EVERETT — It’s as if Christmas has arrived early for the Everett Silvertips.
No, the Tips aren’t hanging ornaments on trees. Nor are they receiving any packages wrapped in red ribbon.
But after tonight’s game against the Vancouver Giants, the Tips might as well be headed home for the
holidays.
Everett receives a Christmas-like break following tonight’s game in Vancouver as the Tips don’t play another game for nine days. Everett receives the rare full weekend off, and the Tips don’t play again until Portland comes to town on Oct. 7.
The eight-day break is the type that’s welcomed midseason. It’s a bit awkward when it comes just six days into the schedule.
“No kidding, that’s kind of weird, kind of a (Canadian) Thanksgiving break I guess you could say,” said Tips overage defenseman Brennan Yadlowski, who in five seasons in the WHL has never experienced an early-season break like this.
The reason for the early vacation is that Comcast Arena is hosting the Everett Fall Home and Gift Show this weekend, making the venue unavailable for the Tips. That meant Everett was dependent upon being selected by another team to play an away game, had the Tips wanted to play this coming weekend. The call never came during the scheduling meeting and as a result the Tips get a lengthy early rest.
“It’s just the way the scheduling is, and we’re not the only team that has it,” Everett coach Mark Ferner said.
“It gives us some good quality practice time,” Ferner added. “It’d be good to get into that break with a W. It will give us an opportunity to work on our conditioning, work on our systems and do some team-building stuff.”
The early break makes the first week of the season almost a bit of a false start. The Tips just started getting their game legs underneath themselves. After tonight, they’re thrust right back into training camp conditions where all Everett can do is practice against itself.
Therefore, the challenge for the Tips is to try and retain that game sharpness without the benefit of playing any games, a difficult task at any time, let alone so soon into the schedule.
“We’ll try to make practice game-like,” Ferner said. “Lots of competition, lots of battle drills. That’s something we’re going to be harping on all year, trying to be hard to play against. If you don’t have that in practice, you’re certinaly not going to get it in the games.”
Added Yadlowski: “Practice is going to be so crucial this next week. With no games it’s going to be very important to get better every practice and every day. The practices might be a little bit longer, but that’s no excuse. We still have to be sharp each day.”
The home show takes place the same time every year and this isn’t the first time the Tips have been forced to take an early break because of it. Two seasons ago, Everett had an even longer wait, getting 10 days off after playing its first three games.
The layoff didn’t seem to cause the Tips any consternation that year. Everett lost 4-3 to Portland at home in the first game following the break, but then went on to win four straight.
“I don’t remember too much (from the break early in the 2009-10 season),” said Tips winger Tyler Maxwell, one of the few players remaining who experienced that long, early break two years ago. “It didn’t seem to affect anything. I think it will be a good thing, if anything. I think we can come together as a team.”
Whatever the Tips choose to do, they’ll have plenty of free time to do it.
Slap shots
Maxwell is on the cusp of history. His two goals during Saturday’s 5-4 shootout loss at home against Kelowna gave him 98 in his Everett career. That’s two shy of the franchise record of 100 held by Shane Harper. Maxwell gets his first shot at matching or surpassing the record tonight. … Tips defenseman Tye Hand (concussion) and forward Trent Lofthouse (broken wrist) have rejoined practices. Lofthouse still isn’t ready to return to games yet, while Hand is questionable for tonight’s game. Center Kohl Bauml also is out tonight after suffering a possible concussion during Saturday’s game. Center Manraj Hayer remains on the shelf with a broken fibula. … Tuesday’s practice was interrupted when one of the glass panels shattered along the side walls. The broken glass meant the Tips were limited to one end of the ice for the remainder of practice.
Check out Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at NickHPatterson.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
