Ams vs PG, take 2

Blogger, the platform used to run this site, is not working. I am in panic mode. So I'm writing this up in Google Docs and then a certain heroic Sister will cut and paste it into Blogger for me. If it's not working by game time, I don't know if I can join liveblog, I can't open my site either. Needless to say, I'm furious.

• In case you missed it nearly a week ago, former AMS goalie Tyler Weiman has been called up to the Avalanche, but hasn't played. Looks like he'll be returned to AHL soon. Just a step closer for one of the nicest guys who bides his time, plays awesome, and is just waiting for his chance.

• I added Wangler's awesome stats sheet to the links under the picture on the header here on the blog. It's supposed to automatically update when he updates it, so keep checking there to see some interesting numbers. It's good stuff. Ass-pat for sharing Wangler!

• It looks like former American Jason Reese has ended up with the Texas Brahmas of the CHL (Central Hockey League).

• As our dear Wangler mentioned on teh message board, our Stoli has been named captain of the Belorussian team at the Junior A Hockey Championship. That calls for a shot or 5 of vodka!

• The Herald doesn't feel it necessary to put anything about the game last night on their website, but once again, Dan Mulhausen did a bang-up job on the AMS site with the game recap. Oh and what a great picture too :)

• Don't forget about the contest, the deadline is November 6!

• Kudos to Mr. Spokant for saying it, kudos to Sister for making it happen, later today (hopefully?) you'll be able to get your "Messier is Bestier" shirts on my Zazzle site. They'll look like this:

Finally, liveglug:

AMS @ PG Livebloggity

The boys are in Prince George for two game stint, starting tonight. Will they take the Cougars lightly and be forced to try to come from behind again? Or did they learn their lesson Wednesday night that they have to actually show up to play? Will Drew Owsley be in net or will Brett Martyniuk get a chance? Gin or vodka?

I wish I knew the answers. We'll find out soon enough I suppose. In the meantime, set your alarm clocks to pre-game time at 6:45 and come on in and say hi! We don't bite...hard.

Shinny's playing in Subway Series

from AMS website (check out the photo with the story!):

Tri-City Americans' Governor/General Manager Bob Tory is pleased to announce that 18-year-old forward Brendan Shinnimin will compete as a member of Team WHL at the upcoming 2009 SUBWAY® Super Series.

The 2009 SUBWAY® Super Series will take place November 16 - 26 and marks the seventh straight year that teams of CHL All-Stars have competed against Team Russia in preparation for the World Junior Hockey Championships. The SUBWAY® Super Series is an integral part of the evaluation process prior to Team Canada's final selection camp in December. This season, Canada will be competing for a record sixth straight gold medal at the 2010 tournament in Saskatoon and Regina, SK.

Team WHL will face Team Russia in games five and six of the series played Wednesday, November 25 in Victoria, BC, and on Thursday, November 26 in Kelowna, BC. The first two games of the series are hosted by the QMJHL with the OHL hosting games three and four.

not gonna look...not gonna look....

I will not look at message boards today.
I will not look at message boards today.
I will not look at message boards today.*

If I were to look, I'm sure I would find people completely losing their shit. It's one loss. They played shitty. It was bound to happen sometime. Let's move on.

It should be noted, that while they didn't play great, they did manage 44 shots on goal, waayyyy more than I would have imagined having listened to that game. Who the hell is this Gore kid anyways?

They played with no heart, no organization. All Chilliwack goals were from the inability to clear away rebounds. That's not on Drew, that's on the team in front of him. That being said, I think our little Owl should maybe rest a game, one of the ones against PG this weekend. Let's see what Marty can do, he's earned the chance (I assume, unless he's been sucking in practice).

See the comments section on liveblog post for some additional thoughts.

Positives: Jordan Messier is bestier. He had the only 2 AMS goals. This is good. He can be an offensive threat and it's good to see his hard work paying off. Another positive, I hope, is that this can be a good learning experience, something to build off of. There's a quote that I'll paraphrase because I don't remember it exactly, but something along the lines of "Winning doesn't reveal character, losing does". In other words, how they rebound from this loss and learn from it will be more character building than a 10-win record.

*I probably will at some point and then want to punch myself in the face with a brick.

woah, it's Wednesday already? That means GAME DAY LIVE BLOG!

The boys and their coach are in Chilliwack. Yes, that means Jim Hiller faces the franchise that fired him. It also means everyone's favorite Uncle Mitch faces off against his former team. I can guarantee it'll be an emotional game. That my not translate to fights and whatnot, but will for sure bring some intensity. As for fighting, we'll see if Mitch finally gets to beat the shit out of Tyler Schmidt... :)

Mitch says:

"This won't be as emotional as when we play down there (Jan. 10)," said McColm, who spent two seasons with the Americans before being traded April 30. "Seeing the fans, my old billets and playing in the old rink will be tough. I still talk to the guys pretty regularly and it will be different seeing them at the other end of the ice. Afterward, we'll hug, shake hands and swap a few stories."

