Virtually every coach in every sport preaches the “live in the moment” mentality, but Everett Silvertips head coach Kevin Constantine emphasizes it more than most.
The unique thing about hockey is that a game contains two lengthy breaks rather than just one. Consequently each period can have a completely different feel, in the way that a basketball or football game has a completely different feel from the first half to the second.
With two long breaks each team has an opportunity to make adjustments more than once.
“You gotta throw everything you have heart- and soul-wise into the moment,” Constantine said. “You should not get complacent because you had a good period and you should not get bummed out because the other team scored. And yet we do. Now every team does, and every athlete does. But one thing we’re trying to be good at is not being controlled by the past and not be controlled by the other team having a good game and scoring.”
The Tips lost back-to-back games to Vancouver in similar fashion – Constantine went so far as to call the second game a repeat – while bookending the week-long holiday break. Everett started with a strong first period and took the lead, only to falter in the second and third periods.
The Silvertips will try to regroup against the Western Conference-leading Kelowna Rockets, who are coming off a 3-2 Sunday victory over Kamloops.
In other news, the World Junior Championship isn’t the only tournament going on this week. The 38th Mac’s AAA Midget World Invitational Hockey Tournament is underway in Calgary and several Everett prospects are taking part in the tourney.
Silvertips prospects playing in Calgary include Montana Onyebuchi (Eastman Selects), Bryce Kindopp (Lloydminster Bobcats), Carter Stephenson (Vancouver Northwest Giants) and Brett Kemp (Yorkton Maulers). (In unrelated news “Onyebuchi” autocorrected to “Honeybunch”).
Kindopp has four goals and an assist in three games including a hat trick in the Bobcats’ 8-0 win over the Ontario Avalanche. Stephenson had a goal in a 4-1 win over the Red Deer Optimist Chiefs.
Onyebuchi, a defenseman, has a goal in three games and is turning some heads at the tournament:
Montana Onyebuchi (EVT) a bright spot on Eastman. Big, hulking dman that plays with an edge. Good technical skater that can hit his outlets.
— Zenon Herasymiuk (@ZenonHerasymiuk) December 29, 2015
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