Game One – Kelowna Rockets

The Tri-City Americans began the week busing up to face the Kelowna Rockets one more time Monday afternoon on Family Day in Canada. Tri-City would stage a third-period two-goal comeback and head to the shootout for the second time in the past three games which the Americans won and the final score would go down as 3-2. Grady Martin and Nate Corbet, Corbet who leads the WHL in penalty minutes, decided to set the tone early as the two dropped the gloves just under two minutes into the game. It would end in a standoff with no clear winner as both tied each other up.

The Americans also had the first good scoring opportunity on the power play following a Rowan Guest Cross-Checking at 2:35. From close quarters, Nick Anisimovicz fired a backhander that slowly trickled five-hole on Pilon but did not cross the line. A mad scramble for the puck began and the net flung off, but Tri-City celebrated a goal, crediting Jake Gudelj. However, upon further investigation by video review, the puck did not cross the line, and the goal was waved off.

It would be the Rockets who would officially open scoring at 11:41. Just ten seconds into a power play following a Jake Sloan delay of game, Michael Cicek received a feed at the blue line. Cicek worked his way towards the right point and fired a wrister five-hole on Matecha. The Americans spent the rest of the period on the defensive side, killing off two more penalties, and the Rockets would take a 1-0 lead into the first break. Both sides combined for 33 shots in just the first period with Kelowna outshooting Tri-City 17-16.

Early in the second, Kelowna doubled their lead just after another power play expired. Jacob Henderson would wait and hold the puck in the left circle before snapping a shot that would be saved by Matecha. The puck would trickle backdoor, and Levi Benson swooped in and smacked it under the diving Matecha for his seventh goal of the season. Both teams traded blows, but after forty minutes, the lead was in Kelowna’s favor 2-0 and the Rockets were just a period away from ending a thirteen-game losing streak.

Unfortunately for Kelowna, Tri-City would go on to add two goals, followed by a huge fifteen-save period for Matecha. Colorado Avalanche draft pick Max Curran finally got the Americans on the board at 8:54 in the third to give him a point in five straight games. Jaxen Adam fired a long ball from the blue line that Curran tipped but was saved by the outstretched pad of Pilon. Curran then out net front gathered the rebound and chipped it over Pilon’s pad and in.

With under a minute left in regulation, and Tri-City having pulled their goalie, the Americans made haste into the Rockets zone. Jake Sloan had the puck below the right circle and, after looking backdoor, made a perfect pass to Savin Virk on the backdoor. Virk then gathered the puck and fired it over the pad of Pilon to draw the game even at 2-2 and send the game into overtime. This is the fifteenth time this season that the Americans would play in overtime.

In overtime, both sides combined for just three shots on net, with Tri-City controlling the possession after winning virtually every faceoff, but no goals came of it and the shootout was next. Rookie Cruz Pavao would be the first shooter. As usual, Pavao took his time, slowly working towards the net, and at the last second, made his mind to go to the backhand, lifting it over Pilon’s pad and in. Pavao on the year is now 3/3 in the shootout.

Kalder Varga was the first shooter for the Rockets. Varga would walk in and snap a wrister that Matecha stopped with his stick. Brandon Whynott would be next, and he would take the same approach as always, coming in slow on the forehand. Whynott attempted to pick his spot glove side, but it was saved by Pilon.

Next up was Levi Benson, with a left-handed shot, who slowly worked his way in on the right wing. Benson then fired it over the net, and all Tri-City needed was a goal from Savin Virk or a save by Matecha for the win. Savin Virk looking to win the game went back and forth before converging into the slot from the right wing. Virk tried to catch Pilon sneaking back towards the middle, but it was saved by the glove of Pilon. The former Spokane Chief, Hayden Paupanakesis, who has been brilliant since coming to Kelowna, would be the third shooter for the Rockets, and he needed to score for the Rockets to have a chance. Paupanekis quickly barreled in right down the middle. With speed at the last second, Paupanekis chose forehand, but the outstretched pad of Matecha was waiting, and the Americans would win and move to 4-1 in the shootout this season.