"Jim Hiller is coming back for the first time and I'm sure he wants to show everyone he can win. There are a lot of underlying stories other than Tri-City playing Chilliwack."

Coach says:

"I'm not uneasy," said Hiller, whose team is playing the second of five straight road games. "The game isn't about me. I'm emotionally invested in some of the players, but it's important we stay focused and play like we have been."

"We are in a groove," Hiller said. "We have played well at times and there have been times when we haven't. Consistently, we have been good and had big moments. We have balanced scoring and that brings confidence to the team and to the players." (Herald)

Another contest entry

for the "I believe in Drew Owsley" (or some other AMS player) contest, this one from Spokant. The 2nd picture shows owl ribbon used for handles for the sign. Brilliant. Props for incorporating the Maple Leaf Mafia (cuz we rule).

Tyler Weiman in The Hockey News

click for readable size image. thanks to Jill for the tip :)

whoo whoo whoo is friggin' awesome?

lookit who is on the WHL banner? Hi Drew, I heart you.

Also, my team is hot. Don't take my word for it, Sportsnet says so here:

Western Hockey League

Hot team: Tri-City Americans

The Americans have hardly missed a beat despite major changes in the off-season. Tri-City has reeled off nine consecutive wins and is tied with Portland atop the U.S. Division standings. The most impressive aspect of their winning streak is the teams they're beating with wins over Brandon, Kelowna and Spokane last week.

Contest entrants

Remember there's a contest going on...

here's a couple entries I've received:



This one is from You Took My Seat. It shows resourcefulness and creativity while getting the point across. As it was uploading I realized it doesn't fit the size requirements so will not be eligible for winning the contest. Sorry YTMS :(



This one comes from reader Amanda. I must say I simply LOVE the goalie owl picture!

I love this team so very much.

Here's the thing, I don't know what goes on in practice or in the locker room (a pity, really), but Spencer Asuchak needs to play more. Not sure what Coach's reasoning is, but srsly. This kid makes things happen every game he's in. Granted, he also needs to stay out of the box. Also, the kids (Holland, Moser) have been playing good, can't be easy to decide to sit them out.

Also on fire is my hockey bf Neal Prokop. No, he's not a big finisher, that's ok. He does the dirty work to make things happen. I like it.

I am glad to see Brooks Macek getting on the scoring sheet some more, he's been working hard, good to see that hard work paying off.

and can more praise be lumped onto our Drew Owsley? It seems so, since he keeps playing so damn well.

Tri-City G Drew Owsley stopped 29 shots in running his record to 11-2-0-0. Owsley, 18, is quickly becoming one of the great stories of the season’s first half. After playing in 755 minutes over 17 games all of last season, he has played in 775 minutes covering 13 games this season, with a 2.32 GAA and a .918 save percentage. (Drinnan)

Next up is Chilliwack on Wednesday, Hiller will face his old organization, the boys will face one of their favorite former teammates, Mitch McColm.

Alright, my hangover is telling me to go back to bed. I should listen.

Recap and liveblog

Did you see that game last night? It was pretty freaking awesome.

"I never thought I'd have 10 wins in 12 games to start the season," said Owsley, the first goalie in the league to post 10 wins. "I just go out and do my job. The defense is playing really well in front of me, and when you get a two-goal lead, that calms you down and puts you in a comfort zone." (Herald)

And Drew Owsley just keeps WINNING. It helps that the guys are being awesome in front of him. I told the crew last night after the game I'd never admit it in writing, but here it is, Riley McIntosh is playing pretty decent.

Brett Plouffe is not. Don't know what is going on with him* but he needs to get focused and get back to playing good hockey. He's a better player than what he's shown in the last couple games.

What I'm totally loving, is this team depth. Granted they were up by 4 goals, but youngins Moser and Holland saw significant ice time, even special teams time. That's impressive and I'm sorry, but Nachbaur wouldn't have done that. Not that much. He would have still put Shinny and co. out on PP with a 4 goal lead late in the 3rd.

I am tired of the Rockets. Their frustration was obvious as they kept trying to goon it up, it was dumb. At one point, and I have it on camera, four of them jumped Johnny. WTF man. Not cool. Oh well, once again, speed and skill does the damage where it counts, on the scoreboard.

In other news, Shinny's faceoff goal in Vancouver made it as the WHL's top play of the week, if you haven't seen it yet, check it out here. It's damn sexy.

Boys are in Spokanistan tonight to take on the damn Chiefs. Yay. That means the nasty Anonymous commenters will come leave ridiculous comments, and I will have to ignore them again. Whatever. Chiefs are struggling to find consistency and AMS are on a roll, you can be damn sure Chiefs will try to stop their momentum.

