Ella Shelton and Renata Fast combo could push Sceptres

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There’s a plethora of offence just waiting to be unlocked within the Toronto Sceptres roster.

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The combination of Renata Fast and Ella Shelton on a defensive pairing together was unveiled, more or less, in a 4-1 loss to Minnesota earlier this week. While it didn’t exactly light the world on fire, the time the two spent on the ice together did produce the only Sceptres goal of the game.

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The two have spent time playing together before with the national team and even at times earlier this season, but Tuesday was the first time they started together.

The two were also paired on the Sceptres power play in the Minny game. While that failed to produce a goal in its lone opportunity, the two helped create numerous chances on that two-minute advantage.

Shelton and Fast take a similar approach to both ends of the ice. Defensively they like to be physical. Offensively they like to be on the attack.

Both are good skaters who show no fear moving the puck up the ice and following that offence right to the net if its warranted.

Fast is coming off a PWHL defender of the year campaign which included being tied for a league best 22 points among defensive players. Shelton’s 40 points over two-plus seasons is tops among all PWHL defenders. Her closest competition is Fast at 37.

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Together, the two should provide a formidable front to any team the Sceptres play.

Sceptres’ head coach Troy Ryan said he wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t experiment pairing the two together. It’s been on his mind ever since draft night when the Sceptres acquired Shelton for its first overall pick and a swap of seconds with the New York Sirens.

An early injury to Fast and then a second a couple of games later kept that from happening until earlier this week.

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While Ryan isn’t completely set on keeping the two together he does want to see what they can produce. Both women believe the pairing could prove fruitful.

“I’ve always had a little familiarity with Renata … I know Renata and I are super offensive and we love to play hard defence so I think it allows us to be super creative in the offensive zone,” Shelton said. “When the two of us get out there together we know we can impact the game, impact the play.”

Fast has a definite appreciation for the way Shelton plays because she sees a lot of her own style of play in her new partner.

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“The best thing for my game playing with Ella is the predictability of her game,” Fast said. “I know she plays the game really hard and she’s aggressive so it fits my game really well. When you are both on the same page with that you can really shut down plays. And the other things is her awareness. She’s really good at moving the puck laterally so I think we can use each other a lot whether that’s in the offensive zone or even on breakouts.”

Shelton sees advantages for herself in the pairing as well.

“I think it allows me to play a lot faster,” she said. “I end up joining in the rush a lot more and getting up in the play and I think that’s why we have been so successful as a team … I think If I continue to do that with her I think our team becomes unstoppable and we’ll have a ton of success.”

Ryan’s reluctance to commit to keeping the two together is more about putting all his eggs in one basket than it is about anything else, but that’s not the only reason.

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“Fast generally needs two people to be able to play with for her to play the minutes that you want her to play,” Ryan said.

“Right now, I would like to see a little more from Shelton and Fast,” Ryan said. “If they are going to play together they need to be impactful on both ends of the ice for us to think that is worth sticking with. If it is, great. If not, then you are probably better off splitting them up.”

Saturday’s Takeover Tour game in Hamilton with Seattle (Puck drop 2 p.m. at TD Coliseum) is the tandem’s chance to impress their head coach and keep this potentially magical duo together.

Ryan though needs results or he’s fully prepared to break them up.

For the sake of those who love aggressive, high-end offence, let’s hope Fast and Shelton pass that test.

WATTS HONOURED FOR STELLAR DECEMBER

Daryl Watts was the lone non-Boston or Minnesota player to crack the PWHL’s Starting Six for the month of December.

Watts joined the Frost’s Kendall Coyne-Schofield and Britta Curl-Salemme along with a trio of Boston players in defenders Megan Keller and Haley Winn along with goaltender Aerin Frankel to form that best-of-December team.

Watts had six points in seven games in the month including the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Montreal just after Christmas.

She is Toronto’s leading point getter and is tied for second in PWHL goals with four this season.

mganter@postmedia.com

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