Tipped Off
10-20-2005, 10:28 AM
Irving, Silvertips forging an identity
By John Sleeper
Herald columnist
Leland Irving knocked away a shot and Torrie Wheat took possession of it in the crease.
Wheat took the puck to his left and found Peter Mueller at the blue line. Mueller already knew what he would do, already having seen Karel Hromas streaking past two Saskatoon Blades defenders.
Once Mueller fed Hromas, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound left wing cut toward the net and beat goalie Kevin Armstrong over his left shoulder to give the Silvertips a 2-0 lead.
The whole thing may have taken three seconds.
That's the way it's been during the Silvertips' four-game win streak. While it's been said that a Western Hockey League team can't win consistently with a 17-year-old goalie, Irving has been spectacular. His 1.77 goals-against average is second in the league. He also has stopped 92.7 percent of the shots on goal, tied for second in the league among regular starters, with Scott Bowles of Prince George.
Then, too, have the Silvertips found an identity that's radically different from that of the previous two seasons. A decidedly defensive-minded team that frustrated other teams by slowing them down, these Silvertips are a skilled, attacking bunch that ferociously takes the play to the opponent. It's a fast, exciting team to the point where justthe uniforms are recognizable from the past.
"What's winning games right now is our energy," third-year defenseman Cody Thoring said. "Hitting and physical play. We're getting the puck in. And we're playing as a team. Nobody's trying to be the one man, taking it end to end and trying to be a hero."
Yes, the organization was built on defense. Defense has been the cornerstone. It was when Jeff Harvey was in goal two seasons ago and when Mike Wall was the goaltender last season. And the early returns suggest that Irving is keeping up the tradition.
Critics had so many questions about Irving, although he played so solidly last year that the Silvertips traded Wall in the off-season. After a slow start, Irving has proven worthy of the confidence coach and director of operations Kevin Constantine showed in him in making the trade.
Against Saskatoon, a fast, physical team of tremendous skaters, Irving turned back 26 of 27 shots, losing a shutout 2:39 from the end of the game.
"He's playing really well right now," Thoring said. "He kept us in the game. They had some good chances. He's our No. 1 right now for a reason. He's doing a great job."
Then, too, is the consideration that the Silvertips started the season with 10 new players on the roster. Many, such as Mueller, John Lammers, Ondrej Fiala, Jason Fransoo, Zach Dailey, Shane Harper and others, have been asked to contribute heavily and immediately while learning Constantine's complex system.
It's starting to sink in.
"I think it takes three months to really, really, really know what we're trying to do as a team," Constantine said. "We started Aug. 24, so we're closing in on two months. I think that in a month, a guy can figure things out what we're trying to do if he's paying attention."
One of those is Mueller, the highly touted second-round draft pick in the 2003 Bantam Draft. Mueller is adjusting to the pace of WHL play. Mueller had three assists against the Blades and has seven points in eight games.
"I'm getting comfortable day by day," Mueller said. "There's so much talent on that ice, the adjustment is hard to believe. The pace is fast and the guys are strong. You just have to adjust to it day by day. I was expecting it to be hard, but not as hard."
Everett also has a young group of defensemen who are learning the game, which makes Irving's numbers so impressive. Accordingly, Constantine relies heavily on veterans Shaun Heshka, Thoring and Jonathan Harty, a budding star from the remarkable 2003 Bantam draftees, to steady the defense.
Constantine also brought in Fransoo, 19, to add experience on the back end. Now, the hope is that the young guys - Taylor Ellington, Eric Doyle, Zach Sim and Graham Potuer - develop quickly.
"It's still a work in progress," Constantine said. "We've got Doyle. He's our youngest guy and he's been in and out (of the lineup). Part of it's because we have a lot of defensemen and part of it's performance. He's doing OK, but he still can steady out his game. Harty, I think, has been the most consistent of our young guys. Sim hasn't really been given a chance yet.
"Harty's been steady. Potuer's come in and been pretty steady. Ellington and Doyle still have some inconsistencies in their game. We've got to get Sim in there to give him a chance. There's been some progress, but we have some way to go."
So is the four-game win streak for the 5-3 Silvertips a blip on the radar screen or is this an indication that the team is jelling for the long term?
"I think it could be long term if guys realize that we're not going to win them every night just because we're going to win," Thoring said. "We've got to come out and give it everything we have."
