The Kelowna Rockets are facing a win-win scenario this evening. The same can‘t be said for the Everett Silvertips.
Tonight, the Rockets and Silvertips square off in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series at Comcast Arena in Everett, Wash., with the winner extending its season by at least four more games. Heading into WHL post-season play, the Silvertips were heavily favoured to eliminate the Rockets. Now, with Kelowna having forced the series to its maximum, the pressure to win is firmly on Everett‘s shoulders.
But win, and questions will abound what took the Tips seven games to eliminate a team they should have beaten in five or six. Lose, and the choke label will be quickly attached.
For Kelowna, there is no pressure. If the team knocks off Everett, it‘s a bonus. If they lose, the rebuilding Rockets can leave the ice knowing they pushed one of the Western Conference‘s top teams to its limit.
Of course, like the Tips, the Rockets don‘t want to lose. That said, though, Kelowna can play tonight‘s game with a loose attitude, knowing they have nothing to lose. Or will they?
“Game 7 is a different animal,” said Kelowna head coach Ryan Huska, whose team will try to bust a trend tonight. So far, the home team has won every game – not good news if you‘re the Rockets heading into Comcast.
“Both teams are going to be excited to play, and I don‘t know if there is a favourite,” Huska continued. “If there is an advantage, it‘s because they have home ice, which has been something in the series that‘s proven to be important. So if there is one thing in a Game 7, it‘s they have their fans.
“But other than that, it should be fairly even.”
Everett will certainly have advantages by playing on home ice, with their loud crowd and last change being two of them. However, Kelowna has a small advantage when it comes to dealing with Game 7 pressure.
Two years ago, the Rockets went to seven games in a first-round loss to Seattle, with the Thunderbirds winning 4-2 despite getting outshot 33-20.
In that game on March 28, 2008, no less than five current Rockets suited up for Kelowna: defencemen Tyson Barrie, Collin Bowman plus forwards Evan Bloodoff, Lucas Bloodoff and Brandon McMillan. The last time the Tips played a Game 7 was in 2005, and Everett captain Zack Dailey has no Game 7 experience.
“We have to try and take advantage of our (home) crowd,” said Dailey, whose team led 4-3 after 40 minutes on Saturday, but coughed up two third-period goals. “It doesn‘t matter what happened before this; it‘s Game 7 and anything can happen.”
So, does Game 7 experience count? Maybe, but consider this: In Saturday‘s must-win scenario for Kelowna, Barrie and Lucas Bloodoff scored their first goals of the playoffs, with Lucas‘ marker being the game winner at 9:33 of the third period. And McMillan, the team‘s top forward who is strangely goal-less so far, registered two assists. Also getting their first goals were rookies Shane McColgan and Codey Ito.
“We have to play in Everett like we do here,” said Lucas Bloodoff, who‘s in his final season of junior eligibility. “We have to gets pucks in, get behind their defence and get on the body. That‘s how we get energy and wear them down. Spending time in their zone wears them out.
“It‘s really exciting; it‘s one game and it‘s move on or go home. It‘s only once chance and we have to be really ready for it. We have to enjoy and learn from the mistakes we made (Saturday) and get better and have a good Game 7 in Everett.”
For Kelowna, getting offensive contributions from its top guns was key in pushing the series to seven.
“Everyone played well (Saturday) and that‘s reflected on the scoresheet,” said Bloodoff. “Everyone was working and contributing. It doesn‘t really matter who gets on the scoresheet, but that‘s the result of what happens when everyone‘s going.”
“Without a doubt (it was important),” said Huska. “Your best guys have to be your best players every night, and it was nice to see them step up, but Lucas, in particular, really raised his level all over the ice. He played the game the way it should be played at this time of the year: He played not to lose; he played to win.
“He knows this is his last chance, and he‘s been playing that way over the last little bit. Lucas doesn‘t want his career to end, and I thought his play (on Saturday) showed that.”
From Everett‘s perspective, it was same old, same old: Start strong with an early goal, build a lead then squander it away.
The notable exception in Saturday‘s Game 6 was that the Silvertips trailed 3-1 before surging in the second to take a 4-3 lead after 40 minutes.
“For two periods, it was a typical playoff game, where both teams have played a lot of hockey and there were a lot of mistakes,” said Silvertips head coach Craig Hartsburg, whose team also wasted leads in Games 3 and 4. “We had a chance going into the third and we just didn‘t get it done.
“For whatever reason – I have no idea – but in (Prospera Place), when we get a lead, we seem to want to sit back and play on our heels. Against a team like that ,they just keep coming at you. We didn‘t do the job to put pressure on them. They‘ve got a lot of character, a lot of guys who have won on that side, and they just keep coming.
“This series has been a roller coaster, really. It‘s been a great series, I think both teams have competed hard and played desperate, and that‘s why it‘s been a roller coaster, because one team can‘t dominate the other very long, so it seems to go back and forth.”
Dailey said “The whole series has kinda been that way. (On Saturday), we kinda sat back instead of going at them. Anytime you do that, you allow them to get pressure on you, and they pulled it out in the end. We can‘t sit back; we have to keep going at them.”
ICE CHIPS: Tonight‘s contest will be the first Game 7 played at Comcast Arena. . . . Six years ago, the Rockets and Tips had a Game 7 on April 27, 2004, in the Western Conference championship. Everett won that game, 2-1 in overtime at Prospera Place, with goalie Jeff Harvey making 36 saves for the win. . . . Jeff Schmidt scored the winner, a pass that banked off his skate and in, at 7:56 of overtime.