As for us, we'll be liveblogging, with copious amounts of booze involved. No joke, there's going to be 4 of us at my house, each with our laptops and our drinks. And that's just at Casa de Schultzie, others totally free to join in, with the conversation and the drinking!


*not true. I know what is going on with him. New gf, screwing up his concentration.

Game Day vs. Kelowna

It's wear red for heart health night, so make sure to get your red gear on.

Sounds like coach is confident, but keeping everyone, including himself, level-headed about being on such a hot-streak and how to get it to continue. From the Herald:

"I guess when you look at Tri-City, they are a team that plays very well at home and they continue to play that way," Huska said. "Teams that come in have to play a full 60 minutes if they want to have success."

Jim Hiller, who has only coached the Americans for 11 games, can't speak of the past, but gave insight into this season's two wins over the Rockets.

"The two teams are pretty similar and we were fortunate to come out with a win up there (Oct. 13)," Hiller said. "It was probably Ows' (goalie Drew Owsley) best game so far. I think we expect to win and believe we can win. The scoring is spread out and our power play has been effective. We are enjoying ourselves, but we are taking care of the details."

PLAY A FULL 60 MINUTES. Hiller is getting the boys to do that, which forces the opposition to do so as well. I like it. a lot.

True to his word, Wangler sent me his amazing stats that he's been keeping. I believe my response was something along the lines of "OMG, that gave me a stats boner and I don't even have a penis!" It's that cool. srsly. Check it out. Feel free to leave questions in the comments if you're not understanding something, Wangler can answer. This is something we hope to keep updated as the season progresses.

The part I personally found the most interesting was the save percentage by period for Drew, he gets better (as does the team) as the game goes on. HAWT.

LULZ

If I'd ever written about him, I might be wondering if she's talking about me and offended by this:

Wheaton King's name caught national attention earlier this year and has been mentioned on the Total Pro Sports blog and a few lesser blogs (with language not fit for a family paper). (Red Light District)

...or if I cared. :)

Clearly, I will never be a hockey coach

"What a great game," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller, whose team beat Brandon for just the second time in six seasons. "We've been good in the third period, but that may have been our best period of the year. (Brandon) is a good team who had its foot on the gas. I'm really proud of the third -- we played the game right." (Herald)

I thought it was not a great game. I thought it was sloppy, especially the first two periods. Passing was terrible. It's like the AMS couldn't tell the difference between navy blue and neon yellow. I kept looking at the shots on goal and was surprised every single time. It seemed impossible to have that many shots when they couldn't hang on to the puck.

Whatever, they won. It was a good game in that it was intense, stressful, hard-fought. It's not that the AMS weren't fighting for it, they clearly were, but I Brandon was very successful at blocking all available lanes. The key was going 2-for-3 on the power play and killing 4 of 5 penalties, including a penalty shot while shorthanded, hell yes Kruise Reddick.

The more I watch that Drydn Dow, the more impressed I am with him. And his eyebrows. om nom nom.

Drew was outstanding, again. Brandon was in his kitchen all night, I was surprised their shot total was so low, seemed like they were peppering him more than that. Or laying on him. Once again, what do I know?

Owsley finished with 22 saves for the Americans for his WHL-leading ninth win.

"I didn't think we needed him as much tonight," Hiller said. "But when we did, he was there."

I'm not one to blame anything on bad reffing for the most part, like I always say, good play overcomes bad reffing, and it did last night. If those morons had allowed that 4th Brandon goal to stand, I might have jumped over the glass and shanked anyone and everyone in black and white stripes.

Boys face those pesky Kelowna Rockets tomorrow night, don't forget to wear red.

Game Day vs. Brandon

What I want to write:
"It's game day blah blah blah GO AMS"

What I will write:

Wheaties are in town, bringing with them some pretty talented players. I know we don't hear a lot about the Eastern teams around here, but that Scott Glennie is, like, good and stuff. Brayden Schenn too. They are a better team than their 6-5-0-1 record indicates.

"We feel we are playing the hottest team right now," (Brandon coach) McCrimmon said of the Americans. "That forces us to make sure our heads are in it. Tri-City is hot at home, not only this year, but the last three years. With that, they are playing very well and riding a six-game win streak. It will be a real challenge for our kids."

Meanwhile, AMS coach Jim Hiller says:

"We like the success we've had, but as a coach you always hope for more," Hiller said. "I think we've relied on Ows a little too much lately. We need to get better and execute to get to where we want to be."

(via Herald)

From Brandon's P-B-P guy Bruce Luebke's site "Luber's Lounge":

Tri-City features 10 players from the Keystone province, second-most in the WHL behind Brandon’s 14 Manitoba-born players.

Among the Americans’ Manitobans is Brandon product Brock Sutherland.

The 18-year old defenceman has two assists, a +1 rating and 21 penalty minutes in eight games so far this season.

He’ll be my guest on Inside Hockey during the second intermission show of Wednesday’s broadcast.

