TALKING POINTS
The Tips started the second half victorious in front of a packed house at Comcast Arena. Here’s some bullet points:
– The last game of the first half was a 7-6 shootout victory over Victoria with goals galore. So of course the first game of the second half was going to end 1-0.
– Everett’s players may have indulged themselves a tad too much during the break as the Tips were very energetic in the first period, but not so much in the second and third.
– One could argue the Tips stole this one. Vancouver was the better team in the second and third periods, and they Giants completely dominated the first seven minutes of the second. Vancouver also had two open nets which they somehow missed.
– Referee Steve Papp decided he was going to let the teams play, as he didn’t blow his whistle once for penalty during the entirety of the second and third periods, despite several incidents both ways that could have warranted a call. So naturally the game was decided on a power play in overtime (see below).
– This was Everett’s 12th overtime game of the season already, in just 34 of the 72 games. The most OT games the Tips have had in a season is 18, which happened last season. Everett is 8-4 in games decided in OT or a shootout this season.
– Vancouver coach Claude Noel suffered his first defeat. The Giants had been 6-0 since he assumed control of the team following the firing of Troy Ward.
TURNING POINT
After 44 straight penalty-less minutes, Vancouver’s Tyler Benson dragged down Everett defenseman Cole MacDonald as MacDonald skated the puck out from behind his own net a mere 17 seconds into overtime. Just 11 seconds later the game was over as Nikita Scherbak fired a wrister into the top corner past a screened Vancouver goaltender Cody Porter. For the record the call looked legit from my vantage point, but I saw what appeared to be more egregious offenses go uncalled earlier in the game.
THREE STARS
First star: Austin Lotz, Everett. 28 saves, he saved the Tips’ bacon on a number of occasions, particularly during the stretch Vancouver dominated in the second period.
Second star: Porter. 21 saves, Made the stops he had to make, though he wasn’t overly tested.
Third star: Scherbak. One goal, he was made for four-on-three.
The Herald’s honorable mention: Arvin Atwal, Vancouver. No points, but was extremely active offensively from the blue line, and he probably should have scored early in the third when he beat Lotz with a move, but managed to slide the puck wide.
BOX SCORE
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