MOVEMBER WINNER

Your Movember winner errbuddy.  Mason Wilgosh had the most fantastic moustache for the month of November.  Or most fantastic ever.  Regardless, I will be donating $50 in Mason's name to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

3 in a row

Huzzah to another 60 minute effort!!

oh wait.  It was a 40 minute effort, followed by letting the foot off the gas, intense overtime, and then shootout.

Shots                                 1    2    3  OT SO TOTAL

Portland Winterhawks	8	17	11	1	0	37
Tri-City Americans	18	17	5	2	1	43

The Americans dominated the first period, things started to even out in the 2nd, and the Hawks owned the 3rd. Westie was saying on post-game show that the disallowed Hughesman goal was turning point as far as momentum.

But it was still a good game.  Once again Drew Owsley was brilliant in goal, though according the the Winterhawk experts behind us, he wasn't really tested.  Then again, they thought every penalty against the Hawks (the most penalized team in the league) was bullshit and that every time an American was on the ice it was diving--"textbook diving".  They'd also never seen a net come off it's moorings.  Ever.  "The league should fine them for not having proper moorings" was said when Hawks goal was disallowed, but no mention when Hughesman goal was disallowed.  Someday when I win the lottery I'm going to buy a whole section.  Or at least like the 10 rows behind me.

Portland's team is huge and physical, it was good to see the Ams not backing down from making and taking hits.  I would have liked to have seen Prokop's big physical presence out there, but at the same time I understand playing Stebner to have veteran defense against the high-powered Hawks.  The clock is ticking on a decision for 20-year-olds and I don't envy Bob Tory's position.

"They are a really good team, but so are we," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller of Portland. "We played one of the best teams in the East (Kootenay) and the best team in the West this weekend. That was a huge challenge. We are finding that passion we had last year in the playoffs."

"We just played two of the best teams in the league and got four big points," said Americans goalie Drew Owsley, who finished with 35 saves. "This was a huge weekend for us. We were in a slump, but I think we are back."

"We played a complete game," Shinnimin said. "We let them back in the third, but we never gave up. We stuck to the basics, didn't give up the odd-man rush and we were blocking shots. We just need to keep it up." (Herald)

"We had a lot of success last year, and coming out this year, I don't want to say it, but maybe we were a little cocky," Shinnimin said. "We've gone back to our roots, to look at what gave us that success. We've gone back to the basics -- blocking shots, getting back on the back-check, letting Ows see the puck.

"This last stretch, we've gone back to that, and it's paid dividends. We're coming to the rink, having fun. We know what kind of a team we are. These were some huge points for us, a good building block. Now, we've just got to keep it up."

"They made their push, but we hung in there and got the result in the shootout," said Ams coach Jim Hiller.

"We'd been looking forward to this weekend. These two games were as close to playoff hockey as we'd had this year. I think we needed these games to challenge this team to dig down. This challenge got some guys to find that level of passion they had during our playoff run."

"I think controlling my rebounds, making these big saves has helped me and the team," Owsley said. "We're trying to tighten up the defense. The D-men are doing a good job boxing out in front of me, limiting second chances, and on the PK, we're getting in the shot lanes a lot. That's one thing we've been working on."  (Examiner)

Sixty Minutes

"This is the best full game I've played and the team has played," Owsley said. "Coming in we needed a big game. They are ranked high --this was a measuring stick and we played a full 60 minutes."

"From start to finish, our most complete game all year," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "I thought we had everyone on the same page. It was a good result against a good team -- a physical team."

"They were the most physical team we have played this year," Yuen said. "We stepped up our game and started hitting, too. They are one of the top two or three teams in the league; this was one of our best efforts."

"It was an outstanding team effort -- from Drew to the back end to the forwards," Shinnimin said. "We were blocking shots and doing the little things. The potential we have is pretty great. When we play like we know we can, we are one of the top teams in the league."  (Herald)

I couldn't agree more with any of these statements.  It certainly was the best overall game all season that I've seen.  Everyone was clicking, making things happen, doing work.  Drew was outstanding.  It was great to see the kids have a great game, lots of playing time for Tanner Olstad--who either doesn't realize or doesn't care that many guys are a foot+ taller than him.  Little wrecking ball, just like Mason Wilgosh, even with that ridiculous lip sweater he has going on.  Yes Mason, you have the best Movember moustache.  Hands down.

