EVERETT — There’s been one issue with the Everett Silvertips’ goaltending during their current 12-game winning streak.
Which one to play?
Everett has split netminding duties almost evenly between Thomas Heemskerk and Kent Simpson throughout the season, and that trend has continued during the streak as each has backstopped six of the victories.
“It’s been the same thing all year with them, they’ve both been good for us,” Everett coach Craig Hartsburg said. “It’s a little bit of a luxury. It’s competitive for them as well. They both are proud guys and they want to make sure when they’re in there they’re ready and do the job for us.”
There’s been no set pattern with how the two have been used during the streak. Both have won three consecutive games. Both have played a single game before turning the duties back over to the other.
Both have tremendous numbers during the streak. The 19-year-old Heemskerk has a 1.96 goals against average and .934 save percentage, while the 17-year-old Simpson has 2.47 goals against average and .915 save percentage.
Simpson, who started the past three games, now leads the league in both goals against average (2.36) and save percentage (.923), while Heemskerk ranks fifth in goals against average (2.69) and sixth in save percentage (.914).
And the constantly-changing pattern — neither goalie has started more than three consecutive games this season — seems to be working.
“As you’re going through it you look at different scenarios, whether it’s the schedule or whether one guy looks a little sharper than the other,” Hartsburg explained. “It always goes back to we have confidence in both of them. I don’t think there’s a bad choice, whoever goes in will give us what they can.”
Quick break
With four days off between Sunday’s 3-2 victory over Spokane and Friday’s home game against Portland, Everett is getting a chance to catch its breath. It’ll be the last breather the Tips receive this season.
Everett has mid-week games in each of the final six weeks of the season. The Tips have three games total in four of those weeks, with four contests in the other two.
Therefore, Hartsburg intends on using the current layoff to its fullest. Tuesday’s practice was significantly longer than practices typically were the previous three weeks as the Tips concentrated on refining the details of their systems.
“This is really the last time we’re going to have this many practices, so we’re going to try and take advantage of it,” Hartsburg said. “Every day we’ll work on a little different parts of our game.”
More Harper
When Everett’s Shane Harper set a franchise record for career goals over the weekend — his 88th goal as a Silvertip during Friday’s 4-3 victory at Portland surpassed the mark set by Zach Hamill — it wasn’t the only notable achievement.
Friday’s goal was Harper’s 30th of the season, giving him back-to-back 30-goal seasons. He is the only Everett player who’s broken the 30-goal barrier twice. He added No. 31 Sunday and is now just seven away from John Lammers’ single-season team record. The Tips have 22 games remaining.
Harper’s franchise record also made him just the second American-born player to hold a franchise goal-scoring record in the WHL. The other American is John Varga, who holds the Tacoma/Kelowna Rockets franchise record with 154 career goals.
Iwanski on the mend
Tips left wing Dan Iwanski has resumed skating on his own, though he has not rejoined practices.
Iwanski suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his knee during Everett’s 2-1 loss at Tri-City on Dec. 29. Though Iwanski is progressing with his recovery, he is not expected to be available for this weekend’s games.
Chance McKinney to appear
Country music singer and Kamiak High School teacher Chance McKinney will perform prior to Friday’s game.
McKinney became a national sensation when he won Country Music Television’s Music City Madness singer/songwriter competition. Doors open an hour early Friday at 5:30 p.m. with the concert, which takes place on the concourse, beginning at 5:45 p.m.
Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog
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