EVERETT – For nearly two months the Everett Silvertips have been trying to revive their once-formidable power play.
Saturday night’s game against the Seattle Thunderbirds might have been just the shock to the system the Silvertips’ power play needed.
Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald
Everett scored three power-play goals and the Silvertips blew out the Thunderbirds 5-0 before a packed house of 8,504 at the Everett Events Center.
“We’ve been struggling on the power play as of late and it’s definitely great for our power play to step up tonight and win us a game,” said Everett defenseman Shaun Heshka, who had a four-point night. “Hopefully that continues on.”
Heshka scored the first two of those power-play goals. Peter Mueller, in his final game before joining Team USA for the World Junior Hockey Championships, also had four points, scoring a goal and adding three assists.
Torrie Wheat and Graham Potuer also scored goals and goaltender Leland Irving made 34 saves for his third shutout of the season for Everett (20-14-1-0), which won its third straight game.
Gavin McHale made 29 saves in net for Seattle (14-16-1-3), which lost its fifth straight.
Early in the season Everett’s power play was the most effective in the Western Hockey League, scoring at nearly a 30-percent rate. However, that efficiency rate fell to 17 percent, 10th in the league.
Saturday night Everett’s power play resembled its old self. With Heshka and Mueller leading the way, the Tips kept the puck constantly in motion, while Wheat and Ondrej Fiala planted themselves in front of the net to screen McHale.
Everett finished 3-for-7 on the power play, the first time the Tips scored three power-play goals in a game since beating Vancouver 5-4 on Oct. 23.
“I think everyone was holding onto their sticks a little too tight,” Mueller said about Everett’s dip in power-play production. “I think now that we have some people back and we’re getting more confidence in practice, I think we’re slowly getting better.”
Heshka set the tone on the power play, scoring on a shot from the point a mere 2 minutes, 5 seconds into the game. He scored from the identical spot on the power play later in the first period, then on a second-period power play he fed Wheat for a goal down low.
“Their power play is good,” Seattle coach Rob Sumner said. “They move the puck and they’re going to score enough good goals on the power play that we can’t allow point shots in.”
The victory was Everett’s seventh straight at home against Seattle. The Tips’ last home loss to Seattle came on Jan. 28, 2004.
“The trick is to try to figure out how to win in their building,” Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. “They’ve dominated the series in their building and we’ve been pretty good in our building, so at some point we’ve got to try to figure out a way to win in the other barn.”
The Tips get their next opportunity to reverse that trend tonight when the same teams face off in Seattle, Everett’s final game before the Christmas break.
Slap shots: Everett fielded the same lineup as in Friday’s game at Spokane. Forwards Zach Hamill (mononucleosis) and Jonathan Milhouse (concussion), as well as defenseman Jonathan Harty (groin) continue to be held out for health reasons. … Seattle played without four top players. The T-Birds’ top two scorers, forwards Ladislav Scurko and Roman Tomanek, are with Team Slovakia for the World Juniors, defenseman Scott Jackson was out with a knee injury and goalie Bryan Bridges, though he suited, is not expected to play until after Christmas because of an ankle injury. … Former Silvertip captain Mitch Love was in attendance. Love, who plays for Lowell of the American Hockey League, is currently inactive because of a hip injury.
Silvertips 5, Thunderbirds 0
Seattle000-0 Everett311-5
First Period-1, Everett, Heshka 6 (Mueller, Wheat), 2:05 (pp). 2, Everett, Heshka 7 (Mueller, Lammers), 14:18 (pp). 3, Everett, Mueller 15 (Heshka, Ellington), 19:51. Penalties-Gagnon, Seattle (high sticking), 0:43; Durand, Seattle (checking from behind), 3:28; Potuer, Everett (interference), 9:07; Barthel, Seattle (hooking), 13:50; Calla, Everett (tripping), 17:14. Second Period-4, Everett, Wheat 9 (Mueller, Heshka), 16:39 (pp). Penalties-Olson, Seattle (cross-checking), 4:03; Fiala, Everett (high sticking), 5:27; Thoring, Everett (high sticking), 11:04; Farmanara, Seattle (hooking), 15:34; Potuer, Everett (interference), 19:02. Third Period-5, Everett, Potuer 1 (Zasitko, Alic), 19:15. Penalties-Olson, Seattle (hooking), 1:33; Stamler, Seattle (roughing), 9:01; Olson, Seattle (slashing), 14:33; Smyke, Everett (slashing), 14:33; Stamler, Seattle (fighting), 16:00; Ellington, Everett (fighting), 16:00. Shots on goal-Seattle 13-14-7-34. Everett 17-7-10-34. Power-play opportunities-Seattle 0 of 5. Everett 3 of 7.
Goalies-Seattle, McHale 3-10-0-1 (34 shots, 29 saves). Everett, Irving 19-13 (34 shots, 34 saves).
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