Also, on his site, check out the awesome breakdown of the teams' trip to Kennewick. It's a great read. I mean, c'mon, it includes a shoe-check story, how can it NOT be a good read?

CONTEST

For the first time in I Mean, We Got Guys... history, I'm having a contest. The inspiration for the contest came from Mommabaum (with help from Landrey) when I saw these pictures on Twitter.



So here's the challenge:

• Make your own "I believe in Drew Owsley" sign.
• It needs to be at least half standard posterboard size (22" x 14")
• I need photographic or in person (at game) evidence

You know what? It can be an "I believe in ____________________" sign. Feel free to make a poster for any AMS player.

What will you win?
An autographed 8 x 10 photo of Drew (or whomever your poster promotes).

Beginning? End?
Contest starts NOW. Ends November 6th game vs. Everett

Just look at that competition, Mommabaum is early front runner. Srsly, glitter letters people. That's so full of win right there.

Reeser

thanks to reader Lietrum for this bit. Jason was released by the Florida Everblades this week. I hope he gets signed somewhere, he's too talented to not be playing.

also....

Not sure how Drew isn't 1st in the whole CHL with wins since he has 7 in 9 games while the #1 guy has 7 wins in 11 games, but whatever. Still damn hawt.

BRENDAN SHINNIMIN IS THE LEADING SCORER IN THE WHOLE WHL.

that is all.

AMS @ Vancouver liveblogginess

One of the toughest opponents in the Dub is any team coached by Don Hay. Let's see if AMS can continue on their winning ways.

If you need streaming radio feed, here ya go.

couple things post-game

• That was a really good game.
• I cannot believe in Drew Owsley any more than I already do, but if I could, I would.
• This is the Adam Hughesman I've been waiting to see for 2 years now.
• Whomever picked the 3 stars got the right guys, just need to reverse the order.
• The following made my night life.

That is all.

From Russia With Glove

is no longer listed on roster.

thanks to tip from Zach :)

Whoo whoo who's awesome?

6th overall in GAA
9th in save %



that's right, #1 in the WHL in wins.

What does the Postmaster General have to say about this?

"At the start of the year, I didn't think it would be going this well," said Owsley, an 18-year-old native of Lethbridge, Alberta. "Every game, every start, I get more confident. It's pretty surreal to think I'm a starting goalie in this league. Last year I didn't know when I would get to play."

"I worked out a lot this summer with (Americans goaltending consultant) Jerry Price," Owsley said. "He's taught me a lot. I knew there would be a great battle and I was prepared."

"I think getting to play every game and getting into a rhythm has helped," Owsley said. "Last year I was having to wait 10 games or more between starts. I'm getting in a groove and gaining confidence. It takes me back to when I was playing midget and starting every game. I'm in a comfort zone this year." (Herald)

Not only that, it seems more people are also (finally) believing in Drew Owsley. Y'all should make signs, jussayin. (says the one who lost her sign and hasn't had time to make a replacement. shit.)

Anyways, it's game night, AMS back home to take on the visiting Prince Albert Raiders. Raiders have been making their swing through the US Division, and have gone 1-3 on their trip, beating only Seattle (surprise, surprise). Not that they didn't play well against Portland and Everett so they should most certainly not be taken lightly. Duh, no opponent should be.

DRAYSON BOWMAN IS THE BIGGEST SLOB

supposedly. My guess is he's really OCD about neatness and this is the guys' way of giving him shit.

Just note the dimples. That is all.



ass pat to Wufpirate from Carolina on Ice for sending the link :)

You didn't possibly think I would let this slide by without comment....

Yesterday, one of my personal favorites, Alan Caldwell, published his prediction for the US Division over on Small Thoughts At Large.

In summary, he has the US Division ranked as follows:
1. Portland
2. Everett
3. Spokane
4. Tri-Cities
5. Seattle

Now, let's be calm and rational for a second. I know, I was not happy at first. But, Caldwell admits "picking 2nd, 3rd, and 4th here was a tough call, I think all three of those teams are reasonably closely matched. I gave it a shot but really, any final order of those three teams would not surprise me."

When questioned by an Anonymous commenter (based on statements, an AMS fan), Caldwell further states: "I'm in the Eastern conference so I have not seen the Ams play yet. I don't expect to see them play more than one or two times a year. There's a reason why the B.C. and U.S. divisions always get done last when I do these things. I know the least about them and mostly do it based on rosters and statistics rather than firsthand knowledge."

All that being said, here's what I have to say...

I don't doubt that Portland will be good. I would not, however, put them first in the division. They are still too new to this whole concept of winning. Having played against them a couple times already, the AMS have found a way to get under their skin pretty effectively and they crumble and take very bad penalties. Yes, they have size which can indeed be beneficial down the road (addresses an issue raised in Caldwell's comments), but they certainly got outskated, out hustled by the AMS. Yes, they have good goaltending, but even Kurtis Mucha got lit up the other night when they self-destructed against Everett. I don't know if it's inexperience or overconfidence, but I just don't put them first in the division.

