The anticipation for this Round 2 series, set to begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, has been building all season long. The No. 3 seed Everett Silvertips know they have a tough task to get past the No. 2 seed Portland Winterhawks in a matchup between bitter rivals that were neck and neck in the standings throughout the regular season.

Round 1

Both squads were efficient in getting through their first round opponents, with Portland sweeping aside the Victoria Royals in four games, and Everett taking one extra game to get by the Vancouver Giants.

Both Everett and Portland had rocky starts to their respective Game 1’s, but once they got settled into grooves and found their offensive rhythms, both teams overwhelmed their opponents, as they commonly did throughout the regular season.

What to look for in the series

The Silvertips do well in transition through the neutral zone and into the attacking end, often headed by dynamic forward Ben Hemmerling, who is not afraid to skate and shoot the puck from anywhere. Hemmerling was fourth in the WHL during Round 1 with 27 shots on goal, while only shooting 11.1 percent with three goals.

Everett does the bulk of its offensive work getting to the front of the net, with Austin Roest and Dominik Rymon being the most active pests against Vancouver. Roest led the Silvertips with seven points during Round 1 (three goals and four assists).

Portland can at times struggle with allowing attackers to drift to the front of the net unimpeded and create opportunities, but more often then not they recover quickly and play much sounder than their opponents in setting up in transition. So taking advantage of the space they’re given will be crucial for the Silvertips in getting off to the start they need for this series.

It will also be a Seattle Kraken defensive prospect duel as Kaden Hammell and Tyson Jugnauth face off against one another. Hammell has two power-play goals, along with an assist thus far in the playoffs, while Jugnauth has not yet registered a point.

After his historic regular season, San Jose Sharks prospect Lucas Cagnoni adds an extra offensive dynamic to the blue line for the Winterhawks. With four goals and three assists against Victoria, Cagnoni is second in scoring among defensemen in the WHL playoffs. He, along with James Stefan, Gabe Klassen, and Nate Danielson, lead the offensive charge for the Winterhawks.

Special teams and goaltending

Special teams will need to be on point again for the Silvertips like it was in Round 1. After allowing three goals on the power play in Game 1 versus Vancouver, Everett went a perfect 14-for-14 on the penalty kill through the rest of the series. Granted, Portland has a more potent attack on the power play compared to the Giants, but things have trended in the right direction for the Silvertips in this area.

Portland’s six-foot-three netminder, Jan Spunar, is tough for any attacker to beat, but with the volume of shots Everett is known for achieving, and him allowing goals in bunches on a few occasions this season, keeping Spunar on his toes could bring offensive success for the Silvertips.

Silvertips goalie Tyler Palmer was arguably the best backstop in Round 1 with a 0.937 save percentage and a 1.63 goals against. He will see more consistent shot quality from the Winterhawks, as they find themselves at the top the circles and between the hashmarks more often the Giants. There’s a level of consistency and poise that’s needed out of goalies in the playoffs, and Palmer showed that against Vancouver. Can he keep his form against a much tougher opponent in the second round?

With there being potentially two or three back-to-backs in this series, Ethan Chadwick could also make an appearance or two.

Arena madness

There have been some hijinks from the WHL and the powers that be from Paw Patrol Live and Professional Bull Riding, which have created scheduling issues for this series.

Both teams were projected to go on deep playoff runs, yet Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett and Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland still scheduled overlapping events. Something funky was bound to happen, and it did.

It was decided by the WHL and both teams that Games 3, 4, and 5, if necessary, will be played at Angel of the Winds Arena instead of 3, 4, and 6. Game 3 will be on Monday night, and then there will be a three-day gap for PBR Live before games 4 and 5 on Friday and Saturday.

Then Games 6 and 7, if they become necessary, would be played in Portland on the Monday and Tuesday due to Paw Patrol Live creating another conflict.

Notes

• Austin Roest was absent for the majority of Game 5 of the Vancouver-Everett series. No further update on his status has been given.

• Everett has had issues when it comes to playing in Portland for the last two and a half years. Including playoffs, the Silvertips’ losing streak at Veterans Memorial Coliseum is at 14, with their last win there dating back to Nov. 16, 2021.

•Everett led 1-0 after the first period in each of the games they won in Round One.

Prediction: Everett in 7

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Eastern Conference Matchups (my picks):

1. Saskatoon vs. 8. Red Deer (SAS in 6)

2. Swift Current vs. 3. Moose Jaw (MJ in 7)

B.C. Division Matchups (my picks):

1. Prince George vs. 5. Kelowna (PG in 6)