All good things must come to an end. Knowing that no team wins out a complete WHL season, the Everett Silvertips saw their undefeated streak end at six games with a shootout loss against the Portland Winterhawks at home. Of course, if you’re going to lose, an overtime or shootout defeat is the way to go. Saturday, Everett traveled to Spokane to take on the Chiefs. They did not allow their losing streak to go past one game, defeating Spokane 4-1.
Everett’s goal scorers this weekend included Ronan Seeley, Hunter Campbell, Dylan Anderson, Austin Roest, Ryan Hofer, and Michal Gut (2). Gut is currently tied with Jackson Berezowski (two assists this weekend) for the team-lead in points with ten. Alex Swetlikoff and Berezokski share the team lead in goals with five.
Netminders Braden Holt and Koen MacInnes received an opportunity in net this weekend, with Holt playing against Portland and MacInnes getting the nod against Spokane. Holt saw the busier of the two games, saving 24 of 27 shots while getting action in both an overtime period and a shootout. MacInnes faced just 15 shots on goal Saturday, stopping all but one. Both Everett goaltenders are off to solid starts this season. MacInnes possesses slightly better numbers than Holt through four starts but has also seen fewer shots his way.
Through eight games, the Silvertips remain atop the U.S. Division with a 7-0-0-01 record. They share the division lead in points with Seattle but have played two fewer games at this juncture in the season. In the Western Conference, Everett sits in second place, just one point behind the Kamloops Blazers.
Tips Takes: Silvertips shootout loss Friday, win Saturday
Early Domination
Though the results differed between Friday and Saturday’s games, one thing rang true in both contests. Everett dictated the pace early, establishing commanding leads and control.
Friday, the Silvertips completely dominated the Winterhawks in the first period. Not only did they pot three goals in the opening stanza, but they also outshot their opponent 15-1. It took a little longer to get the wheels churning at full speed Saturday, but Everett once again scored the first three goals of the contest and outshot Spokane 20-8 through two periods.
The difference between the two games is Portland was able to crawl its way back into the game Friday, eventually leading to a shootout victory for the Winterhawks. Spokane showed brief signs of life midway through the second period Saturday but never got close enough to make it a real contest.
Obviously, Everett needs to avoid situations like what took place Friday to occur. Portland had no business getting back into that game but capitalized on two powerplays and then scored with less than a minute and a half left. They entered overtime with all the momentum. Momentum the Silvertips should not have allowed them to gain in the first place.
Scoring Prevention is Key
Yes, Everett allowed three goals (not including the shootout) against the Winterhawks Friday night. However, this is a team that typically does not allow too many goals against. Through eight games, the Silvertips have allowed just 14 goals in regulation. Not shockingly, that is the best in the WHL by a fair margin. Yes, the amount of games-played factors into it, but it’s hard to imagine that total rising much higher with two or three more games under their belt.
One of the main reasons the Silvertips are allowing the fewest goals in the WHL is they simply are not allowing many shots on the net. MacInnes and Holt have seen fewer shots than any other netminder of the goalies who played four or more games this season. Of course, solid goaltending is a primary key to success. Playing strong team defense and preventing a lot of scoring opportunities also helps in a significant way.
A Lapse in Discipline
Coming into the weekend as one of the more disciplined teams in the league, Everett lost its way slightly Friday night. In an incredibly physical and hostile game, the Silvertips committed seven penalties, allowing Portland to cash in on two powerplay opportunities and fight its way back into the game. Saturday, they got back to their more disciplined style of play, allowing just three powerplays for Spokane.
In the top-three in terms of PK% in the WHL, Everett knows how to shut down a team’s man-advantage. However, one of the reasons they possess such a strong penalty-kill is because they typically endure a moderate workload. Inside the top-ten regarding PIM’s per game (12.5), the Silvertips identity involves playing a disciplined brand of hockey, capitalizing on an opponent’s mistakes while making few themselves.
The Winterhawks found a way to get under Everett’s skin Friday and move them away from that identity. The Silvertips will indeed look to avoid occurrences like that moving forward.
Up Next
The Silvertips take on the Spokane Chiefs in the next three contests. They will play two on the road Friday and Saturday before heading back to Everett to conclude the series Wednesday.