Everett in 2nd? The 'Tips are the one team in the division as the biggest unknown to me. So far, this early in the season, they have done better than I imagined they would. How that goes on down the road for them, I have no idea. It's also a team that I haven't seen play yet except in pre-season. Therefore, I'll cop out and reserve judgment for now. Or I'll give a non-prediction prediction, they may or may not be 2nd in the division.

Spokane is close behind Everett in the unknown. They seem like a team searching for identity. Will their scorers like Wahl score? Will Beach be a benefit to the team as he mostly has been so far? Or will he continue with bad habits of the past? Chiefs are still missing one of their top D with Spurgeon out. Though getting Cowen back from Ottawa will help them immensely. I didn't think goaltending would be an issue, but Reid had a terrible game in Tri a couple weeks ago. Not that their whole goalie situation should be based on one game, but it certainly raised my eyebrows. I think consistency will be an issue, I see them middle of the pack in the division.

I agree with Caldwell's prediction of Seattle being at the bottom of the pile. They don't have a lot of depth. The only thing that will help them (as AMS have seen) is the goaltending of Calvin Pickard.

As for my AMS, I think once again the US Division is the toughest in the league. I would love for them to win the division 3 years in a row. They have the talent to do it, they apparently still have a coach who can get them there (so far). People obviously question the goaltending duo as they are young, small, and inexperienced. But Owsley has "carried the mail" so far (new nickname for Drew is Postmaster General, btw). No, he's probably not going to steal any games like Chet or Carey (or Calvin Pickard!) but he won't lose too many for them. Yes, he's going to have bad games. Sitting in the stands the 2nd half of last season hurt him (and Marty). If Marty is called upon, I have faith that he will answer that call. If the goddamn Russian shows up (I hope not at this point) he'll have to battle it out with Drew for the starting position. But I'm so flipping sick of talking about From Russia With Glove.

The AMS are the smallest team in the division (yay Caldwell's stats!) but they have been (I think) for the last couple seasons and it's worked out well for them. They seem to have done the right conditioning to stay fresh even in the 3rd period. They have some grit and hustle. And depth. Being able to roll four lines on a pretty consistent basis is going to be beneficial down the road as the top guys won't be as tired.

Do I think AMS have enough to be 1st in the division? No idea. Scoring by committee is a risky move, though it's proven to be working so far. Hiller has done an excellent job so far. Remember, this is the team that has been chosen to be last for the last 3-4 seasons and they were anything but last. As Nachbaur always said, and Hiller said it the other night too, you have to have the belief you can do it, that you can win, that you are not a last place team. That believe will carry you a long way.

Honestly, I have no idea how the division will shake out. Caldwell's bold prediction could come true. I know it'll be fun to watch. And at time frustrating. That's the beauty and agony of being an AMS fan.

"Don't look now..."

Don’t look now but the Americans are 6-2-0-0 and have won four in a row. (Drinnan)

Oh you can go ahead and look. It's impressive.

And when the opposition's scoreboard says you made a "Great Save!" then you better believe it buster. More from everyone's favorite Rocket's P-B-P guy:

The Tr- City Americans are a team that capitalizes on mistakes. TheKelowna Rockets found that out first hand in a 4-2 loss Tuesday night at Prospera Place. Jarrett Toll scored once and added an assist as the Americans won for the 4th straight time while handing the Rockets their first loss in 7 games.

The best goal of the game came when Americans forward JohnnyLazo used his great speed by beating two defenseman before making a forehand deke to beat goaltender Adam Brown. Lazo's goal made it 4-1 for the visitors.

The save of the game came when Americans goaltender Drew Owsley stacked his pads making a magnificent save off of Rockets forward Stepan Novotny. The save was made when the Americans were holding a 3-1 lead. You don't often see saves like that, but the desperation play was recognized by Prospera Place video screen when the letters came across saying "Great Save".

I've only seen Owsley twice, but from what I've witnessed he can carry the mail. I questioned the Americans goaltending at the start of the year, but not any more.

That's right my friends, even the people who run the scoreboard (and those who call the game) in Kelowna believe in Drew Owsley.
-----------------
It was mentioned in one of the liveblogs from this road trip that there was some concern that all our scoring was coming from the Hughesman-Lazo-Shinnimin line. Which isn't necessarily bad, they're off to a great start. But last night showed that there really is depth to this team, offensively. Scoring came from Reddick (about freaking time!), Drozd, and even from the defense which is always drop dead sexy.

I said in the beginning that offense was going to be by committee this season and that is proving to be the case. Some committee members need to step up (though not for a lack of trying). I'd like to see some points from the Macek-Messier-whoever combination. He's not playing every night but when he does he's making an impact, but I would love to see some more goals from Asuchak. I know, I'm just getting greedy now.
----------------
Should we talk about Toronto? Toronto sports teams: Providing soul-crushing year-round. I went off on an unorganized ramble in the comments section over at Sports and the City. But then I found someone who summed it up even better. Check out the analysis from Jenn Casey over at National Passtime. The rest of the post she has over there is a good read as well.

