Scouting report

Tonight is the third of 10 meetings between Everett and Seattle this season. The Tips won the first two, most recently prevailing 5-2 when the teams met in Everett on Oct. 10.

Seattle (2-9-0-1 going into Friday night’s game at Spokane) is off to a disastrous start. The T-birds have not responded well to a road-heavy first-half schedule, which allows the team to maximize the number of games at the Kent Events Center after it opens in late December.

Seattle’s main problem has been preventing goals, with 18-year-old goaltender Jacob DeSerres (1-3-0-0, 5.54 goals against average, .839 save percentage) beginning to lose time to 16-year-old Calvin Pickard (1-6-0-1, 3.36 goals against average, .888 save percentage). Seattle’s defense has continued to struggle, despite the return of team captain Thomas Hickey (one goal, two assists) to fortify the blue line.

Up front the T-birds have plenty of firepower. The line of 19-year-olds David Richard (five goals, eight assists), Jim O’Brien (one goal, nine assists) and Prab Rai (seven goals, one assist) remains potent, with the recent return of 20-year-old Greg Scott (one goal, two assists) expected to eventually pay big dividends.

Nick Patterson, Herald Writer