Baker living up to hype
With 31 regular season games behind them, the Florida Everblades (21-8-2) find themselves heading into this weekend’s pair of games against division rival Mississippi sitting atop of the South Division standings, three points ahead of the South Carolina Stingrays.
The Blades’ 44 points ties them for third overall in the ECHL. Their 23.9 percent conversion on the power play is tops in the league and they rank third overall killing off extra-man advantages by their opponents.
The journey to these impressive stats hasn’t been an easy one, but a big reason for them is the play of team captain Kevin Baker.
Baker, 30, joined the Blades from the Texas Wildcatters after former Wildcatters coach Malcolm Cameron replaced Gerry Fleming as Blades coach last May.
Most heralded the signing of the so-called “Blades Killer” and Cameron was very clear about the upside.
“Kevin is a sharp shooter who can score from anywhere, and I hope the fans get to see just how big he is on power plays and killing penalties,” Cameron said in July.
Bringing in Baker was considered essential if the Blades were to make a serious run at the Kelly Cup this season, and so far the move has paid huge dividends.
Baker, in his fifth year as a pro, leads the ECHL in points (45), is second in the league in goals (26), and first in power play goals (13). Needless to say, Baker has more than lived up to his coach’s words of praise, and his play has earned him a second straight start on the American Conference’s ECHL All-Star team.
“It’s always a great honor to be recognized like that,” said Baker, “but it’s more important that the team is back on track and playing well.”
When he was signed, Baker was fully aware of the team’s one and only goal – to win the Kelly Cup.
To that end, he has seen the team go through many ups and downs, from their season- and league-best 10-game winning streak in November to their 8-0 beat down at the hands of the Charlotte Checkers Dec. 28.
Baker knows exactly what it will take for the Blades to meet their ultimate goal.
“Hard work is our main thing,” said Baker. “When we don’t (work hard) it shows on the ice and the way we lose our games. When we lose, we lose bad, but that is what the regular season is for. When we lose we have to learn to rebound and play harder
“We know that skill will only get you so far and in the playoffs, skill won’t always win it for you, but hard work can.”
The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. both Friday and Saturday against the Sea Wolves (15-16-3) at Germain Arena. The last time these two teams met, the Blades swept all four games – two at home and two on the road.