CHL Notebook: Game may be changing away from coaches like Constantine

Carter-Hart,-Everett-Silvertips;-WHL;-CHL;-2017-IIHF-World-Junior-Championship;-Team-Canada

Everett Silvertips' goalie Carter Hart. (Courtesy Chris Mast)

Like it or not, Kevin Constantine bears the label of a defensive coach like a scarlet letter — which one might theorize played a part in the Everett Silvertips’ end-of-season shakeup last week.

Everett, which won the WHL U.S. Division regular-season title before losing to the Seattle Thunderbirds in the second round, moved on from Constantine after four seasons last Tuesday. It seems like a raw deal since the ‘Tips, who have existed for 13 seasons, have never finished first in their division or won a playoff series without Constantine behind the bench.

With two Team Canada players on the last and second-last line of defence in Carter Hart (PHI) and Noah Juulsen (MTL), Everett was a 100-point club. It got to that threshold by virtue of being both the WHL’s stingiest team (166 goals against) and its most disciplined (league-fewest 642 penalty minutes). However, on top of having a quick exit against Seattle, the big picture might have included a sneaking suspicion that they were doomed by a self-limiting system.

As Everett Herald scribe Nick Patterson chronicled, the Silvertips have been stonewalled while recruiting skilled forwards during five seasons under general manager Garry Davidson. Everett had the WHL rights to both Toronto Maple Leafs super-rookie Auston Matthews and another top-10 pick who’s already scored in the NHL, the Colorado Avalanche’s Tyson Jost. Matthews and Jost, respectively, spent their draft seasons in Switzerland and with the Junior A Penticton Vees.

Over the last four seasons, Everett ranked (in reverse chronological order) 14th, 21st, ninth and 16th in the 22-team WHL in goals scored. Attention to detail in the defensive zone is always going to be a thing — “structure” has become the most overused coaching buzzword in the sport — but there needs to be an allowance to let the creative players create. As Erie Otters coach Kris Knoblauch phrased it last week, “The best teams these days don’t see themselves as a defensive team or an offensive team.”

Without even getting into the personalities involved, it is not hard to deduce why Everett would make a change, even after a 100-point year.

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Ratelle public enemy No. 1 in Saint John

Suffice to say, the Chicoutimi Saguenéens’ Joey Ratelle might get booed every time he touches the puck when the QMJHL semifinal returns to Saint John on Friday.

Chicoutimi holds home-ice advantage in the series entering games 3 and 4, which are back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Sags’ series-tying double-overtime win last Saturday came about in part due to a controversial late third-period tying goal where it appeared that Ratelle made a distinct kicking motion to redirect a pass from defenceman Dmitry Zhukenov. Saint John, of course, had ample opportunity to win the game, and could only blame itself for allowing three power-play goals during a 3-2 game.

That Ratelle was playing was also a story in itself after a check to the head on Saint John right wing Mathieu Joseph in Game 1. Ratelle, who was banished for one game for a vicious high-sticking infraction during Chicoutimi’s second-round series against Rouyn-Noranda, eluded having his second suspension of the playoffs.

That defeat was the Sea Dogs’ first in the playoffs.

The QMJHL has, more than occasionally, come under scrutiny for how it handles supplemental discipline. Interestingly enough, the league has quietly made a move toward greater transparency by listing the fines against teams who appealed for a suspension and were denied. There is some obligation to let fans know about those matters.

Brooks bears down

Regina Pats captain Adam Brooks (TOR), returning from a knee injury, regained his vintage form when his team desperately needed it. In his first full game — taking his regular shift from the opening faceoff — since April 7, the 20-year-old star came through with the overtime winner in Regina’s series-tying win against the Lethbridge Hurricanes last Saturday.

Brooks had missed five complete games and played sparingly in the series opener until Regina was pressing to tie the game in the third period.

The flip side of that equation is that the way Lethbridge has endured losing regulars might be getting overlooked. That might play into the underdog Hurricanes, who had close to a full lineup in Game 2, save for overage centre Matt Alfaro, becoming an even more galvanized group.

All told, the lower-seeded road teams won seven of the 12 games across the CHL last weekend. The only series at 2-0 involves the Mississauga Steelheads leading the Peterborough Petes in the OHL Eastern Conference final. Given Mississauga’s quick-strike goal scoring, that might not be a huge surprise.

Erie’s backup plan pays off

Erie Otters goalie Joseph Murdaca’s path to being a starter in the OHL Western Conference final against the Owen Sound Attack has involved playing for three teams in one season.

Murdaca began the season as the third goalie in Mississauga, then moved down Highway 401 to join the Junior A Trenton Golden Hawks. In December, when Erie opted to move on from another 18-year-old goalie, Jake Lawr, Murdaca was acquired for the metaphorical box of Clif bars, a conditional 14th-round priority selection choice in 2018.

Suffice to say, that was a smart pickup by Erie GM Dave Brown. Goaltending is just one element of Erie’s success, but Murdaca picked up Troy Timpano by stopping 23-of-24 shots coming in off the bench in the Otters’ final two wins against London.

That was a reprise of a stretch during the regular season when Murdaca made 11 consecutive starts while Timpano was unable to play. Erie went 10-1 over that span, enabling it to edge the Owen Sound Attack by one point for first overall in the OHL and thus pocket home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.

It might not pay off for Erie in the end, as Owen Sound takes a 1-1 series tie into its homestand on Monday and Wednesday. Nevertheless, Murdaca has made the most of his chance while Erie has been rewarded for taking decisive action back in December.

Canadian NHL team prospect of the week: Filip Chlapik, C, Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL)

The second-rounder of the Ottawa Senators (No. 48 in 2015) has had at least one point in all 10 playoff games thus far for Charlottetown. Chlapik, with three goals and 13 assists for 16 points in the post-season, is also second in the QMJHL in playoff helpers.

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