water bottle at the fans. The fans responded by dumping what appeared to be a cup full of ice on Ross, and there was more verbal back-and-forth. Fortunately, the situation didn’t escalate. But I never saw any response from security. No fan ejections, no show of force, just a lone Silvertips employee going down and speaking to the fans several minutes after the fact. That’s the type of situation that needs to be dealt with promptly before things get out of hand. I don’t think we want a repeat of the mess that happened back in 2006-07, when a riot nearly broke out following some poor fan behavior.
TURNING POINT
Everett had it won early in overtime when Parker Stanfield put the puck on Everett leading scorer Tyler Maxwell’s stick with lots of net to work with on a two-on-one. However, Maxwell fired wide, and Portland found the winning goal late in OT.
HIT OF THE DAY
I didn’t catch who it was, but late in the third period a Portland player sent Clayton Cumiskey flying head over heels as a scrum of players battled for the puck. I think it might have been Nino Niederreiter, but I’m not sure.
THREE STARS
First star: Riley Boychuck, Portland. One goal and one assist, his goal was the overtime game-winner.
Second star: Kent Simpson, Everett. 31 saves, absolutely nothing he could have done on any of Portland’s goals, and he kept the Tips in it in the third period. His second straight strong performance.
Third star: Mac Carruth, Portland. 30 saves, he made some big ones during the first two periods.
The Herald’s honorable mention: Stanfield. One assist and created several other chances. The line of Stanfield, Jari Erricson and Cody Fowlie was Everett’s best tonight.
BOX SCORE
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