The defense was solid, best game of the year for Sam Grist by far.  And every time Drydn Dow plays I am impressed with the skill he has.  It was so fantastic to see Neal Prokop on the ice, like he hadn't missed the last 8 months with a broken leg.  He was skating great, smashing bodies, making room in front of the net, working really hard.

"I think he (Prokop) has brought something more than just his play on the ice," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "He's a physical player who makes you pay the price on the other side, and he's also a leader for this team."
Forward Brendan Shinnimin added, "He's a game-changer."  (Examiner)

I did miss seeing David Conrad, so much so that I had a dream last night where I was saying inappropriate things to him.  Awesome.  It was great to see Feser and Macek get on the scoresheet, they both came into the season with expectations on them pretty high and both have been a bit snake-bitten, hopefully they got some good vibes after scoring last night and can get into a groove.

Tonight it's another tough battle with the seemingly unstoppable Portland Winterhawks in town.  This will be the first meeting of the teams since pre-season play, it will be interesting to see how it goes.  Portland is loaded with skill but still has that rough edge to their game.  Hopefully the Ams can carry over the momentum from last night.  Portland will be hungry after they lost big to Chilliwack last night, 7-2.  The Americans have to be really ready to face the 'Hawks, that's for sure.  

Drive careful out there and come out loud and proud to support the boys!

Game day vs. Kootenay

(Disclaimer--I'm writing this post on Thursday since family is due to arrive soon and I won't have time/inclination to write a pre-game post on Friday.  Happy Thanksgiving!)

Another tough one tonight as the Kootenay Ice are in town.  Like so many other teams, they aren't the same team they used to be.  They have a 16-6-0-2 record, good for 2nd in the Central Division behind the Red Deer Rebels.

Wednesday's shoot-out win was a huge character win for the Americans.  They came from behind to take it to overtime and eventually the shootout.  It was a goalie's battle as Drew faced 46 shots, Calvin faced 60.  SIXTY SHOTS ON GOAL.  We were talking in the liveblog how the offense has been invisible during this losing streak, but like the past several games, they are getting shots on goal.  Wednesday they had a whole lot of shots on net.  I'll be honest, I was nervous when it came down to the shootout, Owsley vs. Pickard--I love my goalie, but Calvin is really really good.  But that shooutout victory was hopefully the right medicine for Ows who has struggled with consistency this season.

The big news of course, was the it was Neal Prokop's first game back after the broken femur last spring.  It's a great story in determination, drive, and courage.  Annie Fowler actually had a nice piece on him yesterday in the Herald:

"I didn't do standard therapy, I just did everything on my own," Prokop said. He was hobbling around the gym on crutches to work his upper body before he could work his legs. "As soon as I could go on the elliptical, I was there, and the more I could do, I did.

"Since everyone was in school or working, I got a trainer to push me. At first I didn't know if I'd be able to play again, but once it was July and August, I felt I could play."

"He has come a long way," Nancy (Prokop) said. "We bought an exercise bike for home. He was on the bike almost immediately. He lost 20 pounds from the surgery and he's gained it back.

"He started walking in May, then running. The orthopedic surgeon he had here for his follow-up was allowing him to do more and more as he improved. He gave Neal the go-ahead in August and told him when he was ready he could play. Once he got that, it motivated him even more to come back." (Herald)

Additionally, Neate Sager over at Buzzing the Net picked up the story (but as usual for BTN, no photo credit, jussayin):

There probably is a better comeback story somewhere — but Neal Prokop's is on a very short, short list. The Tri-City Americans right wing, barely eight months to the day after breaking his left femur — which required surgery and a nearly two-week hospital stay — played Wednesday.

That was triumphant enough, but Prokop, 20, even drew an assist on Jordan Messier's equalizer in the final two minutes of the third period, helping cue the Ams' come-from-behind shootout win over Seattle. (Buzzing the Net)

Coach Hiller had positive things to say about Neal's return:

Prokop hardly looked as if he'd missed almost eight months. He joined a line with Jordan Messier and Brooks Macek and had an assist on Messier's tying goal (his team-leading 15th of the season) with 1:59 to play.
"I thought in the first period, he was our best player," Hiller said. "He was physical out there, and his conditioning was fine. He maintained his regular shifts. I had high expectations for him coming in, and he exceeded what I expected."  (Examiner)

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Tonight's game against Kootenay is a big deal off the ice.  The Americans are sponsoring a bone marrow registration drive for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  This is a huge deal and super easy.  From the Ams site:

The Mid-Columbia chapter of TNT will be holding a silent auction on the concourse of the Toyota Center at the Americans’ home game on Friday, November 26 when they host the Kootenay Ice. The silent auction will feature great Americans and LLS-branded items, including two LLS Americans Reebok Edge jerseys autographed by the entire 2010-11 team. As well, fans can purchase purple LLS Night T-shirts for a suggested donation of only $5 dollars or purchase a paper airplane for just $1 and participate in the Bergstrom Aircraft Paper Airplane Toss, presented by Northwest Marine and Sport, for a chance to win round trip airfare for two to Las Vegas on Allegiant Air.