Officially, the final score was 3-2, and the Americans outshot the Rockets a whopping 46-44 as both teams combined for 90 shots on net. Tri-City had some more penalty trouble, having five penalty kills but holding the Rockets to 1/5. While the Americans themselves went 0/3, but had some good looks. Lukas Matecha, for the third time in a row, was at his best and nearly perfect in the net, stopping 42 of 44. While Jake Pilon, 200 feet down the ice, churned up a good performance as well, stopping 43 of 45.

For stars, Levi Benson would come away with the third star after the tim e of his goal, doubling the Rockets lead. Jake Pilon, with the second star after stopping 43 of 45, and Lukas Matecha, for his third start in a row, would come away with the first star of the game.

Game Two – Spokane Chiefs

In perhaps one of the most wild and wacky games in the WHL this season, Tri-City traveled to Spokane to begin the first half of a home-in-home series this weekend. Spokane used a five-goal first period to boost themselves over the Tri-City Americans, winning by a score of 9-6 with both starting goalies being pulled at some point in the game. Along with being in front of a bumper crowd of 7600 fans that saw five former Chiefs players added to the Chiefs Legends list pregame.

Spokane wasted no time scoring in this show of offense Friday night as the Americans started off very sluggish, and with fans still getting into their seats, opened scoring under a minute in. Berkly Catton made his way along the far boards and was cutting behind the net before throwing a backhand right infront of the net. Shea Van Olm was the recipient and Van Olm snuck the puck five-hole on Matecha. The Chiefs kept pouring it on the Americans and added their second goal in the first five minutes of the game.

Will McIsaac arrived in the zone and dropped the puck off to Mathis Preston at the blue line. Preston with loads of time would slowly skate in and fired a shot with no traffic that would go over the shoulder of Matecha, leaving both parties surprised. The classic rivalry showed as just before the first Media Timeout, Lukas Matecha would make a stop, covering the puck. Shea Van Olm after the whistle took a few extra whacks at the puck causing a party to form out net front and Matecha to throw a punch at Shea Van Olm.

Andrew Cristall not long after at 12:08 would catch Matecha off his post to make it 3-0, forcing the Americans to burn their only timeout in the first period. In almost a circus act, Andrew Cristall gathered the puck at the right circle and carried it behind the net. Matecha would venture too far off his post and frantically attempted to get back to it. Unfortunately for Matecha, Cristall banked the puck off the back of Matecha and in. The game seemed to settle down for a few minutes following the Americans timeout and the Americans themselves got a few good looks which were swallowed up by Dawson Cowan in net.

Spokane wasn’t finished though, as the Chiefs would add two goals late in the first period to cap off a smackdown of a period. Berkly Catton and Andrew Cristall teamed up again to terrorize the Americans and make it 4-0 at 17:49. Andrew Cristall snapped a shot from a long way out that went off the chest of Matecha and lay in the blue paint causing another mad scramble for the puck. Berkly Catton would swoop around the pile of players out front and tap it in past Matecha who was sprawled out in search of the puck.

It happened almost in the blink of an eye off the draw with just 30 seconds left in the first and the Chiefs would make it 5-0 and already send Chiefs fans home with a free taco from Taco Bell. Owen Martin won it to Mathis Preston who instantly fired a shot from just inside the right circle that went right by Matecha’s glove and in for his second goal of the game.

Following a disastrous first period for Tri-City, the Spokane Chiefs were slapping Tri-City sideways and in the driver’s seat already leading 5-0, and dominating shots 14-6 with no teams getting a chance on the powerplay. Stu Barnes credited the nightmarish first period to a sluggish start following the game.

“To be honest the Chiefs just started better than we did, they were ready to go from the puck drop, and it showed right away. They pressed us pretty good with the speed, and of course, those skill guys they have, it’s very dangerous.”

