Tipped Off
02-08-2006, 11:24 AM
Silvertips' power-play goals proving crucial
By Jim Riley
Special to The Seattle Times
It's simple but true.
When the Everett Silvertips score on the power play, they tend to win.
In 32 of its 52 games this season, Everett has scored at least one goal on a power play, when the opposition is shorthanded because of penalties.
In those games, Everett is 23-9. In games when the Silvertips were shut out on power plays, their record is 7-13.
So far this season, Everett has scored 65 power-play goals and ranks first in the league, with a success rate of 20.6 percent. They've given up only 36 when shorthanded.
Take those special-teams goals out of the mix, and Everett has allowed more goals (88) than it has scored (85).
Last week illustrated how important the power play has become to Everett.
In losses to Kelowna and Tri-City, the Silvertips were 0-15 on power plays. In wins over Spokane and Portland, they were 7 for 13.
"It seems that if our power play is clicking and our goaltending is in order, we've been winning," Everett Silvertips coach Kevin Constantine said. "Of course, there's more to the game than those two things, but they are two big factors."
Although Everett maintained the length of its lead over the rest of the division with a 30-19-2-1 record, those losses to Kelowna and Tri-City were especially bothersome.
"We've had about five games this season where we didn't feel we put out our minimum standard of effort," Constantine said. "That's not highly unusual to have it happen over a 72-game schedule, but to have two in a row wasn't great."
So Constantine, associate head coach John Becanic and assistant Jay Varady have spoken to the team as a group and to some individuals.
"There are losses when there's a lucky bounce or you run into a hot goaltender," Constantine said.
"Those you can walk away from, but when there are losses when the effort isn't there, then you are a lot less tolerant."
The Silvertips will play four games against U.S. Division opponents in the next week, beginning this afternoon when they face the Seattle Thunderbirds at KeyArena. This game was originally scheduled Jan. 22 but was postponed to avoid a conflict with the Seattle Seahawks' National Foot-
ball Conference championship game that day. Everett is 2-2-0-1 against Seattle this season.
The Silvertips will play at home Friday against Spokane, travel to play Portland on Sunday and host Seattle at the Everett Events Center on Tuesday.
100th victory near
Everett has 98 victories in its history and will undoubtedly reach No. 100 far sooner than other recent expansion teams.
Recent expansion franchises Vancouver, Calgary and Red Deer didn't win No. 100 until their fourth seasons.
The third-year Silvertips are also on pace to finish the regular season with the most wins in franchise history.
With 20 games left in the regular season — nine at home, 11 on the road — Everett is only five wins behind the franchise record of 35 wins set in its 2003-04 inaugural season.
The Silvertips' Shaun Heshka, the leading scorer among defensemen in the Western Hockey League with 48 points in 46 games, needs only three more points to reach 100 in his career. Heshka has 24 goals and 73 assists since joining Everett in its first season.
Forward John Lammers is the team's single-season leader in goals scored, with 27 this season. He also has 52 points, five shy of the team record of 57 set by Torrie Wheat last season.
Everett goaltender Leland Irving set the franchise record for wins in a season last week and is 27-17-1-1, with a glittering 1.96 goals-against average.
By Jim Riley
Special to The Seattle Times
It's simple but true.
When the Everett Silvertips score on the power play, they tend to win.
In 32 of its 52 games this season, Everett has scored at least one goal on a power play, when the opposition is shorthanded because of penalties.
In those games, Everett is 23-9. In games when the Silvertips were shut out on power plays, their record is 7-13.
So far this season, Everett has scored 65 power-play goals and ranks first in the league, with a success rate of 20.6 percent. They've given up only 36 when shorthanded.
Take those special-teams goals out of the mix, and Everett has allowed more goals (88) than it has scored (85).
Last week illustrated how important the power play has become to Everett.
In losses to Kelowna and Tri-City, the Silvertips were 0-15 on power plays. In wins over Spokane and Portland, they were 7 for 13.
"It seems that if our power play is clicking and our goaltending is in order, we've been winning," Everett Silvertips coach Kevin Constantine said. "Of course, there's more to the game than those two things, but they are two big factors."
Although Everett maintained the length of its lead over the rest of the division with a 30-19-2-1 record, those losses to Kelowna and Tri-City were especially bothersome.
"We've had about five games this season where we didn't feel we put out our minimum standard of effort," Constantine said. "That's not highly unusual to have it happen over a 72-game schedule, but to have two in a row wasn't great."
So Constantine, associate head coach John Becanic and assistant Jay Varady have spoken to the team as a group and to some individuals.
"There are losses when there's a lucky bounce or you run into a hot goaltender," Constantine said.
"Those you can walk away from, but when there are losses when the effort isn't there, then you are a lot less tolerant."
The Silvertips will play four games against U.S. Division opponents in the next week, beginning this afternoon when they face the Seattle Thunderbirds at KeyArena. This game was originally scheduled Jan. 22 but was postponed to avoid a conflict with the Seattle Seahawks' National Foot-
ball Conference championship game that day. Everett is 2-2-0-1 against Seattle this season.
The Silvertips will play at home Friday against Spokane, travel to play Portland on Sunday and host Seattle at the Everett Events Center on Tuesday.
100th victory near
Everett has 98 victories in its history and will undoubtedly reach No. 100 far sooner than other recent expansion teams.
Recent expansion franchises Vancouver, Calgary and Red Deer didn't win No. 100 until their fourth seasons.
The third-year Silvertips are also on pace to finish the regular season with the most wins in franchise history.
With 20 games left in the regular season — nine at home, 11 on the road — Everett is only five wins behind the franchise record of 35 wins set in its 2003-04 inaugural season.
The Silvertips' Shaun Heshka, the leading scorer among defensemen in the Western Hockey League with 48 points in 46 games, needs only three more points to reach 100 in his career. Heshka has 24 goals and 73 assists since joining Everett in its first season.
Forward John Lammers is the team's single-season leader in goals scored, with 27 this season. He also has 52 points, five shy of the team record of 57 set by Torrie Wheat last season.
Everett goaltender Leland Irving set the franchise record for wins in a season last week and is 27-17-1-1, with a glittering 1.96 goals-against average.