In addition to all the fundraising activities on the concourse, the Americans and Inland Northwest Blood Center (INBC), who holds the local chapter of the National Marrow Donor Program, will be hosting a ‘Be The Match’ Marrow Registration Drive throughout the day. A process that normally costs upwards of $100, fans will have the chance to register to be a marrow donor for free, thanks to the support of the Wal-Mart Foundation. It is believed to be the first of its kind in the Western Hockey League.

More about the marrow registration drive:

• The drive will be held at the Toyota Center, starting at noon on Friday, November 26 and will run through the end of the second period or until all swab kits have been used.
• All potential donors are required to fill out a donor consent registration form.
• Fans are encouraged to pick up a copy of the registration form in advance of Friday’s event in order to serve the most amount of donors. The packet can be found in the Americans’ office or by clicking here. Packets will also be available at the registration tables on the Toyota Center concourse on Friday.
• Once INBC staff receives the form, the sign up process consists of four cheek swabs. This process takes approximately three to five minutes.

To be a member of the registry, all you need is to:

• Be between the ages of 18 and 60
• Be willing to donate to any patient in need
• Be in overall good general health
• Keep your contact information current with the INBC

IT'S NEAL PROKOP DAY!!

I've been busy getting the haus ready for family visiting for Thanksgiving, but don't worry, there's a liveblog tonight.  Let's keep it positive people, I don't want to have to drink (too much).

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know Neal Prokop is back in the lineup tonight.  Not sure who will sit as only 3 20s can play.  Guess we'll see.  In the meantime, it's Neal Prokop Day!  Liveblog after the jump.

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The great unknown

What we know:

• Neal is scheduled to be in the lineup against Seattle.
• The Americans then have 14 days to decide what to do and get to the maximum of 3 20-year-olds.
• In terms of the schedule, there are 5 games within those 14 days.
• There is definitely a need for his big body crashing the net and creating space on the ice. 
• It's a business.  And building a winning team is a business.  Bob is going to do what is in the best interest of the business.   If the price is right for the present and future of the team, no player is ever completely safe from being traded (or sent down or released).
• Portland has an open 20-year-old spot.

What we DON'T know:

• Where is Neal going to fit in the lineup?
• Will the young defense survive the (potential) loss of one of the veteran D-men?
• If keeping Prokop (and Reddick, see my assumptions and speculations below), which D-man has more trade value if a team such as Portland were interested?
• We have no idea what goes on in that locker room (and if I did I wouldn't blab it here anyways).  The recent losing trend could mean a chemistry issue, not just on the ice.  Again, Bob's a smart guy, he's going to do what's best for the team, including addressing any possible chemistry issues.

Assumptions and speculations:

• Rumor has it Portland was shopping Stebner at the deadline so Bob grabbed him up.  Gave up a 2011 3rd round Bantam pick for him.  If either defenseman goes, will they head to Portland?  Stay in the US Division?  
• Reddick was named Captain a week after the 2009-2010 season ended, the likelihood of him leaving is slim, slimmer than any of the other 20s.  Doesn't make him immune.  Perhaps part of this recent skid is a lack of leadership.  Maybe being named captain so early didn't allow for competition for the role.   Perhaps if Neal hadn't been injured he would have been named Captain.
• Assuming Reddick stays, that leaves Prokop, Schmidt, and Stebner.  We don't know yet what impact Neal will have.  But if I were to guess, and it's just a guess mind you, Schmidt has more trade value than Stebner.  Then again, if Portland wanted him originally....
• Would I want a former American to stay within the US division?  No.  Especially when the Ams haven't even played Portland yet.  Again, I'm only throwing Portland in there because they have the open spot.  That doesn't mean any of the other 20 teams couldn't be trade partners, they would just have to release one of their 20-year-olds.
• Holy shit it would be tough to be a GM.  Can't we just keep them all????

SMH*

"It's one of 72 games," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller, whose team has lost five of its last six. "Last night was just as important as today, we just didn't push as hard. We needed this (win) to keep the momentum. There is no one to blame but ourselves."

