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Tonight's game Opponent: Spokane Chiefs What: Game 3 of a best-of-seven series, Spokane leads 2-0 When: 7:05 p.m. Where: Comcast Arena at Everett Events Center Radio: KRKO (1380 AM)

ADDITIONAL ITEMS

• Everett Silvertips (External Link) • Schedule (External Link)

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Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com

For the Silvertips, will Comcast Arena be the key?

Down 2-0 to Spokane, Everett returns home for three games, but home-ice advantage doesn't always mean a big edge.

By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer

EVERETT -- The situation appears bleak for the Everett Silvertips.

Down 2-0 in their best-of-seven first round playoff series against the Spokane Chiefs. Badly outplayed in the first two games, being outscored 9-3. Few positives came out of Games 1 and 2 from an Everett standpoint.

But if there's one thing the Tips can take heart from, it's that they're back within the friendly confines of Comcast Arena.

The next three games of the series switch over to Everett, and the Tips are hoping the familiar setting and boisterous home fan support helps turn momentum in the series, begininng with tonight's Game 3.

"It's definitely good to be home," Everett captain Jonathan Harty said. "Obviously we were hoping for a little better situation than we have now, but we have our fans and our rink. We're in our comfortable situation now, so we'll see what we pull out of it."

Because of arena conflicts in Spokane, Games 3, 4 and 5, if it's necessary, are in Everett. That means Everett will have the final say in line changes after whistles, and the Tips will be hearing cheers from the crowd instead of boos.

As a result, Spokane coach Bill Peters is expecting to see a different Silvertips team tonight.

"There's no question things change here on the road," Peters said. "It's why earning home ice during the regular season is so important. They have the last line change so they have a lot of things in their control."

But are the Tips really a better team at home?

During the regular season Everett went 21-13-0-2 at home (.611 winning percentage) and 18-17-0-1 (.514) on the road. That's a significant difference, but nowhere near the largest differentials in the league. And Comcast Arena has not been near the fortress it was last season, when the Tips lost just six times at home, including both the regular season and the playoffs.

Therefore, Everett coach John Becanic isn't subscribing to the theory that just being home is enough to change the series' complexion.

"We'll take anything that's going to give us an added boost, and it's not going to hurt to be home and have our fans," Becanic said. "But it's not going to be the difference whether we win or lose. We have to play harder and be more disciplined. We can have all the fans we want, if we're not doing those things right we're still going to find ourselves on the wrong end of the scoreboard."

Everett's also dealing with the league's best road team. During the regular season Spokane finished an impressive 24-8-1-3 on the road, showing the Chiefs have no fear of opposing teams' buildings.

Then there's the question whether Everett's energetic crowd actually works in both teams' favor. There' no question the vocal fan support lifts the Tips. But the enthusiastic crowds often seem to inspire the opposition, too.

"They have a lot of fan support, but our guys love playing there," Peters said. "It's a great atmosphere to play in."

But whether home ice proves an advantage or not, Everett has little choice but to win tonight's Game 3. Only once in WHL history has a team rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven series. Oddly enough that was accomplished by the Chiefs, who came back to defeat Portland in 1996 in the first round.

"We're down 2-0 right now and we're not looking too far ahead," Everett center Zach Hamill said. "The biggest game of the year is coming up here (tonight), so I hope we're all ready for the game."

Becanic seemed to think the Tips will be ready. He was happy with the energy and passion at practice Monday and Tuesday. He's also witnessed the Tips overcome a two-game deficit in a playoff series before. Everett trailed heavily-favored Kelowna 3-1 in the 2004 Western Conference finals before winning three straight.

But the question remains whether this version of the Tips has what it takes to pull off a similar feat.

"I think there's a little bit of hidden panic," Harty said about Everett's situation. "But I think everyone knows we can't get too antsy. We've got to play our game still. I think if we play our game we'll be fine."

Nick Patterson's Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog