EVERETT – The Everett Silvertips found the best form of retaliation Sunday night:
On the scoreboard.
Everett scored three goals as a result of a penalty from a cheap shot, and the Silvertips finished off the their own preseason tournament by defeating the Vancouver Giants 4-1 before a crowd of 1,972 at the Everett Events Center.
All four of Everett’s goals – scored by Mitch Love, Zach Hamill, Brady Calla and Taylor Ellington – came on the power play, and the final three were a direct result of Vancouver superstar Gilbert Brule’s five-minute major penalty for slashing Riley Armstrong, an attack that knocked Armstrong out of the game.
“You don’t like to see cheap shots like that,” Love said. “I don’t know what you can do out there, you can’t teach that stuff, it’s just what you do. But it’s a long season and I’m sure we’ll compete again.”
In a game that was physical from start to finish, the flash point came late in the second period when Brule, a probable top-five pick in next year’s NHL Draft, slashed Armstrong’s knee from behind after Armstrong had leveled Brule with a hit. Armstrong crumpled to the ice and had to be helped to the dressing room. He suffered a bruised knee, but is not expected to miss significant time.
Brule was given a game misconduct in addition to his five-minute major, one of 18 penalties taken by the Giants.
“They said it was a slash, but I really didn’t see it, so I can’t comment on it,” Vancouver coach Don Hay said of Brule’s penalty.
“We took too many penalties,” Hay added. “We have to have better discipline. We can’t play frustrated because that plays right into Everett’s hands. We have to play a lot smarter than we played.”
Brule’s penalty in particular aided Everett’s cause. The score was tied 1-1 when the penalty was called. Everett led 4-1 by the time it was over.
The scuffling after Brule’s penalty gave Everett a five-on-three power play and the Tips took advantage, taking the lead at 18:07 of the second. Love, in the right corner, spied Hamill sneaking in at the far post. Hamill’s first effort was saved by Vancouver goalie Tommy Tartaglione, but Hamill kept hacking away and eventually forced the puck in to make it 2-1 at 18:07.
Everett remained on the power play and scored again at 19:23 when Calla and Curtis Billsten played give-and-go, with Calla one-timing it in from the slot to make it 3-1.
The Tips, still on the power play to start the third period, went ahead 4-1 at 1:21 when Ellington blasted a shot from the point into the upper-left corner.
The victory was Everett’s first of the exhibition season. The Tips went 1-0-2 in the tournament.
“After the first period I didn’t think the intensity was there,” Love said. “I didn’t think guys going into possibly their last game as a team, trying to fill spots, were really competing out there. We were getting tossed around by the bigger and stronger Vancouver defense. I thought we came out in the second period with a little more urgency in our game and a little more confidence and that seemed to be the turning point for us.”
Slap shots: Portland was the unofficial winner of the tournament. With two wins and a tie, the Winter Hawks compiled five points. Everett finished with four points to finish second. … Everett defenseman Ivan Baranka, who was in his native Slovakia graduating from high school, arrived in town Sunday. He attended Sunday’s game, but did not dress. … Two Silvertips, forward Barry Horman and defenseman Ryan Blatchford, did not play in the tournament. Horman is nursing a finger injury, Blatchford is waiting for clearance from doctors to play in games after undergoing shoulder surgery during the offseason. … The total attendance from the three days was 12,296.
Silvertips 4, Giants 1
Vancouver100-1
Everett031-4
First Period-1, Vancouver, Vey 1 (Grant), 8:17 (pp).
Second Period-2, Everett, Love 1 (Armstrong), 0:26 (pp). 3, Everett, Hamill 1 (Love, Thoring), 18:07 (pp). 4, Everett, Calla 1 (Billsten, Pouter), 19:23 (pp).
Third Period-5, Everett, Ellington 2 (Thoring, Calla), 1:21 (pp).
Shots on goal-Vancouver 9-11-5-25. Everett 17-9-11-37. Power-play opportunities-Vancouver 1 of 4. Everett 4 of 15.
Goalies-Vancouver, Kaczmar (20 shots, 19 saves), Tartaglione 0-1 (17 shots, 14 saves). Everett, Wall (16 shots, 15 saves), Irving 1-0 (nine shots, nine saves).
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