"We were just standing around watching," Hiller said of his team not clearing the rebounds.

"It was a busy night," Simpson said. "They guys played well in front of me. We knew we needed to get it done here; these points were huge."

"We tried to adjust things, but we weren't as sharp as we would have liked and we didn't have the traffic in front when shot the puck," Hiller said. (Herald)

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"There's no excuse for that type of effort," said Ams forward Adam Hughesman, who scored his team-leading 14th goal on a second-period power play. "We're not going to blame it on anything but ourselves.

"Just because we won one game doesn't mean anything. We have to play all the way through the season. It's frustrating to go out there with no intensity, no physical play, nothing like last night."

"Last night was just one of 72 games. This one was just as important today," Hiller said. "We just didn't push as hard. We have no one to blame but ourselves. That's why it's so disappointing."

"The goals we gave up were pretty easy, weren't they?" Hiller said. "They were just standing right there. It was more mental than physical tonight. We need to play with more urgency; that's the bottom line. With the puck and without it, we need more urgency." (Examiner)

Normally, I'd be inclined to say stuff like "well it was their 3rd game in three nights" and think that would fly. They're now tied for 2nd in the US division along with Seattle and Everett, all with 26 points.  The Americans have gone 3-6-0-1 in their last 10 games.

I did notice line shuffling. In Saturday's game, because of the score, coach could roll four lines. Last night, playing from behind, the kids Moser and Behbeh Messier didn't see a lot of ice time. At the same time, David Conrad (who has been playing with the kid lines off and on) played a ton so guys were being shuffled around. In a way I get that, trying to get something going. But at the same time, they all clicked together on Saturday so WTF, why not last night?  Drew was totally in a groove Saturday night, but looked unsure last night.  And not sure why he felt the need to come so far out to play the puck so much last night.  Although in fairness to him, not sure the defence was helping a whole lot.  Everett was getting all up in the Ams' kitchens and there wasn't a good response to that.

They did outshoot the Tips, so that's something.  Kent Simpson was definitely on his game, as were the guys in front of him.  It says a lot that I didn't get any pictures in the 3rd period because everyone was down in Everett's end the whole time.  But it wasn't enough.

So the frustration continues.  We KNOW they can play better, we've seen them do it.  They are loaded with talent but for some reason it's just not coming together.  I hope they go sledding together today, get some team bonding going.  Just no injuries please.  I want team chemistry and I want it now.  I see too many guys trying to do it all themselves.  Or some not doing enough of anything to get it done.  Saturday night it looked like they were all on the same page for the first time in a long time.  

They have day off today to play in the snow, then back to work tomorrow and off on the trek over the mountain pass to Seattle.  And I do believe Neal Prokop will be in the lineup on Wednesday.  That will start the two-week clock to get back down to 3 20-year-olds.  Speculate away because I, for one, have no clue what Trader Bob will do.

*internet-speak for "shaking my head"

WOW

So how 'bout that game last night, eh?  I don't know what the offense had for their pre-game meal, but holy crap it worked.

"All teams get into peaks and valleys," said forward Mason Wilgosh, who scored twice. "It's good to get out of that valley. It feels good to know the bounces are now going our way."

"We're in high spirits," said forward Brendan Shinnimin, who was the No. 1 star after also scoring twice with a plus-3 rating. "This win gives a lot of confidence to the room. But we still have tons of work to do. It's a relief to get this win, but we need to build off it and push forward."

"We had so many good chances last night that we didn't score on," he (Hiller) said. "I thought we had a lot less chances tonight, but the puck found a way to go in. That's just the way it works. Sooner or later, the puck has to go in.

"I think (Friday's game) carried over for sure. We felt really good about how we played. We came out with the same energy and physicality tonight, and the pucks went in." (Examiner)

Coach said the same thing in the post-game interview on the radio last night--that he thought they were better Friday night. But hey, I'll take it. Puck luck is a good thing.

I thought it was a great thing that the kids were able to get some significant playing time--Moser, Moline. Neither are bad, just need experience and they got some last night.

To me the defense looked very solid last night as well. They were communicating, blocking shots, and letting Drew see chances. Speaking of, he was back on his game last night too, that was great to see. I thought Messier had a good game too, as did David "Unsung Hero" Conrad. Shinny, Mason, and Holland showed up on the scoring sheet, but Feser, Macek, and Hughesman were doing work too.

