Billy Blade
02-11-2005, 02:21 PM
Source: http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/05/02/11/100spo_tips001.cfm
Tips' foes up against the Wall
Goaltender's hot streak is key factor in Everett's improved play
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
EVERETT - Michael Wall was forced to watch the Everett Silvertips' 1-0 victory over Kelowna on Wednesday from the stands, the result of a league-mandated one-game suspension.
But perhaps that was best for everyone. Wall's so hot that he probably would have melted a hole in the goalie crease.
The Silvertips attempt to string together the first five-game winning streak in franchise history tonight against Tri-City, and Wall's bounce back to form in goal is a big reason why.
"He's done a fantastic job," Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. "He had a tough January and he rebounded and put three really good games together. Hopefully he keeps it going."
Wall has been on fire as of late. Prior to his suspension, handed down for using his blocker as a weapon in a melee toward the end of Everett's 2-0 victory against Seattle last Saturday, Wall had surrendered just one goal in his last three starts, including shutouts against Tri-City and Seattle. Wall was named the Canadian Hockey League Goalie of the Week, the first Silvertip to earn a CHL weekly award. With three games this weekend, Wall is set to return to the lineup and shoulder a heavy load.
"I think I'm playing really well," Wall said. "I'm seeing the puck a lot better than I had been, and we've played great defensively. It makes my job a lot easier when I can see the scoring opportunities."
But it wasn't that long ago when it was all going wrong for Wall. January was a disaster for Everett as the Silvertips went 4-10, and Wall struggled as much as anyone during that stretch.
Beginning on Jan. 8, a 4-0 home loss to Kamloops, Wall went through a stretch of eight games where he went 1-5 - with the one win coming in a game where he played one minute and faced no shots as Constantine made a goalie change to buy time. He gave up 22 goals during that period, had a miserable .848 save percentage and was pulled twice. He began losing playing time to 16-year-old Leland Irving.
"When I was going through that rough part I was maybe coming to the rink putting too much pressure on myself," Wall said. "It was a negative attitude and it didn't really help me much."
It wasn't until Wall stopped putting that pressure on himself that things turned around. On a weekend where he was pulled in the first period on Friday and benched on Saturday, he received the start on Sunday at Tri-City and came up big. In a game where the Americans dictated throughout, Wall was unbeatable in net, somehow keeping the game scoreless until Everett finally found the net in the third period.
Since then, it's been the Wall of old, the Wall who the Silvertips have counted on since the beginning of the season.
"A goalie has to not give up any bad goals, then he has to make all the regular saves, and then he's got to find a way to make two-to-five really big saves," Constantine said. "If you take each of those areas, he's been a little bit better in each of those big areas of goaltending."
And having a confident Wall back in goal has been a big reason why the results have turned favorable for Everett. "If you look at our success at the beginning of the year, it was squarely on the shoulders of Wall," Everett captain Mitch Love said. "As a team, when you see your goaltender make a big save in the first five minutes or late in the period or after you've scored a big goal, it gives you confidence as a team. That's what both Wall and Irving have done in the last five or six games."
Tips' foes up against the Wall
Goaltender's hot streak is key factor in Everett's improved play
By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer
EVERETT - Michael Wall was forced to watch the Everett Silvertips' 1-0 victory over Kelowna on Wednesday from the stands, the result of a league-mandated one-game suspension.
But perhaps that was best for everyone. Wall's so hot that he probably would have melted a hole in the goalie crease.
The Silvertips attempt to string together the first five-game winning streak in franchise history tonight against Tri-City, and Wall's bounce back to form in goal is a big reason why.
"He's done a fantastic job," Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. "He had a tough January and he rebounded and put three really good games together. Hopefully he keeps it going."
Wall has been on fire as of late. Prior to his suspension, handed down for using his blocker as a weapon in a melee toward the end of Everett's 2-0 victory against Seattle last Saturday, Wall had surrendered just one goal in his last three starts, including shutouts against Tri-City and Seattle. Wall was named the Canadian Hockey League Goalie of the Week, the first Silvertip to earn a CHL weekly award. With three games this weekend, Wall is set to return to the lineup and shoulder a heavy load.
"I think I'm playing really well," Wall said. "I'm seeing the puck a lot better than I had been, and we've played great defensively. It makes my job a lot easier when I can see the scoring opportunities."
But it wasn't that long ago when it was all going wrong for Wall. January was a disaster for Everett as the Silvertips went 4-10, and Wall struggled as much as anyone during that stretch.
Beginning on Jan. 8, a 4-0 home loss to Kamloops, Wall went through a stretch of eight games where he went 1-5 - with the one win coming in a game where he played one minute and faced no shots as Constantine made a goalie change to buy time. He gave up 22 goals during that period, had a miserable .848 save percentage and was pulled twice. He began losing playing time to 16-year-old Leland Irving.
"When I was going through that rough part I was maybe coming to the rink putting too much pressure on myself," Wall said. "It was a negative attitude and it didn't really help me much."
It wasn't until Wall stopped putting that pressure on himself that things turned around. On a weekend where he was pulled in the first period on Friday and benched on Saturday, he received the start on Sunday at Tri-City and came up big. In a game where the Americans dictated throughout, Wall was unbeatable in net, somehow keeping the game scoreless until Everett finally found the net in the third period.
Since then, it's been the Wall of old, the Wall who the Silvertips have counted on since the beginning of the season.
"A goalie has to not give up any bad goals, then he has to make all the regular saves, and then he's got to find a way to make two-to-five really big saves," Constantine said. "If you take each of those areas, he's been a little bit better in each of those big areas of goaltending."
And having a confident Wall back in goal has been a big reason why the results have turned favorable for Everett. "If you look at our success at the beginning of the year, it was squarely on the shoulders of Wall," Everett captain Mitch Love said. "As a team, when you see your goaltender make a big save in the first five minutes or late in the period or after you've scored a big goal, it gives you confidence as a team. That's what both Wall and Irving have done in the last five or six games."