EVERETT — Kent Simpson claims nothing has changed.
The Everett Silvertips goaltender contends his game has, for the most part, remained consistent over the course of the season. He says whatever change in results the Tips have experienced can be chalked up to the play of the team in front of him.
The numbers suggest otherwise.
The past six weeks Everett’s fortunes have taken a dramatic upswing, and perhaps the No. 1 factor in that change has been the play of its veteran goaltender.
“It’s been huge, no question,” Everett coach Mark Ferner answered when asked how much of a factor Simpson has been in the Tips’ improved results. “It starts in net and he’s given us an opportunity to win every night. He makes the saves he needs to make, and he makes the saves that a lot of goalies don’t make. He’s been a big part of our turnaround.”
Said Simpson: “It’s been good. I’m feeling good, but I think the team has been playing a lot better in front of me, that’s helped me out a lot.”
When the season began the Tips acknowledged it would be a rebuilding year. But one of the team’s aces in the hole was Simpson, a 19-year-old second-round NHL draft pick entering his fourth season in the league. If the Tips were to make the playoffs, despite the rebuilding effort, part of the reason was because their goaltender would earn the team points.
For much of the season that didn’t materialize. Simpson suffered through an inconsistent first half as both he and the team struggled. By the time January was coming to an end Simpson had an ugly 8-24-1-5 record with a pedestrian 3.77 goals against average and .900 save percentage.
But ever since Everett’s trip to Prince George in late January, Simpson’s numbers have taken a u-turn. Simpson has made 15 starts since Jan. 27, and in those games he’s 10-5-0-0 with a 2.34 goals against average and .932 save percentage. Both the goals against average and save percentage would rank No. 1 in the WHL.
Over those 15 starts Simpson has allowed more than three goals just once. He allowed four or more goals in seven of his eight starts immediately preceding the trip to Prince George.
So what’s changed?
“Good question,” Ferner said. “I just think he’s in a better place mentally and physically. He feels confident, you can see it in his demeanor when he comes to the rink and his practice habits. But in saying that, we’ve been a little bit better in front of him, too. We’re playing with a lot of confidence with him in net, and obviously he’s playing with a lot of confidence right now, too.”
While Ferner gave some of the credit to the improved play by the rest of the team, Simpson gives it all to his teammates.
“The guys are playing better and that gives me confidence,” Simpson said. “I haven’t changed too much technically, I’ve been pretty much the same all year. It’s just the numbers have been better of late, I guess.
“So many people look into the numbers, and I didn’t think my game reflected my numbers,” Simpson added. “Obviously I went through some tough stretches in November and a lot of it was mental, there was a lot on my mind. I think my game was good, but things were pretty sloppy and bounces were going against us.”
Simpson’s pattern is eerily similar to the previous season. In 2010-11 Simpson also had a rocky first half, only to get rolling in late January. However, Simpson says it’s a coincidence as the circumstances are completely different this season.
“It doesn’t feel the same,” Simpson said. “Last year the first half of the year I just didn’t feel good about my game, I was letting in bad goals, shots I really should have had. This year the fist half I think teams were scoring better goals, and even though the numbers weren’t there I felt better about my game than I did last year in the first half.”
Last season Simpson had his hot streak derailed by an ankle injury, preventing him from playing down the stretch and in the playoffs. So Simpson is relishing the opportunity to carry the Tips down the stretch this season.
“That’s why you play, to get the opportunity to make the playoffs and see where you can go from there,” Simpson said. “It’s exciting, it’s fun.”
And should the Tips get themselves into the playoffs, Simpson will have been a big reason why.
Slap shots
When Tips winger Josh Winquist scored during the second period of Everett’s 3-2 victory over Victoria on Wednesday, it gave him a five-game goal-scoring streak. That is the longest goal-scoring streak by an Everett player this season. … Ryan Harrison scored what proved to be the game-winning goal Wednesday. That means Harrison scored the game winner in all three games between Everett and Victoria this season, with all three games finishing 3-2. The Royals return to Everett on Saturday. … Everett’s opponent tonight, Portland, will be without star winger Sven Bartschi. The 19-year-old from Switzerland, who has 94 points in just 47 games this season, was an emergency call-up by the NHL’s Calgary Flames because of multiple injury issues.
Check out Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at NickHPatterson.
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