Game Day--Nervous Time

"We feel good" said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "We knew we could play with these guys. We've felt comfortable the whole way. We haven't got a lot of bounces and we won't try and make excuses, but we've felt that way. Now we are back in it and we can't wait to go (today)."

"We know we can beat them," Hiller said. "Calgary knows we can beat them. Now let's go fight for this. Let's go back go back to Calgary (tonight)."

"I think any time you score early it puts a jump in your step," Hiller said. "Getting that first goal for us, it takes the weight of the world off your shoulders. To me, that was a key point in (Wednesday's) game."

"I think we came out just as hard as we have, but we got the bounces that we needed," Wilgosh said. "Jones played great (Tuesday) and again (Wednesday), we just got those bounces. If we keep working we can score more goals and hopefully bring the series back home."

"You have to believe and you have to plant doubt," Hiller said. "We were frustrated we couldn't get to Jones (the first three games). They had a lot of chances (Wednesday). Now that they've seen Alex's pads, hopefully they will see a lot of them (today)."

"I don't think we have to do much different," said Calgary coach Mike Williamson of Wednesday's loss. "We just have to shake this one off, go back and make sure we bring our best the next time out."

"It was 7-2 on Tuesday and we had one power play (Wednesday)," Williamson said. "They've got to be the cleanest team in the history of hockey. Our guys are doing everything we are asking and we can't get frustrated with it.

"You have to play through that. If we are moving our feet and getting to the middle of the ice a little bit more -- I think we could have done a better job with that -- then you generate some more opportunities on the power play. All you can do is control what you can control."  (Tri-City Herald)

Oh Williamson, stop whining.  The Americans, if you check the stats, were the least penalized team in the regular season.  Cleanest in the history of hockey?  Probably not, but pretty clean, those stats don't lie.  Not sure who he's trying to persuade, get to the officials maybe?  Whatever, he needs to STFU.

The Calgary Herald has a couple of articles today, starting with this one:

"Getting that first goal (Wednesday) was critical. We got a lot of energy and momentum out of our building, the big goal there got our crowd into it," said Hiller. "Now we're looking for the first one here to keep things quieter in this building."

"We just want to get home, that's really our focus now, we want to get home and then we'll play in front of our fans again and deal with what happens there," he said.

"That was the best goaltending performance that we've had this series," said Hiller of Pechurskiy, the backup who has started the past two tilts. "It's nice to have our goalie making saves for his forwards. The momentum swings quickly in the psyches; on both sides there's an effect. I'd like to think that's swung back in our favour."  (Calgary Herald)

A very touching story about Jordan Messier's dad, Mitch:

But his most important role in life? That of a hockey dad.

Jordan Messier, 18, is a power forward ranked 115th among North American skaters by the Central Scouting Bureau for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft.

"I kind of model my game after the way my dad played,'' Jordan says. "I wish I had as good hands as him. He had a good set of hands."

The Tri-City Americans selected Marcus Messier in the second round of the 2009 WHL bantam draft. He's a undersized forward with speed and puck sense around the net. Tonight, he'll be part of the Tri-City team trying to avoid elimination in the WHL final against the Calgary Hitmen.

Ryan will turn 14 this summer, and he's already showing signs of growing taller than both his brothers.

"I've got my three boys," Mitch says. "The most enjoyable thing in the world is watching them play."  (Calgary Herald)

Alright boys, you've got a mountain to climb but you've taken the first step.   You can take another, you know you can do it.  Keep wearing the Hitmen down, keep getting your chances on Jones.  Keep getting those power play opportunities because it's driving Williamson batshit crazy and that makes me giggle.  We believe in you and know you can do it!!!

Liveblog after the jump, see you back here at game time (5:45 our time!), drinks in hand :)