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Tyler Hunnex - I started/founded/began Let's Go Birds in September of 2007 after feeling like my favorite Junior Hockey team needed more discussion and analysis. I'm statistically minded, forever frustrated by the Tbirds and my all-time favorite player was #10. I think I'm funny and my writing would probably disagree. Follow me on Twitter @TylerHunnex.
Jon Whiting - Jon joined the Let's Go Birds team in the summer of 2013. His passion for the Thunderbirds is as big as any fan I've ever met. His two kids are named after former Tbirds and his favorite all-time players were Patrick Marleau and Olaf "Ole" Kjenstad, who he swears is the best pure scoring Tbird ever.
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Seattle loses a tough one last night to the Everett Silvertips before a passionate and divided crowd at Showare Center. The loss is frustr...
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Mathew Barzal will have how many points in the 2013-14 season?
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2014
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March
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- Everett at Seattle - Game 5
- Seattle at Everett - Game 4
- Everett at Seattle - Game 3
- Game 2 Thoughts
- Seattle at Everett, Game 2
- Game 1 Thoughts
- Everett at Seattle, Game 1
- How does Barzal not get rookie of the year? (by th...
- Couple quick notes on game 2 in Everett
- Playoff Preview
- Seattle earns home ice against Everett (sorta)
- Player contracts
- An apology, a fish, and something about a record
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23 comments :
Woohoo!
What a game. Terribad officiating, but great game.
What a great game! It seems like the T-Birds just keep getting away with wins after being at a severe disadvantage with penalty minutes. I hope we don't let Everett back into this series because we can't stay out of the bin. As close as all three games have been, I won't feel comfortable until we've notched the fourth one. Everett is just a couple good breaks away, then suddenly it could be 3-2 going back to Everett...
I'm still new to hockey, just started going to games last year. It seems like Maxwell has been on the first line for much of the year, but now Eansor is starting in the playoffs. Am I wrong about this or is there a reason for it? Does Eansor just play better with the first line?
Coach K is known for switching up his line combinations a ton over the course of a year. But also, referring to a given line as the first line, second line, etc. is problematic because people have different definitions of what is a first line versus a third line or fourth line.
Eansor has been grinding out tough minutes all season and he seems to have found good chemistry with Yakko and Mac on the top checking line, generating some great pressure on the forecheck. Maxwell, as more of a veteran, may be seen as a good option to slot into most any line to bring grit and a bit of scoring touch, which might also explain the move.
Just my observations watching, no stats on hand to back it up.
The Eansor-McKechnie-Yakubowski line was actually put together back in November. Maxwell was acquired at the trade deadline in January. When Eansor was out for a month in February with an illness, Maxwell took his spot on that line, which made sense because all three had played together on the same line in Lethbridge. When Eansor returned to health, he was put back on that line with Yak and Mac.
That was a fun game - they've all been such nail-biters! I agree with someone else who said that they won't be comfortable until get #4.
Hopefully we can get it done in EVT on Friday. The Tips fans in our section were pretty sour after last night's win. Can't say I blame them too much since our Drunk-for-Tuesday crowd was especially loud about everything.
to give my 1.5cent on the question from anon 7.39, The Seattle lines are not clearly labeled or categorised. More and more on the offense, coaches are going to try and find duos of forward that are working well together and what "specialty" they have. Then you add the 3rd guy that works well with them. The 3rd guy could change depending on who is hot on doing what. Right now you see that Yak and Mckecnie are always together on the "energy" line, forechecking, controling the other team's top line etc. You could put Eansor or Maxwell with them and the differnce is minimal (Eansor seem to have a bit more uposide offensively)
Then you Have the Gropp-Barzal duo that seem to go well with either Trock or Hickman. Since the 2 lines are working it seems like Lipberg is left out with MAxwell, they both benefiting in the added size of either Troock or Hickman depending on the game. I would also not read that they are a "3rd line " in any way shape or form ...since Maxwell and Lipsberg are the 2 top scorers in the playoff for the tbirds.
I see theses 3 lines as pretty even, good quality line that can match up against any one, with the caveat that the Yak and mac line would oppose the top line on most nights.
As for the game last night, I am suprised. The tbirds played well enough to win and really took the wind out of the tips with this OT.
I was thinking that the tbirds needed a big margin to really not allow any momentum shift iun this serie, but the fact that they too the lead of everett away twice, allowed 3 goals and still won must be pretty defeating for EVT.
Another response to anon 7:39. Take a read of this post from earlier in the year
http://www.letsgobirds.com/2013/11/what-is-first-line.html
It doesnt answer your question directly, but might make you have more questions
Just posted on WHL.com:
03/26/14 Jaimen Yakubowski Seattle One game for double minor for check from behind vs. Everett on March 25
::sigh:: The Everett player was injured on the play, wasn't he? I suppose this was inevitable.