Another good read about "blogger relations" can be found over at PRBreakfast Club. If you are not a blogger, it's not so relevant. But it does bring in the constant issue of bloggers vs. main-stream media. There are bloggers who do a more professional job than many of the actual professionals. There are some who give bloggers everywhere a bad name. I like that from a PR standpoint, the author realizes it's best to work with the bloggers, not try to block them. It's something that's not going to go away--people with opinions and keyboards--so how to have a working, positive relationship is essential. I've been very fortunate that I have not had problems with the team over anything posted here. I know other bloggers for other WHL teams who have. And it's unfortunate. I know there are people from the front office who have at least stumbled upon this site. I'm sure Annie Fowler has even come across it. It has never been my intention to replace the team PR or the local media, but to have some kind of working relationship, even if that means sortof avoiding each other (which is kinda how I do it now).

HOLY VERBAL DIARRHEA. I meant to just say I've taken a break from the shitty Leafs till they win me back, emphasis on WIN.

Bkblades also has hope that the Leafs will improve, he's not ready to dump them yet.
--------------
Finally (for now), huge thanks to everyone who comes over for the liveblogs. It's fun times and a way for AMS fans to come together for laughs and hockey. Stats tell me there's a lot of lurkers and that's great too. It's greatly appreciated!

AMS @ Kelowna

oh shitters it's 5 pm on game day and I'm just now getting the post for the liveblog up and running. Yay me!

Anyways, my house is freezing cold so after working late I'm now fully bundled up in front of a cozy fire. I know, you're jealous, I understand.

Ok, AMS got some delish Thanksgiving turkey (I'm assuming) and will be facing off against the Rockets here in about 2 hours. That means a liveblog my friends, come on in we don't bite (ok, we might, but you'll like it, I promise).



And I made it bigger this time (that's what she said)

Former AMS player TJ Fast

this is from nearly 2 weeks ago when our good friend Tapeleg took some pictures at Alaska Aces training camp.




you can find more of TJ and the rest of the Aces over at Jerseys and Hockey Love :)

sale

Today at Zazzle where you can get your own "I believe in Drew Owsley" shirt, your own "SPOKANISTANl: This is war" shirt, even your own "Got Mitch?" shirt at a 14.92% discount.

Use promo code: 1492COLUMBUS to get discount.

I LOVE DREW OWSLEY

from Seattle Thunderbirds facebook page, Drew's save on Rai in the shootout. I don't know who the photographer is.

AMS vs. Calvin Pickard Seattle

AMS still on the road, this time to face the Seattle Thunderbirds of Kent. Barring some miracle, Behbeh Pickard will be in net again. If AMS continue with the game plan of peppering him with shots, in theory something should go in this time. They're due against the Birds. The loss against Seattle last time was not for a lack of effort, that's for darn sure.

Yesterday was the day to have rosters trimmed to 25, AMS technically have 26 with From Russia With Glove still there. I guess if he shows, someone else will get reassigned (hi, I'm Captain Obvious). Also, just because a team is allowed to have 25 doesn't necessarily mean they should, it means a lot of guys sitting in the stands not developing. Up to this point, however, Hiller's been good about rotating them pretty well. Hope that continues.

Drew Owsley should be in net again tonight for the AMS (wh00t!).

Come on in to the liveblog, everyone welcome (lurkers say hi, we don't bite!) :)

AMS @ Portland

"The last few years, Tri-City and Spokane have come into our rink and gave it to us," said Mucha, who is slated to start tonight. "Tri is always a hard-working team. They gave us our only loss and (today) will be a hard game. It seems every year they have a top NHL pick in net, until now. Drew (Owsley) didn't play a lot last year and we will have to try and take advantage, but he is no pushover."

Owsley has started every game this season for the Americans and is off to a good start with a 2.48 GAA and a .910 save percentage.

"It's always hard when good players, well-established players, graduate," Hiller said. "When (Carey) Price left people wondered what would happen. Chet (Pickard) came in and a wrote a pretty good story for himself. So far, Drew has done that." (Herald)

Also this bit:

Alex Pechurski still is a no-show in the Americans locker room. The Russian goalie has completed -- and passed -- his interview with Homeland Security and now is in the process of trying to get a release from his Russian team.

"It's on their time table," said Americans general manager Bob Tory. "If they don't grant the release, he can't come. He wants to come, and we are hoping they will allow him to come."

Now I'm getting pissed. I know it's also the cough medicine, but still. Drew has obviously done well, we don't need no stinking From Russia With Glove. And if he does come, he should not automatically get #1 job. I do not think Drew (or Marty for that matter) should be tossed aside just because Alex shows up. That's bullshit. Those two did enough sitting when Chet played a bazillion games, already stunting their development.

