Game Day Stories 10/28

[Tipped Off]

Visitors now the big kids
Last season Vancouver had the stars

Steve Ewen - The Province - Friday, October 28, 2005

The Vancouver Giants know about being the rock stars.

The G-men were the glitzy team of the Western Hockey League last season, what with the gifted Gilbert Brule in his draft year and a host of others in the lineup with NHL connections. That gives them some insight for this weekend's home-and-home set with the Everett Silvertips, this year's marquee attraction in the Dub.

The Silvertips are led by centres Peter Mueller, a Minnesota transplant who is a projected top-five pick in next summer's NHL entry draft, and Zach Hamill, a Port Coquitlam native who should be a first rounder in the 2007 draft.

With that, NHL scouts are following the team like Grateful Dead fans used to chase that band around.

"A key to beating those teams is shutting down those type guys," said Giants defenceman Brett Festerling prior to practice Thursday.

"A key for every team that came into this building last year was to shut down Gilbert Brule and Adam Courchaine.

"That being said, there's still a lot of emphasis on ourselves. We have to come out and play our game. Combine our work ethic and playing our game with shutting down those guys and we should be successful."

Hamill's had hype in the league for some time. As a 15-year-old call-up, he played in 20 playoff games with Everett two seasons ago, and counted a goal in their conference semifinal series win over Vancouver.

Oddly enough, Hamill, who has three goals and nine assists for Everett (8-4-0-0), told the Seattle Times on Wednesday that he patterns his style of play after Brule, although the 17-year-old doesn't have the Columbus Blue Jacket prospect's finish or grit.

Mueller, 17, isn't as dynamic as Brule either. He is an exquisite passer, though, and has vision and hockey sense that belies his years.

It came through in the Silvertips' 3-1 win over the Portland Winter Hawks on Wednesday. Mueller, who had verbally committed to the University of Minnesota before joining the Silvertips this season, set up the winning goal with a defence-splitting feed to Karel Hromas.

Silvertips coach Kevin Constantine told the Everett Herald afterwards the pass was "brilliant," and the ultra-serious bench boss isn't exactly the type for cheap compliments.

"I've never seen him play, but I've heard a lot about him," Giants winger David Rutherford said of Mueller, who has three goals and 11 assists. "I'm excited to see him, I'm excited to go up against him."

Rutherford and the rest of the Giants will also be excited to get defencemen Mark Fistric (shoulder) and Paul Albers (shoulder) back in the lineup this weekend, if that should happen.

Assistant coach Craig Bonner said both might be ready this weekend after missing Wednesday's 6-2 romp over the Tri-City Americans.

Everett will be without winger Torrie Wheat (knee), their team captain and leading goal scorer, with seven.

He's out indefinitely.

sewen@png.canwest.com

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NEXT GAME

Everett Silvertips at Vancouver Giants

Tonight, 7:30 p.m.

Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver

MOJO 730 AM

[Tipped Off]

'Tips coach tips hat to rookie

Gary Kingston - Vancouver Sun - October 28, 2005

Everett Silvertips coach Kevin Constantine is rarely given to hyperbole, so when he characterized rookie Peter Mueller's assist on a game-winning goal Wednesday as "simply brilliant," you know it had to be something special.

Mueller is a 17-year-old Minnesotan who figures to be a top-10 NHL draft pick next June and a key player for the Americans in the world junior championships in Vancouver starting on Dec. 26. He and the U.S. Division-leading Silvertips make their first visit to Pacific Coliseum tonight to face the Giants.

The 'Tips improved to 8-4 on Wednesday, beating the Portland Winter Hawks 3-1. Mueller, a 6-2, 205-pound centre, set up the winning goal six minutes into the third period when he threaded a pass from the right boards behind the Portland defence to Karel Hromas at the far post. Hromas met the puck at full speed and tipped it past the Hawks' netminder.

"Peter could have had two goals earlier and I think he was a little frustrated up till then," Constantine told reporters in Everett. "He hung in there and made a brilliant play down the stretch."

Mueller leads the 'Tips in scoring with 14 points on three goals and 11 assists. That's tied for third among WHL rookies.

Mueller spent last season with the U.S. under-18 team, scoring 34 goals and adding 35 assists in 50 games.

Everett comes to Vancouver with seven wins in the last eight games, while the Giants, 7-4-0-1, have won five of their last seven.

REESE'S PIECES: Vancouver coach Don Hay put together a new line at practice on Tuesday -- C Jason Reese, 17, between Kyle Lamb, 19, and David Rutherford, 18 -- and the unit responded with one goal [by Lamb] and five assists Wednesday in a 6-2 win over Tri-City.

It was Lamb's fourth goal in four games. Reese, in just his third game of the season after sitting out the first nine with a knee injury, had three of the assists, while Rutherford, in his first game back from a five-game suspension, had the other two, including one on a terrific set up on a goal by defenceman John Blum.

"Me and Lamb always joked around about being able to play on a line together and we never thought we would," said Rutherford. "Don threw us together as a joke, just for practice. We had a great practice and it just seemed to go through to the game."

BY THE NUMBERS: Shots on goal can occasionally be misleading, but it's hard to ignore the fact the Giants have outshot their opponents in all 12 games this season. More amazing, perhaps, are the average numbers -- 34.4 to 17.8 . . . The Silvertips lead the WHL in power-play percentage at 26.1 (18 goals in 69 chances), while the Giants have the league's second-best penalty kill at 91.2 per cent (eight goals allowed in 68 chances) . . . Giants' 16-year-old RW Michal Repik has points in four straight games and leads all WHL rookies in plus-minus at plus-9.

gkingston@png.canwest.com
© The Vancouver Sun 2005

[Tipped Off]

Published: Friday, October 28, 2005

Silvertips update
Today's game

Opponent: Vancouver Giants

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia

Radio: KRKO (1380 AM)

Scouting report

Tonight is the first of back-to-back games on back-to-back nights between Everett and Vancouver. Historically, Vancouver has had Everett's number, winning nine of the 12 regular-season meetings.

Vancouver (7-4-0-1) has been easily the best last-place team in the Western Hockey League, with all five B.C. Division teams above .500. And the Giants have done it without star 18-year-old center Gilbert Brule, who began the season with the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets and is currently out with a sternum injury. With Brule gone, Vancouver has spread the offensive wealth, with 20-year-old left wing Mitch Bartley (seven goals, five assists) and 17-year-old rookie left wing Michal Repik (five goals, seven assists) leading the way.

In goal, 19-year-old Dustin Slade (4-4, 2.44 goals against average, .867 save percentage) has held down the No. 1 spot. However, he may be without two top defensemen, 20-year-old Paul Albers and 19-year-old Mark Fistric, who have been out with shoulder injuries.

Tonight is also Gordie Howe Night in Vancouver, with the NHL legend in attendance.

Slap shots: Everett will host its first Trick or Treat with the Silvertips on Sunday after the game against Brandon. Fans ages 14 and younger are invited to trick or treat along the concourse at the Everett Events Center as the players hand out candy. Fans are also encouraged to wear Halloween costumes to the game, with the best costume receiving a Silvertips prize pack. ... Also at Sunday's game, the Silvertips will collect non-perishable food items and cash donations, with the proceeds going to Volunteers of America of Snohomish County. The first 400 fans to donate will receive a coupon redeemable for a commemorative T-shirt.

Nick Patterson, Herald writer