Tipped Off
02-23-2007, 11:08 AM
Tips not so special recently
Usually a mainstay, special teams has been a problem for Everett over the past three weeks.
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
EVERETT - The Everett Silvertips have always prided themselves on their special teams.
Since day one of franchise history, Everett has always been among the league leaders in penalty killing, and the past two seasons the Tips have generated a enormous amount of their offense on the power play.
But lately those special teams haven't been quite so special. Everett's special teams are in a slump, and that's one area the Tips need to sort out in these final three weeks before the playoffs begin.
"They're not the greatest right now," Everett captain Jason Fransoo said about the special teams. "But we're working on them and we'll bring better ones."
On the surface, Everett's special teams look just fine. Everett currently ranks second in the Western Hockey League on both the power play and the penalty kill. For the season, the Tips have scored on 20.4 percent of their power plays and killed off 88 percent of opponents' power plays.
However, over the past three weeks those numbers have taken a dramatic dip. In the previous 10 games, Everett has converted just 10.6 percent of its power plays. Over the past 11 games the Tips have been successful on just 75 percent of their penalty kills. Both those numbers would rank dead last in the league.
Everett has continued to win games during that stretch because of a corresponding improvement in its five-on-five play. However, the victories have become less and less convincing.
"All the little parts of the power play could be better without thinking it's anything other than the fact that we've been lackluster as a team, period," Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. "But as far as the penalty kill goes, I think there are specific issues."
Everett's struggles on the power play are puzzling simply because of the kind of offensive talent the Tips can field. Everett's top power-play unit consists of five forwards, all of whom either were drafted or will be drafted by the NHL.
Over the current stretch the Tips have still displayed that offensive ability. But too often Everett passed itself out of good scoring chances, over-elaboration in search of the perfect goal.
"We just got away from so many things that were making us successful," said Everett right wing Moises Gutierrez, who leads the league in power-play goals. "We weren't utilizing what was working so well: shots from the point, screens, tips, rebounds. This whole week we've been harping on getting back to taking every shot and getting more traffic to the net."
The power play has begun to show signs of life. The Tips are 3-for-13 on the power play in the past two games after going 2-for-33 in the previous five.
The bigger concern is on the penalty kill. The Tips have given up at least one power-play goal in 11 of their past 12 games, a very un-Everett-like figure. And there's plenty of blame to go around.
"Our goaltending the last five games has been way below average, not anything near what we're used to, and your No. 1 penalty killer is your goaltender," Constantine said. "If we continue to get average-to-poor goaltending our penalty kill is going to suffer.
"Beyond that, our attention to detail in the way our defensemen pressure has not been very good," Constantine continued. "Our forwards' ability to get key blocks has not been very good. Our ability to handle the other teams when they generate offense from behind the net has not been very good. Those are some of the keys to getting back where we were at the beginning of the year."
And that's where the Tips need to be if they want to progress through the playoffs the way they want.
"Fixing this is huge," Fransoo said. "You win and lose games because of your special teams. If we're going to win in the playoffs we're going to have to have our special teams going."
Slap shots: Everett left wing Ondrej Fiala, who banged his leg into the boards in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime victory over Prince George, did not practice Thursday and is doubtful for the weekend. With Fiala out, Everett is without its top three left wings: Fiala, Kyle Beach (at the Canada Winter Games) and Brennan Sonne (spleen injury). ... Tips general manager Doug Soetaert was fined $500 by the league for comments made to officials during Saturday's 3-2 victory over Lethbridge. ... Winger Matt Ius practiced with the team this week and is available for the weekend's games if necessary. The 16-year-old Ius was called up to ensure against further injury.
Usually a mainstay, special teams has been a problem for Everett over the past three weeks.
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
EVERETT - The Everett Silvertips have always prided themselves on their special teams.
Since day one of franchise history, Everett has always been among the league leaders in penalty killing, and the past two seasons the Tips have generated a enormous amount of their offense on the power play.
But lately those special teams haven't been quite so special. Everett's special teams are in a slump, and that's one area the Tips need to sort out in these final three weeks before the playoffs begin.
"They're not the greatest right now," Everett captain Jason Fransoo said about the special teams. "But we're working on them and we'll bring better ones."
On the surface, Everett's special teams look just fine. Everett currently ranks second in the Western Hockey League on both the power play and the penalty kill. For the season, the Tips have scored on 20.4 percent of their power plays and killed off 88 percent of opponents' power plays.
However, over the past three weeks those numbers have taken a dramatic dip. In the previous 10 games, Everett has converted just 10.6 percent of its power plays. Over the past 11 games the Tips have been successful on just 75 percent of their penalty kills. Both those numbers would rank dead last in the league.
Everett has continued to win games during that stretch because of a corresponding improvement in its five-on-five play. However, the victories have become less and less convincing.
"All the little parts of the power play could be better without thinking it's anything other than the fact that we've been lackluster as a team, period," Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. "But as far as the penalty kill goes, I think there are specific issues."
Everett's struggles on the power play are puzzling simply because of the kind of offensive talent the Tips can field. Everett's top power-play unit consists of five forwards, all of whom either were drafted or will be drafted by the NHL.
Over the current stretch the Tips have still displayed that offensive ability. But too often Everett passed itself out of good scoring chances, over-elaboration in search of the perfect goal.
"We just got away from so many things that were making us successful," said Everett right wing Moises Gutierrez, who leads the league in power-play goals. "We weren't utilizing what was working so well: shots from the point, screens, tips, rebounds. This whole week we've been harping on getting back to taking every shot and getting more traffic to the net."
The power play has begun to show signs of life. The Tips are 3-for-13 on the power play in the past two games after going 2-for-33 in the previous five.
The bigger concern is on the penalty kill. The Tips have given up at least one power-play goal in 11 of their past 12 games, a very un-Everett-like figure. And there's plenty of blame to go around.
"Our goaltending the last five games has been way below average, not anything near what we're used to, and your No. 1 penalty killer is your goaltender," Constantine said. "If we continue to get average-to-poor goaltending our penalty kill is going to suffer.
"Beyond that, our attention to detail in the way our defensemen pressure has not been very good," Constantine continued. "Our forwards' ability to get key blocks has not been very good. Our ability to handle the other teams when they generate offense from behind the net has not been very good. Those are some of the keys to getting back where we were at the beginning of the year."
And that's where the Tips need to be if they want to progress through the playoffs the way they want.
"Fixing this is huge," Fransoo said. "You win and lose games because of your special teams. If we're going to win in the playoffs we're going to have to have our special teams going."
Slap shots: Everett left wing Ondrej Fiala, who banged his leg into the boards in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime victory over Prince George, did not practice Thursday and is doubtful for the weekend. With Fiala out, Everett is without its top three left wings: Fiala, Kyle Beach (at the Canada Winter Games) and Brennan Sonne (spleen injury). ... Tips general manager Doug Soetaert was fined $500 by the league for comments made to officials during Saturday's 3-2 victory over Lethbridge. ... Winger Matt Ius practiced with the team this week and is available for the weekend's games if necessary. The 16-year-old Ius was called up to ensure against further injury.