SEATTLE – The Everett Silvertips had nothing at stake in their Western Hockey League regular-season finale Sunday night at Seattle.
And the Silvertips played like it.
Having sewed up the U.S. Division title the night before, the Silvertips took Sunday off, falling 5-1 to the Seattle Thunderbirds at KeyArena.
Everett, which finished the season 35-27-8-2, was coming off an emotional 2-1 victory at Tri-City on Saturday in which the Silvertips clinched the division title. Sunday it was apparent that Everett was drained from the previous night.
“For sure we were emotionally drained,” Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. “We put a lot of energy into winning three games in four nights and there wasn’t a lot of reason in terms of standings to have to win tonight. There was zero reason to have to win and we kind of played like that.
“We were not real good and a little sloppy, and guys played who hadn’t played in a long time and their games were a little rusty.”
Seattle, which was already eliminated from the playoffs, finished the season 24-31-8-9.
Already playing without five regulars who were being rested, many of Everett’s other 19 players looked like they were taking the night off, too. Everett went through the motions, giving Seattle wide-open scoring chances and managing just 14 shots on goal.
“I think knowing that we already had the division locked down was a huge factor,” Everett captain Bryan Nathe said. “This game didn’t mean too much except for pride and character.
“I’m disappointed in myself,” Nathe added. “You don’t want to lose your last game of the season. But then again, Seattle doesn’t get to put their skates back on Friday and we do.”
However, Sunday’s performance was to be expected, given the circumstances, and the Silvertips are certain the nature of the loss won’t carry over into the playoffs, which begin Friday at home against Spokane.
“I don’t think it will (affect us),” Nathe said. “We don’t have a day off (today), we’re going to get back in the rink and prepare for Spokane on Friday. We have a while to rest up and get ready, so I don’t think this loss will affect us too much.”
Dustin Johner, Seattle’s three-year captain playing his final game for the T-birds, gave Seattle the lead 8:31 into the first period. Johner took a pass from Clayton Barthel while skating into the zone and shot from the top of the right circle. Everett goalie Michael Wall got a piece of Johner’s shot, but the puck found a way through Wall’s legs and drifted in to make it 1-0. It was Johner’s 26th goal of the season.
Tyler Metcalfe doubled Seattle’s lead at 4:40 of the second period with a goal that was a near mirror image of the T-birds’ first. Metcalfe took a pass this time into the left side of the zone and he skated into the circle before beating Wall top shelf for his 22nd of the season.
Everett finally woke up on the power play near the end of the second period. John Dahl dropped a pass into the right corner for Tyler Dietrich. Dietrich then fed a pass in front, where Barry Horman stretched out his stick to redirect it past Seattle goalie Josh Lepp at 18:26 to make it 2-1. It was Horman’s 15th of the season.
Whatever hopes Everett had were dashed by two Seattle goals in the first two minutes of the third period. First, Yashar Farmanara scored his 10th of the season on a nifty no-look backhanded pass from Metcalfe at 1:12. Then Nate Thompson skated the length of the ice and finished at the near post for his 13th of the season at 1:50.
David Svagrovsky added an insurance goal, his sixth of the season, for Seattle at 15:37 of the third period.
Slap shots: With nothing on the line, Everett rested several of its key players. Defensemen Mitch Love and Ivan Baranka and forwards Chad Bassen and Jeff Schmidt were all scratched, and goalie Jeff Harvey watched from the Everett bench. In the lineup for Everett was 16-year-old defenseman Jordan Funk. Funk, who has been traveling with the team but not officially on the roster, made his third appearance of the season. … With Saturday’s victory over Tri-City, Everett not only clinched the U.S. Division title, the Silvertips also reached 80 points to break the Canadian Hockey League record for points by an expansion team. The previous record was 78 by the Longueuil Chevaliers of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
First Period-1, Seattle, Johner 26 (Barthel), 8:31. Second Period-2, Seattle, Metcalfe 22 (Durand, FitzGerald), 4:40. 3, Everett, Horman 15 (Dietrich, Dahl), 18:26 (pp). Third Period-4, Seattle, Farmanara 10 (Metcalfe, Durand), 1:12. 5, Seattle, Thompson 13 (Johner, Fecho), 1:50. 6, Seattle, Svagrovsky 6 (Gagnon, Tolpeko), 15:37. Shots on goal-Everett 2-5-7-14. Seattle 15-10-7-32. Power-play opportunities-Everett 1 of 4. Seattle 0 of 2. Goalies-Everett, Wall 12-13-3 (32 shots, 27 saves). Seattle, Lepp 8-17-3 (14 shots, 13 saves). |
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