Game One – Vancouver Giants

The Tri-City Americans opened the first game of a three-in-three at home against the Vancouver Giants in the final meeting between the two clubs this season on Pink Ice Night. The Americans avoided the season sweep after Jackson Smith scored late in overtime to win 3-2. The first period was perhaps the most uneventful of the night as it saw Tri-City getting outshot 12-11 and killing off a scary kneeing penalty after Carter MacAdams knee’d Giants Captain Mazden Leslie leaving him slow to get up. Vancouver was shot out of a cannon to start the second and got the first goal of the game just 20 seconds into the period.

Brandon Whynott had multiple attempts at it along the right-wing boards but could not get the puck fully out of the zone. Maxim Muranov of Vancouver was able to get a beat on it and get a partial two-on-one opportunity. Muranov served a pass up to Tyler Thorpe who fired a one-timer on net that was saved by Matecha. Thorpe then gathered the rebound and centered it to Jaden Lipinski in the slot. Lipinski then fired a one-timer of his own right past Matecha’s outstretched glove and in. Minutes later, Captain Jake Sloan got his first goal of the night to level things.

After the Giants turned the puck over in the Americans’ end, Tri-City barreled down with an odd-man rush. Max Curran had the puck along the left wing and fired a backdoor feed to Jake Sloan who tapped the puck through the five-hole of Burke Hood. Jaden Lipinski snatched his second goal of the night shorthanded following back-to-back penalties from Maxim Muranov.

Colton Roberts wired a headman feed to Lipinski who rushed in on a breakaway. Lipinski went top glove on Matecha, beating him, and giving the Giants a 2-1 lead. The second period came to a close and Vancouver would still hold a 2-1 lead. Tri-City trailed in the shot count 21-24 and went 0/2 on the powerplay in the second.

In the third, Tri-City had arguably the best period of the season, throwing a total of 26 shots on net and holding the Giants to just 6 shots. The Americans dominated the entire period from essentially start to finish. However, Burke Hood remained resilient in net, fending off everything. With just under seven minutes left in regulation, Hood would crack, and Tri-City would tie the game up on the powerplay after a Tyus Sparks slashing penalty.

Curran at the bottom of the right circle decided to send a perfect backdoor feed to Jake Sloan who was able to lift it up and over the blocker of Burke Hood to give him his second goal of the game. Hood stood on his head for the rest of the third period and would guarantee the Giants a point. With that, Tri-City were headed to overtime for the seventeenth time this season.

In overtime, it was a complete reverse from the last overtime Tri-City participated in as the Americans were utterly dominated with Vancouver controlling possession for a large portion of the overtime. However, the Americans would take advantage of one of their lone opportunities late in overtime.

Vancouver worked the puck net-front, and Lin received a backdoor feed that was surely a goal, but Jake Sloan swept the puck away from the Rookie Defenseman at the very last moment. The Americans then broke out a two-on-one rush as Jackson Smith skated in on the left wing with the puck and Virk trailing in the slot. Smith decided to let it go just in the left circle and placed it just below the glove of Burke Hood for his third goal of the season, all Smith’s goals have been game-winning goals at that, with two in overtime, and one in regulation.

The final score would be 3-2 as stated prior and the Americans outshot Vancouver 49-33. Tri-City would go 1/3 on the powerplay and held the Giants scoreless on their two power play opportunities.

Burke Hood recorded the most saves so far in his young WHL career. The seventeen-year-old netminder stopped a career-high 46 of 49 in the overtime loss. On the other hand, Lukas Matecha also had another great net in night stopping 31 of 33 shots faced. Matecha also completes his best month of hockey this season, going 7-0, and only finishing with below a .900 once in a game he was pulled in early. Matecha stopped at least 31 shots in every contest he finished in the month of February as well.

Jackson Smith picked up the third star with his overtime goal. Burke Hood with the best performance of his WHL career came away with the second star and Captain Jake Sloan who thrusted the Americans into overtime with a two-goal night would snatch the first star.

Another milestone was completed Friday night as well. Although held off the stat sheet, Carter MacAdams played in his 250th career WHL game. MacAdams’ career has spanned over five years, where he has played for three teams, the Prince George Cougars, Calgary Hitmen, and obviously the Tri-City Americans. MacAdams has a total of 50 goals and 82 assists for 132 career points in the WHL so far.

