TALKING POINTS
Honestly, for the most part this game from Everett’s perspective was not as bad as the final score makes it look, especially considering the circumstances. The rebuilding Tips were severely shorthanded, playing without captain Ryan Murray, leading scorer Josh Birkholz and enforcer Jesse Mychan among others — not to mention banished sniper Tyler Maxwell. Everett has a limited number of top-end players, and each one lost is a hammer blow to the team’s chances. Meanwhile, Portland is a title-contending team which was healthy and full of confidence, having won five straight. It was a recipe for a blowout.
Yet for two periods the Tips hung tough, playing the Winterhawks pretty even through 40 minutes. Portland still led 4-2 because of its superior skill, which was highlighted on the power play. But Everett had a chance to make a game of it early in the third period, getting a 53-second five-on-three just eight seconds in.
However, that power play was a complete disaster for Everett as the Tips couldn’t even get set up in the offensive zone during the five-on-three, and the resulting letdown was just the type of thing Portland feasts on. The Winterhawks quickly scored three times during a three-minute span to end the game as a contest and make the score look uglier than maybe it should have been.
Tonight marked the Everett debuts of JT Barnett and Teal Burns, who arrived the previous week as reinforcements. They showed some promise, particularly Barnett as he had a goal and an assist.
No respite for the Tips as Saturday they host a Vancouver team that’s won five straight and scored 11 goals against Victoria tonight.
TURNING POINT
See above. One word describes that five-on-three: ugh.
HIT OF THE DAY
None. Just not much happening out there tonight.
THREE STARS
First star: Sven Bartschi, Portland. Three assists, put on a master-class display of playmaking.
Second star: Troy Rutkowski, Portland. Two goals and one assist, the D-man has about as accurate a shot as I’ve seen this year.
Third star: Taylor Leier, Portland. One goal and one assist, a pretty good player for a fourth liner.
The Herald’s honorable mention: Tyler Wotherspoon, Portland. Two assists, made several noticeably good defensive plays in the first period.
BOX SCORE
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