Tipped Off
01-05-2006, 11:53 AM
Published: Wednesday, January 4, 2006
Lammers the happiest Silvertip since Hamill's return
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
EVERETT - It's safe to say that no one was happier to see Zach Hamill return to the Everett Silvertips' lineup than John Lammers.
The 19-year-old left wing has been solid for Everett all season. But when paired on a line with Hamill he's been special, and that quality has been on full display the past two games since Hamill returned.
Lammers broke into a big smile when asked about Hamill's return following Saturday's 4-2 victory over Moose Jaw.
"I thought that question was coming," Lammers said. "He's just a great player, and with (Brady) Calla he's helping us out a lot. We had some success at the beginning of the season and now that he's back it's great. You just can't say enough about the kid, he's just an awesome player."
Hamill, Lammers and Calla constituted Everett's most-effective line during the first month of the season. However, that line was rent asunder when Hamill contracted mononucleosis and missed the last 18 games of the first half of the season.
With Hamill out of the lineup, Lammers' production dropped. While Hamill was gone Lammers, who had been averaging more than a point per game, managed just five goals and six assists.
But with Hamill back the past two games, Lammers has been exceptional, registering two goals and three assists and looking like Everett's best player.
"He gave a pass to Hamill, who scored the first night, and Hamill made a brilliant pass to him (Saturday) for a goal," Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. "So part of Lammers looking more energetic and getting more points, you have to give a little credit to Hamill being back on that line."
After his surge to start the second half, Lammers now leads Everett in scoring with 40 points (19 goals, 21 assists).
"One thing I noticed about John after the break was he had a lot of energy, the way he kind of started the season with a lot of energy," Constantine said. "I think that with the amount of hockey we played in the first half, especially when we suffered all those injuries, we started leaning on guys. We only had five forwards killing penalties and only one real power-play group, and Lammers was thrown to the wolves night after night. I told him I was hoping at some point during the year we could actually back off his ice time and try to get more energy in his game. I think he's come back pretty energized and it's resulted in pretty good play."
Fiala finding his legs: Another Silvertip who began the second half on a roll is left wing Ondrej Fiala.
Fiala, an 18-year-old rookie from the Czech Republic, had a slow start to his WHL career, thanks largely to a knee injury that kept him out 17 games.
However, Fiala began to show glimpses of his abilities after being moved onto a line with Peter Mueller and Torrie Wheat late in the first half. Since the Christmas break he has been one of the Tips' best players, flying around the ice and notching three goals and an assist in Everett's past two games.
"He's played pretty good offensively," Constantine said after Fiala scored twice in Everett's 5-2 win over Tri-City last Thursday. "Now he just has to work on his details and the defensive part of his game."
Fiala credited his trip home to Stenberk in the Czech Republic during the Christmas break as inspiration for his play.
International update: Everett's three players currently away on international duty are all performing well.
Mueller has been a key cog in helping the United States reach the semifinals of the World Junior Hockey Championships, being held in Vancouver, British Columbia. He recorded two goals and four assists in five games, helping the U.S. reach the semifinals, where the U.S. faced Russia Tuesday night.
Left wing Karel Hromas had a goal and three assist in the Czech Republic's first five games at the World Juniors. The Czechs lost 2-1 to the U.S. in the quarterfinals and play Sweden for fifth place tonight.
Defenseman Eric Doyle had a goal and three assists as Team Pacific won its first four games at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge in Regina, Saskatchewan. Team Pacific faced the U.S. in the semifinals Tuesday night.
Around the WHL: Everett, in the midst of a six-game winning streak, climbed two spots to sixth in this week's Western Major Junior Hockey Writers Association poll. Vancouver jumped three spots to claim the No. 1 position, earning 14 of the 17 first-place votes. Kootenay, with the other three first-place votes, was second and Medicine Hat was third. ... Vancouver defenseman Mark Fistric was named the WHL Player of the Week for Dec.27-Jan.1. Fistric had three goals, four assists and a plus-7 rating in five road games, helping the Giants go 4-1.