Moving on....AMS in Portland to take on the Winterhawks tonight, you know what that means? LIVEBLOG! A couple of the regular participants will be at the game, but that's alright, come on in and say hi, everyone welcome :) Click here for streaming radio feed.

Phoning it in

literally. I am home sick today. YUCK! And no, it's not swine flu.

But I thought I would share that the AMS website has been updated to include the new site where photos are available for purchase. It is through SmugMug and all the team photographers (including myself) upload photos.

To players (and parents) don't worry, I'll burn dvds for you again this season.

Anyways, you can find under "Fan Zone" on the site or click here.

The AMS hotness level just dropped exponentially

Humps reassigned. Sad day.

from AMS website:

Tri-City Americans Governor/General Manager Bob Tory announced today that the team has reassigned 17-year-old defenseman Spencer Humphries to the Westside Warriors of the British Columbia Hockey League. The move is effective immediately and reduces the club roster to 25 players (15 forwards, 8 defensemen and 2 goaltenders).

Can't say I'm totally surprised, there was (is?) a ton of depth at defense and sadly, Humps was probably the weakest link. I see a lot of potential in this kid, but at the same time, I didn't see that he'd improved a whole lot from last season. He was still good, but just not quite good enough. That being said, I'm glad he was reassigned not traded.

Notice also the part that says 2 goaltenders. From Russia With Glove is still on the roster, but that could just be because website isn't updated, who knows. Or since he's not under WHL contract either. Whatever, I believe in Drew Owsley. "whoo whoo whoo needs Pechurski?" :)

Baseball post

Joe Mauer for MVP. Your argument is invalid.

Not directly AMS related

If you've been listening to AMS broadcasts for years, you know that Craig West used to have his buddy Chris Collins on air with him when in Seattle or Everett. Those were some of the funniest broadcasts ever because they just beak each other the whole time. It's hilarious!

But you may have noticed it's been a long time since Collins has been on the air with Westie and that's because he was in China working with the Chinese Ice Hockey Association where he was GM of the China Sharks. Up until this season, the China sharks were affiliated with the San Jose Sharks. In addition, former WHL players played for the Sharks, including the former American Jason Beeman.

Anyways, over on Puck Daddy's links today, there was a link to the Sharkspage and their interview with Chris Collins. It's interesting reading, I encourage you to head over there and check it out.

Also, if you're into books about hockey, I very highly recommend The Tropic Of Hockey by Dave Bidini. I read it a couple years ago and it's really interesting stuff.
-----------------
Keep in mind the deadline to have rosters trimmed to 25 is this Saturday, I expect Bob to be doing something, stay tuned, you'll read it here last :)

the fluky goal

UNreasonable fan posted this on message board. The quality is crappy cuz it's from the webfeed. Oh well, still pretty sick.

Hat Tricks and crazy goals

"All those bounces that didn't go in last night, we got tonight," said Americans coach Jim Hiller, speaking of Friday's 1-0 loss to Seattle in which they took 57 shots. "Part of our plan is to be disciplined and win the special teams battle, and we did that."

Justin Feser had a career night with a hat trick and an assist, and Drew Owsley finished with 26 saves as Tri-City improved to 3-0 at home and 3-2-0-0 overall.

"I just go out and play and see the results later," said Feser, who had one assist before the game. "(Brett) Plouffe and (Brooks) Macek were putting the puck on net and I was getting lucky."

Justin had a great game (a hat trick? yes please!). They all did, it was just a great game. Didn't get as bananas as games against Spokane sometimes do. AMS dominated play led by Feser's line.

The most bananas part was the fluky goal by Toll on the penalty kill. It was a routine clearing pass, aimed at the Chiefs net, of course, and it went it. Reid was either asleep in the crease or just didn't think it'd get there, I don't know. Obviously it must've taken a weird bounce that I just didn't see. I don't care, I'll take it.

Tri-City took control with a three-goal second period, punctuated by a 160-foot, short-handed clearing shot by Jarrett Toll that caught Reid by surprise and slid into the net to give the Americans a 5-2 lead at 16:16.

"It wasn't even trying to put it on net," Toll said. "It bounced and somehow went in."

AMS still have bloated roster (WHY WASN'T PROKOP PLAYING?!?) but thankfully, even with so many guys being moved around from game to game, they were communicating well and clicking on all cylinders. With the lead, Coach was able to roll all four lines, giving the kids (Olstad, Castro, and Holland) some good ice time.

We've decided Mason Wilgosh shouldn't have a number on his jersey because you can't put a number on awesome. He's everywhere, getting gritty, nifty, all the words associated with being spectacular. Adam Hughesman had another great night as well. This is the Adam Hughesman I've been waiting for for the last couple seasons. Also everywhere being pesky was Shinnimin. Love it.