Um wow, suspended for a double minor :( I had Everett fans behind me complaining when Kozun got his penalty, "the goalie needs to go in the box, that is who the penalty was on". I explained that goalies generally don't serve their own penalties.
As far as the line go, as some one said it is going to depend on how you define the lines. I would call Eansor-Yak-McKechnie a checking line since their primary responsibility is to play against the opponents best scoring line. I would refer to a top line as the best scoring line on a team. Barzal-Gropp-Hickman and Maxwell (or Delnov)-Troock-Lipsbergs are the top two scoring lines, IMO. You also see some changes when it is 4 on 4, Troock with Barzal and Delnov with Lipsbergs ect.
As for the game, I thought Everett was fortunate to get to OT. I thought Seattle really took it to them in the first and third. I think Lodz has looked somewhat shaky so far. Should be a really fun game Friday night. Maybe I should take some sort of accessory, Everett fans have their cowbells, I could bring something else . . . :)
Lotz has looked shaky much of the series, if you ask me. You may remember that they pulled him after the first period of their final game down in Portland. Given that their backup is a rookie with little playing experience (and no playoff experience) I wonder if they're not riding an injured Lotz cause they're out of options.
WAIT. GOALIES DON'T SERVE THEIR OWN PENALTIES? WHEN DID THIS START????
:)
The fans behind me were talking about how horrible the "fan experience" is at Showare for opposing team fans. I guess everyone thinks that the fans in their barns are always super polite and welcoming to the other team's fans. Not that there aren't a lot of assholes on 2-for-Tuesdays - but yeah.
Hoping to be as obnoxiously loud as possible up in EVT Friday - might as well give 'em a reason to hate us!
Yeah. The "[visiting team] sucks!" chant seems to have a knack for upping the butthurt amongst visiting fans, particularly those from Portland and Everett, and particularly after a loss. Just check the comments on any T-Birds home game win. Odds are good you'll find someone pissing and moaning about how rude and obnoxious we all are.
We may ruin the game experience for thin skinned opposing fans, but at least we didn't ruin the moment of silence.
Being a new T-Birds fan, I have to ask: does anyone know when the "[opposing team] sucks" chant started?
I don't have a date for you but it started quite a while back and was always "Portland Sucks".
To me... it should always be "Portland Sucks" unless we're playing Everett and then it's acceptable to say "Everett Sucks".
Playing Kamloops? I say "Portland Sucks" Playing Medicine Hat, "Portland Sucks".
I might be in the minority on this though.
I kinda agree with Tyler. Its been going on as long as I've been a fan of the team (over five years). But to me, its something I only join in on if its a US Division opponent (and even then I have a hard time with Tri-City). I will do a "Rockets Suck" chant for Kelowna too, largely because of last year's awesome/tragic playoff series.
We have been chanting Portland sucks for a long time, it used to be after a fight or long delay, in the past ten years is when it started every time the goal song came on. Then some people feel the need to do it for everything now... I am with Tyler, much better when it was Portland and now everett the rest aren't rivals, I'd prefer a lets go birds or something for those teams..... But on a side note since other teams fans are butt hurt sounds like chanting it is doing its job. I have heard much worse in arenas all over the whl, it's hockey get over it.
Hahahaha, I also chant Portland Sucks for most teams, except Everett. I just can't work up the disdain for the other teams like I can Portland and Everett. I probably wouldn't even do it for Everett except for those effing cowbells.
Sitting where we do (section 111, front row) the opposing team goes on/off the ice right there, so it's almost always full of Everett and Portland fans when we play them. I loooooove hearing them bitch about it. Like, seriously love it.
I only find the "{opponent } sucks" a bit much when said opponent is leading by 3 goals or something.....since its pretty much the worst thing people do here in Seattle ...its pretty tame I guess.
Question for long time fans:
was there a rivalry similar to Everett during the time of the Tacoma Rockets?
For the many years I went to the key arena / Mercer it was always "Portland Sucks" no matter who the Thunderbirds were playing.
It wasn't until they moved to Showare that the new fans thought that it was " Sucks" and it stuck. I don't chant it but I don't care that other do (though would prefer it only during the goal song and not in the middle of some shift. Would rather hear pro bird chants at that point).
Everett on the other hand is one to talk when they say the "and the still sucks" after the away team successfully completes a penalty kill...
I can remember it from at least 00-01 in the ShoWare for when they are playing "Rock'n'Roll part 2" at the start of a period and a goal. I don't remember it during "Rock'n'Roll part 2" prior to that but do remember it plenty in general during fights and stoppages before then.
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