The Americans started the second period with a goalie change. Lukas Matecha’s night would come to an end after just twenty minutes and in would come rookie netminder Ryan Grout. Matecha’s stats on the night were nine saves on fourteen shots with five goals allowed.

Barnes after the game made sure to point out that tonight was not on Matecha when asked on his performance. Along with how Grout handled himself coming into a game that was 5-0 at the time.

“Matecha’s been just great for us all year, really tremendous all season long for us. I’m not worried about Matecha whatsoever after tonight. Along with that Grout I think just handled himself very well, it was a very tough situation to put him in against that team and I thought he played really really well.”

Tri-City started off the second period looking like a completely different team as what was said in the locker room by Stu Barnes worked. The Americans got their first goal of the game fifteen seconds into the second with the goal going to former Spokane Chief, Jake Gudelj.

Dawson Cowan played the puck behind his net and rang it around the boards right to Savin Virk along the far boards. Virk then quickly mustered the puck to Jake Gudelj net-front while Cowan was scrambling to get back in his crease. Gudelj tipped the puck past Cowan’s pad and in.

Stu Barnes message to the group was really simple.

“There’s forty minutes left, and you never know what can happen, just keep playing was the message in the room.”

The Americans continued to show fight in the second period, catching the Chiefs off guard with two breakaways that were however stopped in the first two minutes of the second. Not long after, Andrew Cristall would get the first penalty of the game and give the 20th-ranked powerplay in the league a shot.

However, just seconds in as Avalanche prospect Saige Weinstein cleared the puck for Spokane, Owen Martin knocked the puck down at the blue line and steamed in on a breakaway with Jackson Smith close behind. Martin would then chip the puck over Grout’s glove and in and restore the five-goal cushion for Spokane making it 6-1. The Americans weren’t finished yet, and just before the first media timeout, made it a four-goal game again. Berkly Catton lay sprawled out in the American’s end as fans called for a penalty, but Cash Koch and Carter MacAdams were walking in on a two-on-one, both players making their returns from an injury and illness. Koch from the left circle decided he’d do it himself and launch a shot of his own that beat Cowan on the blocker side.

Cash was very excited as well to be back as he shared his thoughts about returning to the lineup and on setting a new season best of 11 goals, beating his previous best of 10.

“It feels great, especially watching the guys play and just every game itching to get in, and it was finally good to get back in. It also feels great, especially breaking a goal that I had last year, and I had a goal set this year for that, so it was really good to hit that goal for goals in a season.”

Fans in the building began worrying as the Americans would cut the game down to a three-goal deficit after a pretty pass from Jake Gudelj. Gudelj streaked in along the left wing boards and lofted a perfect pass to Savin Virk just getting into the slot. Virk then wired a wrister by Cowan’s pad and in.

Following a no-call that the Tri-City bench didn’t like which sent Brandon Whynott into the boards following a headman pass, Jaxen Adam took offense and went after Brayden Crampton. The two pounced on each other, and in the end Tri-City were charged with another rough on the scrum and Spokane got another shot on the power play. The best powerplay in the league would make quick work of the Americans penalty kill, getting many high-quality chances, and getting Grout to crack to make it 7-3 for the lone special teams’ goal of the evening.

Shea Van Olm let a shot go from close range that was deflected aside. Cristall just below the right circle then recovered the puck and zipped a backdoor feed to Owen Martin who tapped it in. Tri-City would continue the chaos in the second and make it a three-goal game once again and end Dawson Cowan’s night prematurely as well. Off the draw, Cruz Pavao worked it up top to Charlie Elick who lurked atop the left circle. Elick then let a shot go that beat Cowan five-hole for his second of the season.

Cowan on the night made 10 total saves on 14 shots with 4 goals allowed. In for Cowan would come Rookie netminder Carter Esler. To close out the second, Spokane added their eighth goal of the game a minute after the Elick goal in what would be the fifth goal of the night that involved Andrew Cristall and Berkly Catton.