Lammers the happiest Silvertip since Hamill's return
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
EVERETT - It's safe to say that no one was happier to see Zach Hamill return to the Everett Silvertips' lineup than John Lammers.
The 19-year-old left wing has been solid for Everett all season. But when paired on a line with Hamill he's been special, and that quality has been on full display the past two games since Hamill returned.
Lammers broke into a big smile when asked about Hamill's return following Saturday's 4-2 victory over Moose Jaw.
"I thought that question was coming," Lammers said. "He's just a great player, and with (Brady) Calla he's helping us out a lot. We had some success at the beginning of the season and now that he's back it's great. You just can't say enough about the kid, he's just an awesome player."
Hamill, Lammers and Calla constituted Everett's most-effective line during the first month of the season. However, that line was rent asunder when Hamill contracted mononucleosis and missed the last 18 games of the first half of the season.
With Hamill out of the lineup, Lammers' production dropped. While Hamill was gone Lammers, who had been averaging more than a point per game, managed just five goals and six assists.
But with Hamill back the past two games, Lammers has been exceptional, registering two goals and three assists and looking like Everett's best player.
"He gave a pass to Hamill, who scored the first night, and Hamill made a brilliant pass to him (Saturday) for a goal," Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. "So part of Lammers looking more energetic and getting more points, you have to give a little credit to Hamill being back on that line."
After his surge to start the second half, Lammers now leads Everett in scoring with 40 points (19 goals, 21 assists).
"One thing I noticed about John after the break was he had a lot of energy, the way he kind of started the season with a lot of energy," Constantine said. "I think that with the amount of hockey we played in the first half, especially when we suffered all those injuries, we started leaning on guys. We only had five forwards killing penalties and only one real power-play group, and Lammers was thrown to the wolves night after night. I told him I was hoping at some point during the year we could actually back off his ice time and try to get more energy in his game. I think he's come back pretty energized and it's resulted in pretty good play."
Fiala finding his legs: Another Silvertip who began the second half on a roll is left wing Ondrej Fiala.
Fiala, an 18-year-old rookie from the Czech Republic, had a slow start to his WHL career, thanks largely to a knee injury that kept him out 17 games.
However, Fiala began to show glimpses of his abilities after being moved onto a line with Peter Mueller and Torrie Wheat late in the first half. Since the Christmas break he has been one of the Tips' best players, flying around the ice and notching three goals and an assist in Everett's past two games.
"He's played pretty good offensively," Constantine said after Fiala scored twice in Everett's 5-2 win over Tri-City last Thursday. "Now he just has to work on his details and the defensive part of his game."
Fiala credited his trip home to Stenberk in the Czech Republic during the Christmas break as inspiration for his play.
International update: Everett's three players currently away on international duty are all performing well.
Mueller has been a key cog in helping the United States reach the semifinals of the World Junior Hockey Championships, being held in Vancouver, British Columbia. He recorded two goals and four assists in five games, helping the U.S. reach the semifinals, where the U.S. faced Russia Tuesday night.
Left wing Karel Hromas had a goal and three assist in the Czech Republic's first five games at the World Juniors. The Czechs lost 2-1 to the U.S. in the quarterfinals and play Sweden for fifth place tonight.
Defenseman Eric Doyle had a goal and three assists as Team Pacific won its first four games at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge in Regina, Saskatchewan. Team Pacific faced the U.S. in the semifinals Tuesday night.
Around the WHL: Everett, in the midst of a six-game winning streak, climbed two spots to sixth in this week's Western Major Junior Hockey Writers Association poll. Vancouver jumped three spots to claim the No. 1 position, earning 14 of the 17 first-place votes. Kootenay, with the other three first-place votes, was second and Medicine Hat was third. ... Vancouver defenseman Mark Fistric was named the WHL Player of the Week for Dec.27-Jan.1. Fistric had three goals, four assists and a plus-7 rating in five road games, helping the Giants go 4-1.