TALKING POINTS
Well, these new high-scoring Silvertips just keep going this preseason. Everett put five more pucks in the net, and it could have been more as the Tips outshot the T-birds 45-25. This was punctuated by a 10-minute period of pure domination to end the second period. Everett scored four goals in the second to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead, and in the final 10 minutes I’m not sure the puck crossed the red line more than five times. That’s how completely the Tips pinned Seattle into its own zone. The Tips now have scored a league-high 31 goals in the preseason, or more than five per game. They scored 2.4 per game last season.
It’s remarkable just how different the team has looked in the preseason than it did last season. Everett seems so much faster to the puck than it was in the past. The Tips forwards were constantly flying in on the Seattle defense and creating turnovers.
Once again Manraj Hayer and Brayden Low did heavy damage. Hayer had a goal and an assist, and he continues to lead the league in preseason scoring with 11 points in five games. Low had a goal and two assists and sits tied for second in scoring with nine points in five games — after managing just six in 43 contests last season. Everett general manager is going to have one hell of a difficult decision to make regarding his overagers should Reid Petryk return from his pro tryout.
But while Everett’s scoring spree continued, the Tips have also given up their share of goals this preseason. Seattle scored twice in the third period to make it interesting, with the T-birds scoring with the goalie pulled with 1:25 remaining to pull within one. Seattle had a couple chances down the stretch, but Austin Lotz made two desperation saves on Connor Honey to preserve it for Everett.
Everett improved to 6-0. The Tips can make it a perfect preseason if they can win the rematch Saturday night in Kent.
TURNING POINT
Everett trailed 2-1 midway through the second and went on the penalty kill following a too-many-men penalty. But 10 seconds into the penalty Hayer sped the other way, undressed the Seattle defense, and scored under Seattle goaltender Danny Mumaugh to knot it at 2-2. That began the Everett eruption.
BOX SCORE
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