By John Sleeper
Herald columnist
Leland Irving knocked away a shot and Torrie Wheat took possession of it in the crease.
Wheat took the puck to his left and found Peter Mueller at the blue line. Mueller already knew what he would do, already having seen Karel Hromas streaking past two Saskatoon Blades defenders.
Once Mueller fed Hromas, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound left wing cut toward the net and beat goalie Kevin Armstrong over his left shoulder to give the Silvertips a 2-0 lead.
The whole thing may have taken three seconds.
That's the way it's been during the Silvertips' four-game win streak. While it's been said that a Western Hockey League team can't win consistently with a 17-year-old goalie, Irving has been spectacular. His 1.77 goals-against average is second in the league. He also has stopped 92.7 percent of the shots on goal, tied for second in the league among regular starters, with Scott Bowles of Prince George.
Then, too, have the Silvertips found an identity that's radically different from that of the previous two seasons. A decidedly defensive-minded team that frustrated other teams by slowing them down, these Silvertips are a skilled, attacking bunch that ferociously takes the play to the opponent. It's a fast, exciting team to the point where justthe uniforms are recognizable from the past.
"What's winning games right now is our energy," third-year defenseman Cody Thoring said. "Hitting and physical play. We're getting the puck in. And we're playing as a team. Nobody's trying to be the one man, taking it end to end and trying to be a hero."
Yes, the organization was built on defense. Defense has been the cornerstone. It was when Jeff Harvey was in goal two seasons ago and when Mike Wall was the goaltender last season. And the early returns suggest that Irving is keeping up the tradition.
Critics had so many questions about Irving, although he played so solidly last year that the Silvertips traded Wall in the off-season. After a slow start, Irving has proven worthy of the confidence coach and director of operations Kevin Constantine showed in him in making the trade.
Against Saskatoon, a fast, physical team of tremendous skaters, Irving turned back 26 of 27 shots, losing a shutout 2:39 from the end of the game.
"He's playing really well right now," Thoring said. "He kept us in the game. They had some good chances. He's our No. 1 right now for a reason. He's doing a great job."
Then, too, is the consideration that the Silvertips started the season with 10 new players on the roster. Many, such as Mueller, John Lammers, Ondrej Fiala, Jason Fransoo, Zach Dailey, Shane Harper and others, have been asked to contribute heavily and immediately while learning Constantine's complex system.
It's starting to sink in.
"I think it takes three months to really, really, really know what we're trying to do as a team," Constantine said. "We started Aug. 24, so we're closing in on two months. I think that in a month, a guy can figure things out what we're trying to do if he's paying attention."
One of those is Mueller, the highly touted second-round draft pick in the 2003 Bantam Draft. Mueller is adjusting to the pace of WHL play. Mueller had three assists against the Blades and has seven points in eight games.
"I'm getting comfortable day by day," Mueller said. "There's so much talent on that ice, the adjustment is hard to believe. The pace is fast and the guys are strong. You just have to adjust to it day by day. I was expecting it to be hard, but not as hard."
Everett also has a young group of defensemen who are learning the game, which makes Irving's numbers so impressive. Accordingly, Constantine relies heavily on veterans Shaun Heshka, Thoring and Jonathan Harty, a budding star from the remarkable 2003 Bantam draftees, to steady the defense.
Constantine also brought in Fransoo, 19, to add experience on the back end. Now, the hope is that the young guys - Taylor Ellington, Eric Doyle, Zach Sim and Graham Potuer - develop quickly.
"It's still a work in progress," Constantine said. "We've got Doyle. He's our youngest guy and he's been in and out (of the lineup). Part of it's because we have a lot of defensemen and part of it's performance. He's doing OK, but he still can steady out his game. Harty, I think, has been the most consistent of our young guys. Sim hasn't really been given a chance yet.
"Harty's been steady. Potuer's come in and been pretty steady. Ellington and Doyle still have some inconsistencies in their game. We've got to get Sim in there to give him a chance. There's been some progress, but we have some way to go."
So is the four-game win streak for the 5-3 Silvertips a blip on the radar screen or is this an indication that the team is jelling for the long term?
"I think it could be long term if guys realize that we're not going to win them every night just because we're going to win," Thoring said. "We've got to come out and give it everything we have."