TALKING POINTS
Everett got just about every break possible tonight, yet still couldn’t find a way to win. Everett was given 11 power plays to just three for Tri-City, cashing in four times. The Tips got the bounces, the Americans hit the inside of posts. But it still wasn’t enough as Brendan Shinnimin’s goal with just 1:58 remaining polished off a wild third period and drove a dagger into Everett’s heart.
That said, the Tips showed some fight tonight, if not a lot of style points. Everett led 2-0 and was ahead 2-1 going into the third. When the Americans scored twice in the first four minutes of the third to take the lead, it could have gotten ugly. But to the Tips’ credit they kept fighting and got the lead back. Unfortunately, they couldn’t hold it.
Everett goaltender Kent Simpson really struggled. He was fighting the puck all night, and I suspect he’d like a few of those goals back, including Shinnimin’s. In fact, I suspect neither Simpson nor Tri-City goaltender Chet Pickard will remember this game fondly.
And, as is becoming an incredibly unfortunate habit, the Tips lost another player to injury as defenseman Trevor Bauer received a concussion when boarded by Spencer Asuchak in the game’s opening minutes. Bauer’s injury means the Tips will be completing the weekend without a full lineup.
TURNING POINT
The six-goal third period turned on several occasions. But the final turn came when Shinnimin skated the puck into the offensive zone, cut diagonally to his left, then crossed up Simpson with a shot to the right for the game winner.
HIT OF THE DAY
Tri-City’s Kruise Reddick isn’t known for his hitting, but he leveled Zack Dailey early in the third period with a full-force shoulder charge.
THREE STARS
First star: Shane Harper, Everett. A goal and two assists as he closes in on a point-per-game pace.
Second star: Kellan Tochkin, Everett. Got a little help from the hockey gods for his two goals.
Third star: Mitch Fadden, Tri-City. A goal and an assist, did he spend any time on the bench in the third period?
The Herald’s honorable mention: Jarrett Toll, Tri-City. The defenseman scored the vital tying goal, got involved offensively on other occasions and also was more physical than I usually see.
LINEUP NOTES
Everett dressed the 20 healthy bodies it could muster, including call-up forward D.Jay McGrath and eight defensemen as forwards Daniel Bartek (hand), Tyler Maxwell (knee), Dale Hunt (concussion), Paul Van de Velde (shoulder) and Tyler Parker (torso) are all out injured. The Tips decided to load up one line for offense as Harper took the spot on the left alongside Tochkin and Byron Froese. Cameron Abney took Harper’s place on the right with Zack Dailey and Dan Iwanski, and the Tips used just three lines.
Tri-City was missing left wing Petr Stoklasa because of a shoulder injury. Forward Brock Zimak, defenseman Riley McIntosh and goaltender Drew Owsley were healthy scratches.
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