Along the right boards, Andrew Cristall kicked the puck to Berkly Catton at the right circle. Catton the Wizard worked his magic, dangling around Goldsmith causing him to fall over and from close quarters put the puck five-hole on Grout.

Stu Barnes was asked if there really was a way to stop Berkly Catton and Andrew Cristall from getting on the board.

“They are just great players. They’re gonna get on the board one way or the other, you obviously try to stay from four to five. I’d say keeping it down to one or two a game.”

After the buzzer sounded both teams would have combined for seven goals in just the second period alone to complete an absolute nightmare. The score after forty minutes was 8-4 in favor of Spokane. Spokane was outshooting the Americans 30-14, but the Americans were making the most of what they got and were still in the game as surprising as it may sound heading into the third.

The Americans did strike first in the third just over five minutes in as it was a case of getting pucks to the net and good things happen.

Nick Anisimovicz chucked a shot from the near boards on the net. Max Curran would grab the rebound and pump it past Carter Esler and in, to put the Americans behind just three giving him points in six straight games. Curran would also become the fifth different goal scorer for the Americans.

Barnes did praise the variety of goal scorers the Americans did have tonight.

“It’s nice to have a lot of guys contributing for sure and it’s also nice to put up the number of goals we did, but obviously there’s the flip side of things and you gotta try to limit the other team.”

Perhaps the impossible could become a reality as Tri-City would get it down to just two goals for the first time shorthanded after a Cash Koch slashing penalty. Jake Sloan and Savin Virk would team up together as Virk would get his second goal of the game with both charging in on a two-on-zero. Sloan at the last moment slid it over to Virk who smacked it past Esler and in.

Time would march on in the third and the game remained in a stalemate as the American’s momentum died out and with a little over four minutes remaining, Swedish import Rasmus Ekstrom netted the dagger to put the Americans away for good. Brayden Crampton at the blue line let a shot go that Rasmus Ekstrom tipped past the glove of Grout. Grout didn’t even have a chance to react as he didn’t see the play take place being screened heavily.

The final score would be a monstrous 9-6 win for the Chiefs with the Chiefs outshooting Tri-City a total of 39-19 with the Americans averaging a goal every three shots or so. Spokane would be held to just 1/3 on the powerplay while the Americans would go 0/2 on their powerplay.

Carter Esler in 25 minutes between the crease made just three saves on five shots, allowing two goals. Ryan Grout had a very good night in the net as stated by Stu Barnes earlier, stopping 21 of 25. Berkly Catton was named the top performer coming away with the first star, Catton notched two goals and three assists for five total points. Along with Andrew Cristall coming home with the second star with four assists and a goal. Owen Martin would come away with the third star having two goals and an assist.

Stu Barnes made sure to point out a few things as well with what the Americans needed to do better before tomorrow’s rematch.

“Well limit their ability to score for sure, keep them off the board, and not let them run wild with the scoring. We just got to be better and be ready at puck drop.”

For the rematch tomorrow, Koch kept it very plain and simple with what he thought the team had to do better to take one from the Chiefs at home.

“We need to keep playing physical, we kind of put the tone to it today, some parts, so hopefully we will remember that, especially tomorrow. But our key goal tomorrow is just to have more physicality.”

Barnes talked about how good it is to have the pair of Carter MacAdams and Cash Koch back in the lineup following the game.

“I think both of these guys had some success tonight. I thought Cash was really good tonight y’know I thought he contributed offensively very well with the goal. Along with that Carter did a nice job as well, just having him back in the lineup.”

Game Three – Spokane Chiefs

In the second half of the home-in-home this week, things would look much better for the Americans as they bounced back from the 9-6 loss, winning 4-2 in front of a sold-out crowd with much thanks to a 32 save night from Lukas Matecha as he quickly returned back to his good form. Cruz Pavao would get Tri-City on the board first at 7:24. Pavao tapped the puck over to MacAdams and MacAdams raced below the left wing in the Spokane end. MacAdams then sent a pass backdoor to Pavao as Pavao simply tapped it over Cowan’s pad and in. The Americans would ride this lead into the first break, leading 1-0, and Spokane outshooting Tri-City 12-11 in the first. Both teams had a power play opportunity but neither capitalized.