I was glad to see Jordan Messier get more ice time, seems he didn't have as much as I though he would in earlier games. Brooks Macek also had a stellar game.

Really, not a lot to pick apart about last night's game. I'm sure if I really thought about it, I could find something, but why? It was a great game. Let's go with that.

Oh and that Drew Owsley? Hell to the yes. He kept looking over, waiting to see if we had the "I believe in Drew Owsley" sign, we did not. Must make a new one before next home game (in TWO FREAKING WEEKS!! TOO FAR AWAY!!). I was once again also super impressed with Drydn Dow. This kid is good.

Ok, I suppose if I were to find any criticism, it would be the nervousness felt with McIntosh and Werbowski paired defensively. Riley was less sucktastic last night, but still. Lane's good, but not always good enough (yet) to pick up the slack if Riley fails. Just worries me. But with Tyler Schmidt out (charley horse apparently?) I didn't necessarily mind Riley's experience out there against Spokane.

Game Day

Nothing in the paper today (at least the online edition) about last night's game (shocking). Not that we need to read about it more.

However, yesterday was a nice piece about Brendan Shinnimin:

"I did a lot of things in the offseason to prepare for this year," Shinnimin said. "I worked really hard. I knew there were older guys leaving and there would be spots open. I prepared for that."

"Last year I came in and I wasn't looked at to get in the lineup," Shinnimin said. "When I got in, I took advantage of my opportunities and did what I had to do to stay in the lineup. You have to show something every night. This year, I'm focusing on the same things. I just added a little bit more."

At 5-foot-9, 170 pounds and a listed player, Shinnimin had to bring his best every day to catch the eye of then-coach Don Nachbaur. It took a bit, but he soon found his niche.

"There were a few guys fighting for the last couple of spots last year," Shinnimin said. "I played the home opener, then only played a couple of the next eight games. I knew I had to do something to stay in the lineup. Once I stuck in the lineup, I never looked back. I really paid attention to the little details Don implemented and took advantage of it."

Shinnimin finished his rookie season with 12 goals and 13 assists with a plus-9 rating in 64 games. He's well on his way to shattering those numbers this season skating on a line with veterans Johnny Lazo and Adam Hughesman.

"Last year, our rookie line was pretty good, but Laz and Hughie know a lot about the league and knows what it takes," Shinnimin said. "We played midgets together (in Winnipeg) and we have some chemistry there. Fortunately it has worked out."

"We had a good start, which is what we wanted," Shinnimin said. "We played Kelowna in the first game and we played an all-around great game. We stuck to our system. The Portland game, we came out pretty hard, but let up in the second and third. Then we go into Spokane and we fell away from our systems early. We know we could have played better. Jim has been running some great drills and we are trying to fix some things to come out of this weekend with a couple of wins."

I heart Shinny. Srsly.

Tonight the Chiefs are in town. They're going to pissed off they lost last night and will be looking to get revenge (but on my team instead of Winterhawks). I'm gonna assume Coach has made this clear to the boys, as if he needed to.

In our new seats we will be in the company of lots of Spokane fans which I don't like, but whatever. I don't intend to start any shit, or take any. I will be wearing my "Spokanistan: This is war" shirt and cheering for my team.

I missed it, but apparently Bob and Westie were talking on the pre-game show about From Russia With Glove and it's a visa issue? Personally, I don't believe it. That's Bob being a PR/politician putting a nice spin on a deal that is falling through. I have said it before and I'll say it again, why the hell would he leave big money in Russia for petty stipend here and no Pittsburgh contract? Just not likely to happen. At one point, before season began, I said I'd love to be proven wrong and that he shows up, but I'm past that. I believe in Drew Owsley and Brett Martyniuk. Until they show they can't do it, either of them, both of them, I don't think AMS need another goalie. I know there's peeps who disagree with me and that's fine. Frankly, I'm tired of hearing about it. Let the boys play, let Ows and Marty play and be awesome.

It's game night. GO AMS GO!

And if you haven't seen it yet, this is amazing.



***UPDATE*** Dear Blogger--stop fucking up formatting of quotes. That looks like shit.

Ok kiddies. It's time for our first liveblog of the 09-10 season. Couple things to keep in mind:

• Everyone is welcome, just behave yourself (as in, no trolling. Swearing and oogling hockey players is ok)
• Different opinions are great, just be respectful (no name-calling, bashing etc). Don't make me ban you, cuz I'll do it.
  
• Feel free to lurk :)
• Feel free to drink heavily, chances are 90% of us participating will be doing so, it adds to the overall experience.
• CoverItLive is sometimes a wonky bitch, use the refresh button below the window, that sometimes helps (sometimes not).
  
• If you need streaming radio feed, go here. For some reason the feeds are different and the webtv feed is even slower so some hear action before others, that's just the way it goes.
• Any other questions/comments before game time, drop me an email at hammerrules [at] gmail [dot] com