| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2010 1:42 pm |
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Sports 
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Silvertips find depth in their third unit The line of Cumiskey, MacDonald and Iwanski has provided much-needed offense for surging Everett. LYNNWOOD — The Everett Silvertips suddenly find themselves awash in offensive depth.And that depth is being provided by a line cobbled together with bailing wire and duct tape. Over the past three weeks Everett's line of Clayton Cumiskey, Scott MacDonald and Dan Iwanski has emerged as a legitimate offensive threat, giving the Tips three units capable of putting the puck in the net. “I think we're just really starting to click,” Cumiskey said after Monday's practice at Lynnwood Ice Center. “We've just been playing the systems, we've all been working really hard and I think it's starting to pay off for us. We're starting to get lucky.” Everett spent most of the season reliant on two lines for scoring. The trio of Byron Froese, Kellan Tochkin and Tyler Maxwell has spent almost the entire season intact and has scored 86 goals, while the overage trio of Chris Langkow, Shane Harper and Zack Dailey has been strong since being put together at the start of January. Though those two lines have provided steady offensive production during Everett's second-half run, which pulled the Tips into a tie for first in the Western Conference, Everett coach Craig Hartsburg was looking for another unit to step up. Cumiskey, MacDonald and Iwanski answered the bell. Iwanski played his first full game with Cumiskey and MacDonald on Feb. 20 in Seattle. In the seven games since the 19-year-old Cumiskey has five goals and six assists, the 18-year-old MacDonald has four goals and seven assists and the 19-year-old Iwanski has five goals and two assists. Cumiskey is a plus-12, MacDonald a plus-11 and Iwanski a plus-10. “They've been good,” Hartsburg said. “There's been some nights over the last little bit where both the Froese line and Langkow line maybe haven't been as good as they should be. When they're not, this line has jumped up and done a good job for us. “I don't think we played our best (last week, when the Tips went 3-0 on their road trip through Kamloops and Prince George),” Hartsburg added. “We may have only won one of those games if Cumiskey's line wasn't good.” What's particularly astounding is that these are three players who didn't exactly arrive in Everett covered in WHL glory. Cumiskey spent two-plus seasons as a depth player for the expansion Edmonton Oil Kings before being acquired via trade in December. MacDonald was cut loose after one season with the Chilliwack Bruins before being plucked off the scrap heap by Everett in October. And Iwanski was a throw-in in the trade that sent Kyle Beach to Lethbridge last season. Prior to being put together the trio had combined for just 38 points in 106 games for the Tips this season. But together they've become better than the sum of their parts as recently they've been Everett's most-productive line. And that production was fully earned as not one of those goals came on the power play. “They've been rewarded for hard work and smart play,” Hartsburg said. “They play the right way. They've outworked people to have success, and that's a good sign.” Iwanski may have been the missing link. Cumiskey and MacDonald had been playing well together since Cumiskey arrived, but their offensive production was limited as Hartsburg cycled through a series of partners on their left wing. Iwanski was out with a knee injury throughout that time until returning in mid-February. He spent a handful of games on the fourth line before being inserted onto the line with Cumiskey and MacDonald. He's been there ever since, and the Tips have taken 13 of a possible 14 points in the process. “When I was out I was watching them and they were still doing pretty well,” Iwanski said. “I was excited to get on that line. They were playing with consistency, and I was able to step in and play the same way they did, so it's been working out.” If it continues to work out, those three just might lead the Tips to the top seed in the conference. Slap shots Two of Everett's injured players should be available this week. Forwards Campbell Elynuik (shoulder) and Josh Winquist (bumps and bruises) participated fully in practice Monday. Defenseman Curtis Kulchar (knee) hasn't returned to practice yet, but has begun skating on his own. ... Tips prospect Nicholas Walters is scheduled to join the team today. Walters, a 15-year-old defenseman who was the eighth-overall pick in last year's bantam draft, will spend the next couple weeks practicing with the team. Nick Patterson's Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog |
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