To start the second, it was the Chiefs turn to get on the board for the first time in the early stages. Catton charged into the American zone on the breakout along the right wing, dashing past Austin Zemlak and driving right to the net. Catton then went forehand and put it up and past Matecha’s blocker.The Americans would answer back just before the halfway point in the second period thanks to a bit of luck.

Defenseman Will McIsaac back in the Chiefs end had his stick break and Jake Gudelj said thank you very much, taking the puck just above the left circle. Gudelj then backhanded the puck to Jake Sloan who was just entering the zone. Sloan then made a dash for the net just inside the left circle and let a shot go that beat Dawson Cowan Glove side for his team-leading 25th goal of the season.

Following an exchange at Center Ice minutes later, Cash Koch ended up dropping the gloves with Brody Gillepsie and going to town on Gillepsie, causing the Toyota Center to go into an uproar. Moments later, the Americans doubled their lead with another string of luck. Defenseman Saige Weinstein took the puck behind his own net and attempted to ring it around the boards which was unsuccessful as it went off a Referee’s foot in the corner, stopping the puck. Grady Martin who was on the forecheck got to it first and worked it up top to Terrell Goldsmith at the high point. Goldsmith let a shot fly right by Cowan’s glove for his fourth goal .of the season, a new career best in goals. Just before the second period came to a close, Spokane’s power play would get churning after a Carter Savage cross-checking call at 16:50.

At the mid point, Brayden Crampton dumped it off to Berkly Catton down low on the left wing. Catton centered it back to Crampton up top who loaded up a slapshot and let it go. Van Olm net front tipped it at the very last moment past Matecha for his eye-popping 46th goal of the season. Two periods had come and gone at the Toyota Center, and Tri-City were holding on to just a one-goal advantage leading 3-2. Spokane had barely managed to outshoot Tri-City in the second 9-8 and were leading 21-19 in shots overall. Spokane were now 1/3 on the power play while Tri-City were 0/3.

In the third, it was a very similar story as Spokane came out swinging, dominating puck possession, and chucking shots to the net. Eventually, Spokane got the puck to the point where a shot was let go and Asanali Sarkenov tipped the puck past Lukas Matecha and in. Matecha was frantic in talking to the referee after the goal as he saw something, leading to a goal review.

After a few minutes of congregation, it was deemed no goal due to a high stick by Sarkenov and the Americans would maintain their 3-2 lead. With just 20 seconds remaining, Jake Gudelj would get a hooking penalty leading Spokane to call timeout and pulling Dawson Cowan. Off the draw, the Americans were able to chip it to center ice. Spokane quickly gathered the puck and raced to get back into the Americans end just for Carter Savage to chip it back out to center ice again. Savin Virk had a beat on it and was the first to it. Virk then walked in and put the puck into an empty net as time was about to expire and the Americans would walk away with a 4-2 victory.

On the night, Tri-City were outshot 34-23, and went 0/4 on the power play with Spokane going 1/5. Lukas Matecha was brilliant as he returned back to his excellent form, saving 32 of 34, including 13 saves in the third period to keep the Americans infront. For his efforts Matecha would come home with the second star. Dawson Cowan for Spokane had another off night by his standards, saving only 19 of 22.

Stu Barnes had his goal fulfilled from the night before as Spokane’s top unit were held to just the two goals tonight. Cristall was held pointless for the first time in four games. Berkly Catton with a goal and assist would come away with the third star. Terrell Goldsmith who got his career-high fourth goal of the season and a +3 +/-, was awarded the first star.

Injuries

On the injury front, most of the injuries have cleared up, the lone player left is Gavin Garland. Garland is estimated to return in the next two weeks or so.

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