I remember one particular moment during the season where Everett coach Craig Hartsburg got a little snippy with me.
It was following one of Everett’s losses late in December. Though it was never mentioned specifically, I’m pretty sure it originated with my mid-season report card. At the Christmas break Everett was sliding toward .500. You could see what Hartsburg was trying to do with the team, but it hadn’t fully taken hold yet, and Everett’s special teams were just awful. Based on all that I graded the coaching at a B-, and I think Hartsburg took a little exception with that.
OK, my mistake.
Hartsburg took over this season, becoming the second former NHL coach in Everett franchise history, and he lived up to his credentials.
It started from day one, when Hartsburg ramped up the conditioning drills to get the players prepared to play his high-pressure style. He had a plan for what he wanted his team to do, and how he was going to get his team ready to do it.
But the most important part is he got the players to buy in. It didn’t happen immediately, but by the time January rolled around they were all on board, and that’s when Everett’s season took off. During the final 34 games of the regular season Everett went 27-5-1-1, and the Tips looked like a well-coached team. They played hard, they played as a team and they remained within the framework of the systems.
Because of that Hartsburg probably maxed this team out. The Tips were not any more talented than their opponents — 10 one-goal victories during the 14-game winning streak is a pretty good indication of that — but they made the most of what talent they had.
I suppose one could quibble with going out in the first round of the playoffs to Kelowna, but I won’t. There’s not much a coach can do about losing two of his top four defensemen to injury, and in Game 7 Everett controlled play. The Tips just ran into good defense/goaltending and got a bad bounce.
Hartsburg did an excellent job in his first season at the helm, and that bodes well for the Tips going forward.
Just one thing, Craig. Keep working on that penalty kill.
Next: 2010-11 preview: overview
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Also, the NHL Central Scouting Bureau came out with its final rankings for the 2010 draft. Three Everett players were listed. Goaltender Kent Simpson jumped up to third among North American goaltenders. Among North American skaters defenseman Alex Theriau is ranked 77th and defenseman Radko Gudas is ranked 91st.
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