Tri-City Americans Weekly Report (12/23 – 12/29)

Game One – Portland Winterhawks

The Tri-City Americans returned to action for the first time in twelve days following the Christmas break. This was the first game of the home-in-home series against the Portland Winterhawks this weekend. Beginning in Portland, where Tri-City lost by a score of 5-3 after giving up four straight unanswered goals.

The Americans got the first goal a little over fifteen minutes into the first period. Savin Virk, working along the boards in the trap, was able to dig the puck free and find Jordan Gavin in the left circle. Gavin gathered the puck and let a shot go, which snuck over Ondrej Stebetak’s glove. That was all the action in the first period. Tri-City went into the second period leading 1-0 and leading in shots 12-11 over the Winterhawks.

Grady Martin was awarded a late Christmas present, getting his second goal of the season six minutes into the second period. Nick Anisimovicz gained the Winterhawk line before being heavily pressured and firing a prayer towards Stebetak. The puck took a big rebound off Stebetak to Martin, who was making a beeline for the net. Martin faked a forehand shot and went backhand past Stebetak.

From there on out, it was all Portland, as the Winterhawks went on to score four straight goals. The first came at 11:33 in the second period from Carson Dyck. Dyck gained the American’s zone and barreled in on the right wing before shooting a puck that trickled through Grout’s short side to get Portland on the board. Diego Buttazzoni of Portland tied the game under a minute after the Dyck goal.

At the point, Kyle McDonough snapped a wrister that took a heavy bounce off Ryan Grout’s pad right to Buttazzoni at the right circle. Buttazzoni let a one-timer fly and just narrowly beat the outstretched Grout to the far post. Portland would get their first lead of the night late in the second period from Alex Weiermair.

Weiermair was left unmarked in the slot, almost as if he were a ghost. Kyle Chyzowski, who resided with the puck in the trap, quickly fired a pass to Weiermair, and Weiermair unleashed a one-timer that Grout could do nothing about, beating Grout on the low blocker. After a dominant second period from Portland scoring-wise, the score was 3-2, and both teams recorded 13 shots on net in the second.

The Winterhawks carried their second-period momentum into the third, and Alex Weiermair found his second goal of the night, which would go down as the game-winning goal at 4:05.

Off the rush, Portland entered the American zone with numbers. Weiermair on the right wing was again left unmarked by the American’s defense and Weiermair. Kyle Chyzowski, streaking into the zone, once again found Weiermair, who was closing in on the right circle and served up a great pass on a platter. Weiermair gathered the puck and unleashed a filthy wrist shot over Grout’s glove to make it 4-2.

Just a minute past from Weiermair’s second goal, and overager Brandon Whynott of Tri-City would put Portland fans on edge as he would get a goal of his own.

Whynott burst into the Winterhawk zone right off the bench and dangled around a Winterhawks defender, eventually leaving himself with just Ondrej Stebetak to beat. Whynott would deke to the backhand and shovel one past Stebetak. Hudson Darby, however, would suck all the life out of Tri-City at 16:19 in the third period and restore the Winterhawks two-goal lead.

Portland moved into the Americans zone with a two-on-one opportunity. Carsyn Dyck slid the puck over to Hudson Darby, who buried the puck through the wide-open five-hole of Ryan Grout.

The final score would be 5-3, and Portland would finish ahead in shots, with a total of 40 to the American’s 36.

Game One Notes

Tri-City has now lost three games in a row without a point, tied for the most games the Americans have gone without a point this season. The Americans are also 1-3-1-1 in December.

Both teams were very disciplined and held were held to just one power play aside which were both killed off.

Merrek Arpin was back in the lineup for the first time since December 6th after suffering a lower-body injury.

Ryan Grout made his much-anticipated WHL Debut. The former fourth-round pick of the Americans back in 2022 was a star in the BCHL with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. He is committed to playing hockey at the University of New Hampshire next season.
Grout, in his WHL debut, made 35 saves on 40 shots and looked impressive throughout the night, regardless of the scoreline.

With Gradin Martin netting the goal tonight, putting him at two goals on the season, this matches a career-high in goals for Martin.

Brandon Whynott’s seventeenth of the season puts him just one behind the goals leader for Tri-City, Gavin Garland, who has eighteen.

For Portland, Ondrej Stebetak made 33 saves on 36 shots.

Portland swept away the stars, with Alex Weiermair picking up the first star after two very clutch goals. Carson Dyck was awarded the second star with a goal and assist. Kyle Chyzowski was granted the third star with two assists.

