Silvertips try to break slump with a little fun

EVERETT — Kevin Constantine was a wreck.

The Everett Silvertips coach sat slumped over on a bench, sweat dripping profusely down his flushed face. Not only was he dealing with the physical exhaustion that accompanies an activity not partaken for more than a decade, he was also suffering the indignity of having given up 10 goals while tending net during Everett’s four-on-four scrimmage Thursday afternoon at Xfinity Arena.

But if it helps Everett dig out of its slump, it will have been well worth it.

With the Tips’ lead atop the WHL’s U.S. Division shrinking, the team took a different approach to practice Thursday, including putting the head coach in goal.

“It’s parents weekend, and I think the players really care,” Constantine said. “I think they really want to do well. It’s why we’ve done well this year. Sometimes you care so much that it gets a little tedious along the way if it isn’t going well. So I just thought it was time to relax a little bit, try to smile a little bit because we know we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. It was a chance to take a little bit of a break.”

Everett has lost six of its past nine games, allowing the Portland Winterhawks to creep within two points of the Tips for first place with just three weeks remaining in the regular season. However, instead of ramping things up to try and combat the skid, the Tips instead toned proceedings down Thursday.

Rather than the standard day-before-game practice that includes systems and special teams work, Everett instead held a light-hearted scrimmage. Not only did Constantine tend one goal, equipped with a flimsy plastic mask that looked more like a promotional giveaway than a source of protection, assistant coaches Mitch Love and Brennan Sonne both donned full gear to skate with the team. It made for entertaining fare for the parents in attendance who arrived early for parents weekend.

Constantine, a goaltender during his playing days, hadn’t donned the pads since doing so for a practice during Everett’s inaugural season in 2003-04. It was just the third time he’d played goal since trying out for the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens in 1980. While he may not be a threat to either Austin Lotz’s or Carter Hart’s job, he did deliver one of the hits of the season when he crushed Lucas Skrumeda in the corner.

“I was terrible,” Constantine said about his goaltending performance. “I felt like my hit on Skrumeda was the only contribution I made to the team.”

It was a different kind of experience for Everett’s players, taking shots on their coach. There was much delight taken in each goal scored against Constantine.

“I was scared, actually,” Everett captain Kohl Bauml said with a big grin on his face. “He was wearing that plastic mask and I was afraid of even a shot along the ice getting tipped up and hitting him in the side of the head or something. But it was fun getting to shoot at him.”

Everett is looking to get back on track. The Tips, with a thin 22-player roster that’s been beset by illness for more than a month, have appeared worn down in recent games. During the recent nine-game rough patch Everett led in eight of the contests, scored first in seven of them, and led during the third period in six. Winning just three of those nine may be an indication of fatigue.

If so, then maybe Thursday’s fun and relaxed practice was just what the doctor ordered.

“It was good,” Bauml said. “We’ve been trying to figure out ways to change things up. Obviously we’ve been in a bit of a rut here, try to change the routine and get something different going. The coaches came up with a pretty good way.

“Taking a step back, having a mental day off — but still getting the legs going — it was a good day for us.”

Things get no easier for Everett on Friday night as the red-hot Calgary Hitmen come to town. Calgary has won six straight and 15 of its past 16, blowing past Medicine Hat into first place in the Central Division. During that stretch the Hitmen have outscored the opposition an astounding 79-29. Therefore, the Tips have their hands full trying to snap out of their slump.

However, Calgary also represents opportunity for the Tips. The Hitmen are playing the final game of their five-game swing through the U.S. Division, and Calgary has already beaten both Portland and third-place Seattle. Therefore, if Everett was to beat the Hitmen, the Tips would accomplish something neither of the teams chasing Everett could accomplish. That potentially could serve as the spark the Tips need to get back on track.

“They’ve walked through the U.S. Division so far, they haven’t lost a game yet,” Bauml said. “They did us a favor (Wednesday) night in Portland, coming back from down 4-1. They beat Seattle for us. So they did us a couple favors. If they did another (Friday) and let us beat them that would be nice. But they’re playing probably the best hockey of anyone in the league right now. They’re a good hockey team and it’s going to be a challenge for our group to be mentally ready to go. It’s huge game.”

Said Constantine: “Life is full of opportunities, and the fun part of hockey is when one game’s over, the next is right around the corner. Calgary is the hottest team in the league over the last two months, so it’s a nice opportunity to play a pretty good team and get a win.”

And if the Tips pull it off, they might just have to credit their coach for taking his turn in net.

Check out Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.