EVERETT — Clayton Bauer is not the hockey equivalent of a prettyboy. He doesn’t weave his way through traffic like a figure skater, doesn’t have the visually-appealing stickhandling moves, and as a result doesn’t score the highlight-reel goals.
But the Everett Silvertips weren’t looking for someone to grace a magazine cover when they acquired Bauer. They wanted someone to put the puck in the net and do it as ugly as necessary.
And Bauer’s beginning to do that with frequency.
Bauer is becoming a regular on the scoresheet, scoring goals in five of Everett’s past six games, and his way of scoring goals was just what the Tips were missing.
“It seems like he scores in every game lately,” Everett coach John Becanic said. “It’s a big difference. The last two games he’s been real physical and been his most effective. I think Clayton’s done a great job.”
When the Tips acquired Bauer in November along with a sixth-round bantam pick from Red Deer for forward Brennan Sonne and defenseman Matt Strong, they were hoping Bauer could help provide some secondary scoring.
But more than just goals, Everett was looking for a certain type of goals. With the likes of Zach Hamill, Dan Gendur and Kyle Beach on hand, the Tips had the skill players. What was missing was the player who scored greasy goals down low on rebounds and deflections, the type of goals Moises Gutierrez provided a season ago.
After a slow start Bauer has begun filling that role in an ideal fashion. With 10 goals in 19 games with Everett he’s the team’s leading goal scorer during that span, and almost all his goals have come from in close. He’s been particularly effective since moving onto a line with Hamill and Gendur the past two games.
“I guess it’s just playing with the guys I’m playing with right now,” Bauer said. “We’re getting lots of chances on net and starting to put them in.
“I’m not doing too much different,” Bauer added. “Still going to the net hard and putting the puck at the net.”
No controversy: Leland Irving will be back in goal when Everett takes the ice Friday against Chilliwack.
Which means there’s no goaltending controversy in Everett.
Shayne Barrie started Everett’s past two games, both victories. That included a stellar performance in Saturday’s 6-1 victory over Moose Jaw. It was the first time in Barrie’s Western Hockey League career that he started back-to-back games.
However, Becanic said that’s not an indication that any goalie controversy is brewing.
“Shayne deserved a second game,” Becanic explained. “Irv has been here for four years, but he also knows we have to develop players at every position. When (Barrie) comes out and playes well enough to deserve another game, then you have to give him that game. We believe in the reward system and Shayne certainly should have been rewarded for his performance against Moose Jaw.”
Early experience: It’s the holiday season and kids are out of school, so it’s no surprise that several of them have turned up in Everett.
The Tips had five 15-year-old prospects skate with the team in practice Wednesday. They included forwards D.J. McGrath (a third-round pick in the 2007 bantam draft), Markus McCrae (sixth round), Tyler Parker (free agent) and Ryan Doner (free agent) as well as defenseman Kyle Janzen (fifth round).
Parker and Doner have practiced with the team before, but for McGrath, McCrae and Janzen it was their first full practice with the team, and it was an eye-opener.
“It’s a lot more intense than where I am,” said McCrae, who’s playing for a midget AAA team based in Yorba Linda, Calif. “There’s more emphasis on hard skating and stuff like that.
“The speed of the game doesn’t look that bad from the stands, but when you’re out there it’s a lot faster than it looks.”
Injury update: Right wing Matt Ius, who had to be helped off the ice during the third period of Monday’s 5-3 victory over Kamloops, avoided significant injury to his leg. He practiced at full speed Wednesday.
However, center Zack Dailey, who’s missed the past two games with a groin injury, remains sidelined and will be out for this weekend’s three games.
Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/ silvertipsblog
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