With that, Tri-City take their lone home game of the weekend and will now travel to Wenatchee for a Saturday night game to continue yet another busy week of hockey.

Game Two – Wenatchee Wild

The Americans entered the game sitting sixth in conference and had something big to play for Saturday night. With a win over the Wild in any fashion, and a Kamloops Blazers loss at Prince George which occurred, the Americans would clinch a playoff spot after missing out last season. However, the celebration would have to wait as the Americans fell 2-1 in overtime after another stellar performance from an opposing netminder, this time Brendan Gee, making 33 stops on 34.

Tri-City started off the low-scoring contest rather quickly, scoring four minutes in as Savin Virk got his twelfth goal in the past thirteen games. Gudelj broke into the Wild zone and put on the breaks above the left circle. Gudelj then snapped a wrister on net that was saved and kicked out by Gee right to Savin Virk in the slot. Virk made no mistake and pounded it past Gee for the Americans lone goal. The rest of the frame saw both teams get a chance on the power play but nothing coming of either and the Americans taking a 1-0 lead into the first break. Tri-City also led in shots 10-7.

In the second, both teams had chances to extend their lead, which included an early powerplay for Tri-City, but both goalies stood tall. It was Captain Evan Friesen that got Wenatchee over the hump and got their first goal of the game late in the second period on the lone powerplay goal of the night. Miles Cooper at the right point sent it down to Evan Friesen at the goal line and Friesen swooped around and swept the puck five-hole on Lukas Matecha. Following two periods, Tri-City and Wenatchee were deadlocked to one goal a side. Tri-City were still outshooting the Wild now 20-19.

The third period saw a multitude of penalties, including a late roughing penalty that was caused by former American Shaun Rios with just over five minutes remaining after he delivered a nasty hit on Brandon Whynott causing him to leave the ice immediately and not return. The hit surprisingly only got two minutes.

However, Rios following the game was suspended by the league for an undetermined about of games. Tri-City would not capitalize on the power play and as time wound down in regulation with about 90 seconds left, Captain Jake Sloan of Tri-City would get a chance of a lifetime and barrel in on a breakaway looking for goal 100 in the WHL. However, Gee answered the call yet again and with that overtime was required in back-to-back games.

Another former American would haunt Tri-City and steal one from the Americans in the overtime frame. Deagan McMillan started the breakout in the Wild end and carried it all the way into the American zone with speed along the right wing. McMillan saw Reid Andresen banking towards the back post as he had Savin Virk beat. McMillan then launched a pass, and Andresen was able to get just enough to lift it up and over Matecha’s pad to send the Wild faithful home happy. Both goalies had extremely good outings as Lukas Matecha stopped 27 of 29 while Brendan Gee as stated stopped 33 of 34.

Tri-City went 0/4 on the powerplay with the Wild going 1/4. The Americans outshot the Wild as well 34-29. It was a clean sweeping in terms of stars as Zane Saab would come away with third star even though he recorded no points. Brendan Gee with the second star for his strong night in net and Reid Andresen the first star for his overtime goal. The Americans would look now onto Sunday to clinch a playoff spot in Seattle, a place that has not been friendly to the Americans the past five years as Tri-City are 2-12-1 when playing in Kent.

Game Three – Seattle Thunderbirds

On the end of a three-in-three the Americans entered Kent with just a little bit left in the gas tank. To secure a playoff spot Sunday night, the Americans would have to just get one point against Seattle, and Wenatchee would have to lose to the Vancouver Giants which Wenatchee did.

Tri-City once again were caught in what was to be the third goaltender duel in a row as Lukas Matecha in his third night in a row in net was essentially perfect along with Seattle’s netminder down the ice, Scott Ratzlaff, a Buffalo Sabres prospect. The Americans would end up clawing out a win in overtime, their third straight overtime game at that, with a final score of 2-1 to clinch a playoff spot.

The big highlight of the first period would be Lukas Matecha’s shorthanded breakaway stop on Antonio Martorana following a Brayden Schuurman kneeing penalty on Max Curran at 14:27 to keep it scoreless. Both teams had an opportunity to score on the powerplay in the first period, but neither capitalized and as the first period drew to a close it was scoreless with Tri-City outshooting Seattle 13-11.

