VERETT – When perusing the WHL statistics, one is never surprised to find the Everett Silvertips near the top of the defensive categories. Defense is the foundation upon which Everett’s success was built, and as long as Kevin Constantine is in charge defense will always be a staple of the Silvertips’ game.
But while seeing the Tips near the top of the defensive categories is expected, one can’t help doing a double-take when seeing just how good the numbers currently are.
A quarter of the way through the season Everett is putting up historical defensive numbers, and that’s a big reason why the Silvertips are in the midst of a 12-game winning streak and ranked first in the entire Canadian Hockey League.
“We’ve always prided ourselves on our defense,” Everett defenseman and captain Cody Thoring said. “This year we’re just getting it done.”
In their three-plus seasons of existence the Silvertips have always made a strong commitment to defense. But this season Everett’s defensive numbers have gone from exceptional to “can you believe this?”
Through 19 games the Tips surrendered just 26 goals, an average of 1.37 per game. The league’s next-best defensive team is Vancouver, which also has sterling defensive numbers. However, the Giants’ 43 goals allowed in 23 games (1.87 per game) pales in comparison to Everett.
Everett goaltender Leland Irving’s numbers look like something out of a fantasy. His league-leading goals against average (1.24) and save percentage (.946) have never been approached in league history. Five of Irving’s 16 starts have ended in shutouts. Even backup David Reekie has gotten into the action with a 1.67 goals against average and .922 save percentage in his three games with Everett.
Need more eye-popping numbers? How about this? In 19 games Everett has given up more than two goals just once, a 5-2 defeat at Spokane that was Everett’s lone regulation loss so far this season.
When put into historical context Everett’s defensive numbers are even better. The WHL record for fewest goals allowed in a season is held by the 2003-04 Kelowna Rockets, who gave up 125 goals in 72 games. Kelowna’s rate of 1.74 goals per game is substantially more than Everett’s current pace, and those Rockets went on to win the Memorial Cup.
“Goals against, that’s kind of our thing,” Thoring said, representing Everett’s defensemen. “Forwards get their goals and points, and it’s nice when we get points, of course. But keeping the puck out of the net is the big thing. Irv’s standing on his head right now and so is Reekie when he’s playing, and all our D are kicking and blocking shots.”
There are a number of reasons why Everett isn’t giving up any goals. The primary one is a dogged commitment to defense that was instilled on day one of franchise history. The Tips have always done a good job of forcing opponents to shoot from the perimeter, and Everett is the best team in the league at blocking shots. Everett’s three defensive pairings of Thoring and Jonathan Harty, Jason Fransoo and Graham Potuer, and Taylor Ellington and Eric Doyle have been dependable in every respect.
“Defense is not about skill level,” Constantine said. “Defense is about positioning, tenacity, sacrifice. We’ve always wanted to be good at these things from the first day, and I think the effort of the players this season has been real good.
“Then we’re lucky in that I don’t think there’s one forward on the team who’s willing to sacrifice good defense just to cheat on offense.”
Everett also is limiting the number of shots opponents put on net. Opponents are averaging just 22.7 shots per game against Everett goaltenders this season. In the three previous seasons Everett gave up 25.8, 27.3 and 27.9 shots per game, which are stingy numbers to begin with. The dwindling number of shots can be attributed both to shot blocking, as well as an improved Everett offense that keeps the puck in the opponents’ zone for greater stretches of time.
“When you’re spending that much time in the offensive zone there’s a lot less chance we’ll be giving up goals,” said Irving, who’s had many an uneventful night this season. “When we can hold teams to 20 or less shots a game it makes my job a lot easier.”
Then there’s the penalty kill. Everett’s commitment to defense has always been reflected in its ability to kill off opposing power plays. The Tips have never finished lower than fifth in the league in penalty-killing percentage. But this season Everett is off the charts, allowing opponents to score on just 7.6 percent of their power plays. Given the increased number of penalties being called this season because of the tighter officiating standards, that advantage is amplified all the more.
Put it all together and this year’s Tips have a chance to go down as the greatest defensive team in league history.
Not that any of the players are concerned with breaking records. “We haven’t really thought about it,” Thoring said. “It’s just something we do every night. Break a record or not, we’re going to go out and do it regardless.”
Much to the frustration of the opposition.
Slap shots: The news on injured Everett center Damir Alic is a little better than initially feared. Alic suffered a second-degree shoulder separation when he was checked from behind by Travis Dunstall during Wednesday’s 3-2 victory over Kamloops, meaning he’ll be out three-to-four weeks. The original diagnosis was a third-degree separation, which would have kept Alic out four-to-six weeks.
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