"Everyone has a different role, but when you can chip in a couple of goals, it's exciting," said Wilgosh of his third career two-goal night. "When you don't score much, it feels good. Feser and Holland are easy to play with. We just came out and kept it simple." (Herald)

Tonight they face off against Everett in what should be another good, physical game.  Hopefully they can continue the upward trend.

Build on the positives

The outcome wasn't what anyone wanted (except Bruins fans) but there were some positives to take away from last night's game and to build on for tonight:

• Effort.  The games last weekend was almost like listening to the opposition radio feed the way only opposition player names were heard.  Last night, especially the first two periods, heard all Americans.  Did they let up in the 3rd?  Not play a 60-minute effort?  Perhaps, but the questionable officiating didn't help.
• Adam Hughesman and Brooks Macek.  Adam continues on his hard working ways, getting things done offensively.  Gotta hope another goal by Brooks helps take a little pressure off Brooks and makes him feel more comfortable and he can get into a (scoring) groove.
• They outshot the Bruins 42-25, can't complain about that.  Gore is a good goalie when he's on his game, and he was on.  Again, those shot totals don't show how many were quality chances, but it's still a positive aspect to look at.
• Power play went 3-for-8, not great but not bad either.  Yes, I would love to see some scoring 5-on-5, but at this point, we'll take what we can get.
• Penalty kill was decent, but still allowing 2 goals.  Westie said that first PK was the best of the season.  Again, that's a good building block for the future.
• I still really like bullet-point lists.

Bottom line, they played harder.  That's the kind of loss I can deal with, when they actually fight and put in the effort.  And of course, they're going to have to step it up for tonight's game.  Spokane's coming off a shootout loss to Seattle where they outshot the Thunderbirds 49-26.  So they're going to be pissed off and hungry.  And apparently shot-happy.

"We played better than we did last Saturday," said Ams coach Jim Hiller, referencing a 5-0 loss to Spokane. "We generated some offense, so that was encouraging, but to come up short again is disappointing."

"We certainly didn't have a lot of luck in front of their net," Hiller said. "And the officiating was questionable, to be kind. But that's generally the way it works (when you're on a losing streak). The only way to get out of it is to work your way out of it."  (Examiner)

The boys have been working hard in practice all week so now it's our turn to step up as fans.  There's a lot of negativity and finger-pointing going on by a frustrated fan base.  In a way we've been spoiled with the winning of the last couple seasons, people being angry about a losing streak is a testament to the winning environment that Bob Tory's built.  We love our team, we're passionate about the game.  The term "fan" is short for "fanatic" and sometimes it's a fine line between the two.  We pay our hard earned money to have the pleasure of watching this game as entertainment, and we expect to be entertained in the form of wins.

As the winning culture has been built the last several years, attendance at Americans games has improved tremendously.  Ams fans take pride in being loud and proud, as we should.  Opposition teams have mentioned how difficult it can be to play at Toyota Center because of the loudness and passion of the fans.  So let's bring the passion, the noise, the support tonight.  Bring your cowbells, bring your posters.  Heck, here's a poster you can download, print and customize for tonight's game.  Let's show the boys that we are not fair-weather fans, that we love this team and we love this game.  And let's hope for a good outcome, of course.

Game Day at Chilliwack

The last time the Tri-City Americans lost four games in a row, they wound up winning the Scotty Munro trophy at the end of the 2007-08 season for the best record in the Western Hockey League.

There is no magic formula to predict if that will happen again, and team captain Kruise Reddick said there is no need to panic at this point of the season -- there are 52 games left to play.

"I think we are going through some adversity right now," said Reddick, who missed eight games with a concussion earlier this season. "We aren't scoring and we aren't playing to our ability. It's not time to press the panic button. It's time to reflect on the positive things, grit our teeth and make things happen."

"It's nice when you are playing every three nights and keeping in game form," Reddick said, "but it's also nice to have this much practice time to work out the kinks. The fans might be concerned; they want to see us do well. We are going to turn this around."

"We are trying to keep things positive and relaxed," said Tri-City starting goalie Drew Owsley. "We have a good bunch of guys, we just need to execute better. The bounces aren't going our way and guys are gripping the sticks too tight. We just need that win to get us out of this."

Owsley sought help from one of the best in the business Wednesday, working with former NHL goalie and Americans owner Olie Kolzig.