In the second period, it was heated battle that looked like it was going to yet again be scoreless heading into the third, however, Seattle would get a late break with just a minute to go to strike first. Antonio Martorana started the play by poking the puck ahead to Tai Railey at center ice. Railey then beelined into the Americans zone. Railey above the left circle made a pass over to Coster Dunn in the right circle. Dunn then let a shot go just inside the right circle that went blocker side on Matecha for his 20th goal of the season.

Railey with the primary assist would get his tenth point of the season. After two periods, the Thunderbirds led 1-0 while Tri-City were outshooting Seattle 28-24. The Americans up to this point were 0/2 on the power play while Seattle were 0/1.

In the third, it was Simon Lovsin who would take a costly penalty at 9:30 which would lead to the Americans third powerplay that would prove deadly. Smith pressured at point by a very aggressive Thunderbird penalty kill, chipped it to Jake Sloan in the slot. Sloan quickly backhanded the puck, dropping it off to Max Curran. Curran moved into the high slot and snapped a shot through traffic that just managed to squeak over the glove of Scott Ratzlaff and in. The rest of the third period saw a few scrums leaving play to go four-on-four, but both sides tightened up and yet again as stated, overtime was required and with that, the Tri-City Americans clinched a playoff spot.

Seattle would end up missing out on a premium scoring opportunity in overtime after having numbers going the other way and Radim Mrtka fanning on several shots at point blank range that would have sealed the game for Seattle. The Americans would say thank you very much and quickly break the other way with a two-on-one as Jackson Smith had the puck with Jake Sloan skating with him. Smith would do it all by himself and on the right dot launched an absolute missile bardown to win the game, silencing the once loud ShoWare Center in Kent, giving him his second overtime goal of the weekend, and third on the season.

Tri-City improve to 2-1 on the season against Seattle and will get very familiar with the Thunderbirds, playing them three times over the next eight games to close out the regular season.

Lukas Matecha churned out yet another stellar performance as he has arguably been one of the premier goalies in the WHL besides Daniel Hauser of the Calgary Hitmen and Scott Ratzlaff of Seattle since the start of February. Matecha stopped 29 of 30, which a handful included breakaway stops. Matecha’s performance was rewarded with the third star in Seattle.

Coster Dunn who opened scoring with a beautiful wrist shot in the right circle away with the second star.

Scott Ratzlaff held his own as well making 40 saves on 42 shots total to earn himself the first star.

Transactions

Crew Martinson who made his WHL debut just under a month ago in Kelowna rejoined the team for the week along with defenseman Aden Bouchard, the third overall pick in the 2024 WHL Bantam Draft. Both did not play in any of the three games this past weekend but were practicing with the team and getting a feel for what it was like to be a Tri-City American.

Bouchard will be off to the CSSHL Championships next week in Penticton. Bouchard put up a point per game with 33 points in 33 games at the CSSHL U18 Level as a fifteen-year-old with the Calgary IHA U18 Prep squad.

Martinson himself had a great season at the U18 AAA level with the Red Deer Chiefs. Martinson posted a team-high 57 points in 35 games played. This was good enough to put him second overall at the AEHL U18 level.

Due to Grout’s injury, Armaan Kaila was called up. Kaila is currently seventeen and played in the PIJHL. Overall, Kaila played in ten regular-season games in the PIJHL between the Richmond Sockeyes and Langley Trappers. He posted a 2.70 GAA and .908 Save Percentage with a 6-3-1 record.

Kaila has three WHL appearances to his name. Kaila has not garnered a decision in any of those appearances and had an 11.26 GAA and .730 Save Percentage with Tri-City last season during a brief stint. It is unclear if Kaila will still be with Tri-City next weekend or if Grout’s injury will be fully healed by then.

Injury Report

Gavin Garland will be eyeing a return in the next week or two as his lower-body injury is nearly healed.

Brandon Whynott was out Sunday against the Wild after taking a rough hit from Shaun Rios. No news on Whynott has been determined as of yet.

Ryan Grout did not play or backup Lukas Matecha in any of the three games this weekend as he remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

What’s Next

As we head to the WHL playoffs, make sure you keep it locked on Area 51.