Game Two – Portland Winterhawks

With the rematch set for Saturday night in Kennewick, the Americans looked to split the home-in-home with the Winterhawks in front of a packed house of 5,100 fans and their first of six straight home games. However, the Winterhawks had other plans and the Americans fell short again. This time by a score of 4-3.

It was Portland getting the scoring started tonight, and it only took a little over five minutes.

Along the boards Kyle McDonough flipped the puck to Reed Brown of Portland sitting at the left faceoff dot just infrot of McDonough. Brown then walked in on a short breakaway, going backhand and around Nathan Preston.

Americans Captain Jake Sloan evened the score just a minute and a half later.

Defenseman Jackson Smith at the left circle fired a wrist shot that went off the chest of Marek Schlenker, right to Sloan who had parked the bus out net front. Sloan gathered the rebound and slam dunked it past Schlenker.

After a period, things were all even at one. Portland led in shots 13-9.

Josh Zakreski of Portland netted his 20th goal of the year to give Portland the lead back at 9:03 in the second period. Zakreski skated into the Americans zone and let a long-range wrist shot go that somehow beat Preston on the low blocker side. Yet again, Tri-City would answer back quickly as this time it took just a little over a minute from the Zakreski goal for Max Curran to get his first goal of the evening.

Max Curran pick-pocketed the puck in the Portland zone. Although being heavily pressured by a Winterhawks defenseman, and drawing a penalty, was able to muscle the puck backhand and work it infront of the net to poke it through the five-hole of Schlenker.

The back-and-forth battle continued, this time Portland would get the lead back for the third time.

Alex Weiermiar showed a bit of creativity with a nice move behind the net to fake out Preston. Preston thinking Weiermair was going for a wraparound started to slide to the opposing post. However, Weiermiar slid the puck back the way he came to Tyson Jugnauth waiting wide open on the back door where he slammed the puck home.

Once again, Tri-City would not stop going away, and tied the game again a minute following the Jugnauth goal. Curran walked into the Portland zone and in the slot fired a mean wrist shot that beat Schlenker low blocker. The Winterhawks would get their fourth lead of the night late in the second period at 17:33 and that would stand for the rest of the game.

Kyle Chyzowski drove wide after gaining the Tri-City zone before cutting towards the front of the net and slipping a puck five-hole on Preston.

After two periods, Portland led 4-3, a score that as stated held until the final whistle. Tri-City outshot Portland 19-13 in the second period however.

In the third, the Americans had all the chances in the world, dominating puck possession and getting a lot of high-quality looks. However, Marek Schlenker did not budge and even though the Americans outshot Portland 15-5 in the third and 43-31 overall in the game, would lose.

Game Two Notes

Tri-City now stand 1-2 in the season series against the Winterhawks and are now 3-5-1-1 in their last ten games, their worst stretch of hockey this season.

Jake Sloans goal that opened scoring for Tri-City would go down as his 200th point in his WHL career.

Max Curran had a season-high two-goal performance, certainly his best game of the season and the best game Curran has had since the last game he played in the 23/24 season. Where he put up 3 points against the Seattle Thunderbirds before being ruled out for the rest of the season due to an injury.

Kale Margolis recorded his first career assist on the second goal that Max Curran scored. Defenseman Ismail Abogouche also recorded his first assist of the season on the second Curran goal as well.

In the weekend combined, both teams only mustered up a combined five power play opportunities. Two for Tri-City, and three for Portland. Every power play opportunity during this home-in-home series was killed off.

Nathan Preston had yet another start to forget as Preston has only recorded a .900 once over his past seven starts. Tonight, Preston made just 27 saves on 31 shots. This puts Preston at 4-5-1 on the season. Lukas Matecha of Tri-City has played in double of the games and has less regulation losses with a record of 14-5-1-1.

Marek Schlenker however stopped just about everything the Americans threw at him, making 40 saves on 43 shots, the third most saves in a game he’s had this season.

For stars, Max Curran picked up the top star with two goals, Kyle Chyzowski of Portland the second star for the game-winning goal, and Tyson Jugnauth of Portland as well getting third star with a goal.

Injury Report

Defenseman Merrek Arpin as stated was removed from the injury report and played in both games this weekend for the Americans.

Goaltender Lukas Matecha was scratched Friday night in Portland but served as the backup Saturday night. Matecha was also removed from the injury report and will be back in net Tuesday for the annual New Years Eve game against Spokane more than likely.

What’s Next

Area 51 will have continued coverage of the Tri-City Americans and the WHL all season long, so keep it locked here!