Seattle 4, Everett 3

TALKING POINTS

Apparently the Tips thought tonight’s season opener started at 9:30 rather than 7:30.

For most of two periods Everett really didn’t do much and the Tips fell behind 4-0. Then Everett woke up in the third, peppered the Seattle goal with 26 shots, and nearly staged an epic comeback.

However, Everett never recovered from a comically-bad three-minute stretch in the second period, during which the lead went from 1-0 to 4-0 with a couple bad penalties and a goalie change thrown in for good measure.

The Tips were particularly careless with their sticks tonight. Four tripping penalties, none of which were necessary.

The decision to start Kent Simpson, who won four preseason games while Thomas Heemskerk was at camp with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, in goal didn’t work out for Everett as he was yanked after Seattle’s fourth goal.

And for those who have inquired about Everett’s captains, the Tips haven’t announced anything official yet, but tonight Zack Dailey was wearing the “C”, while Shane Harper and Byron Froese were wearing “A”s.

TURNING POINT

It was a nightmarish three-minute stretch for Everett midway through the second period. Between Dailey’s tripping penalty at 5:36 to Dale Hunt’s tripping penalty at 8:24, the score stretched from 1-0 to 4-0. Too far for Everett to come back from there.

HIT OF THE DAY

Midway through the first period Seattle’s Lindsay Nielsen caught an off-balance Dale Hunt square and sent Hunt toppling onto his back.

THREE STARS

First star: Colin Jacobs, Seattle. A goal and two assists for the 16-year-old rookie.

Second star: Calvin Pickard, Seattle. 46 saves, he would have gotten the first star if the voting took place at game’s end rather than with five minutes remaining.

Third star: Byron Froese, Everett. A goal and an assist as the artists formerly known as the Kid Line finally got going in the third period.

The Herald’s honorable mention: Charles Wells, Seattle. Good forechecking helped him tally two assists.