Former Silvertips coach Kevin Constantine was fond of saying that in hockey the way you start is more important than the way you finish.
Well, for Everett’s overagers this season that may not have been the case.
First off, let me say that collectively I think Everett had the best set of overagers in franchise history this season (perhaps excepting the expansion season, but that team had five including a goaltender, which really skews the data). I don’t think any previous overage forward could impact a game the way Dan Gendur did (not even Alex Leavitt). I don’t think any previous overage defenseman had the all-around game of Dane Crowley (not even Mitch Love or Shaun Heshka). And Clayton Bauer was a pretty good overager, too, especially for a team’s No. 3 guy.
But man, did they struggle at the finish. During the playoffs Gendur was contained by Spokane, and he made a crucial error in Game 3 that led to the Chiefs’ opening short-handed goal. Bauer wasn’t much of a factor, managing just one point in the four games. And Crowley had all kinds of trouble at the back, finishing tied for the team worst with a minus-6 rating. Had Everett’s overagers had a better series, the Tips would have at least won a game.
But overall Everett’s overagers had a good season. Gendur became a dominant player who put himself on the map as a pro prospect, Crowley logged a ton of ice time, and Bauer gave the team the type of secondary scoring it desperately needed. I wish all three luck in their future endeavors, particularly in pro hockey.
Next: 2007-08 review: veterans
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