"Any time Olie can come out and help me, I appreciate it," Owsley said. "He's been through it all and I'm struggling a bit. He's helped me tune things up a bit and he's given me some advice." (Herald)

Sounds like the boys are thinking positive and working on the small things in practice.  Having Olie come in and help Drew is awesome, and the power skating gal, Vanessa Hettinger has been working with the boys this week too.  Like I said the other day, I don't believe Bob Tory is an excuses kind of guy, he's going to be proactive.  How lucky are these kids to have Olie Kolzig coming in to help them?  Yes, Drew's been struggling and I'm sure that's gotten to him mentally and Olie's been there, he can help Owsley with the mental part of his game as well as the technical aspects.

Drew and Olie in practice

Power skating coach Vanessa Hettinger with Marcus Messier, Zachary Yuen, Max Moline, Connor Rankin, Zack McPhee, Spencer Humphries, Tanner Olstad, and goalie Chris Dreidger.  Both photos from the Americans Facebook page.

So they're in Chilliwack tonight, and just like many other teams they've faced recently, the Bruins are not the team they used to be.  They finally have some talent on their roster and they've got a successful coach in Marc Habsheid.  They're riding a 10-8-2 record, putting them at 4th in the BC Division, but a better win % than the 2nd place Prince George Cougars.

It's a later start, 7:30 so the liveblog will kick off around 7:15.  Click on the "Read More" to join in the fun.

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Shots from the Point

Zach McPhee has been reassigned to the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL.  Probably a good move for him, he was a healthy scratch a lot.

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Hiller said there were many reasons for Tri-City's four-game losing streak -- its first skid of that length in almost three years -- but pinpointed one as the biggest factor.

"There's one big sore thumb, and that's more desperation to own the puck," he said. "We like to have the puck, but we haven't been desperate enough when the puck has been free to control the puck. We're left chasing pucks rather than possessing them."

Forward David Conrad offered another reason for the Americans' struggles.

"I just don't think we're playing with enough speed in our game," he said. "We're not the biggest or most physical team, but when we use our speed, teams back off and we're able to create more offense. (Examiner)

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Russia leads the CHL in the Subway Super Series. Does that spell trouble for the upcoming World Juniors? Neate Sager takes a look over at Buzzing the Net.

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Drinnan talks about the "aura of a juggernaut" that is the Portland Winterhawks.

Sheesh, it’s hard to remember that it was only in 2007-08 when this franchise was stumbling and bumbling its way to 11 victories in 72 games. One season later, it had improved to 19.
And now, two seasons later and after an ownership change, the Winterhawks are the best team in the WHL and one of the elite teams in the 60-team CHL.
This, folks, is a great, great story.  (Taking Note)

It is a great story.  As a hockey fan it was painful to see a fellow WHL team win only 11 games.  However, I would like them to take it down a notch (and for the Americans to step it up) in the standings!

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The Lethbridge Hurricanes are doing their Pink the Rink this weekend and they have some sharp looking jerseys:

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Honestly, there's not a lot going on out there this week, if more comes along I'll update this post.

Interview with Drydn Dow

This time around I got to chat with Drydn Dow. I thought I did pretty good at restraining myself from flying off the handle-- "WHY HAVEN'T YOU BEEN PLAYING EVERY GAME?!?" And even if I had, these boys are so poised and polite, it's not like they're going to spill any locker room goings on, so would have been a waste of caps lock.  And we all know I use caps lock for only important reasons.

The interview was done a week ago, before the losses over the weekend so the response to the 2nd question is interesting.  Wondering now if the lack of commitment Dow mentions is the problem and if so, how to fix it.

But I digress, huge thanks to Drydn for taking the time to answer my questions.  Here ya go!

Dave Schultz:  The Americans have come off their best season in history and you were part of it.  What do you think was the key to the teams' success?

Drydn Dow:  Probably just our chemistry.  We had really great chemistry last year, everyone was good with everyone on the team.  We were just a hardworking team, might not have been the most skilled team but we all gave it 100% every game.

DS:  Do you see that trend continuing this season?  

DD:  Yeah for the most part.  We've had some games where we're not as committed or whatever, but from the start we're looking pretty good, hopefully we'll progress to same level we had last year.

DS:  Sounds good to me.  It sounds like many of you are hungry to get back in the playoffs again this year.

DD:  Absolutely.  It was a one-of-a-kind experience that's for sure and it'd be great to have again.

DS:  What do you do to mentally prepare yourself for games?

DD:  Usually I take a nap before the game.  When I'm in the shower I just get focused on what's next and what I'm expected to do for that night.  Other than that, just try not to think about the game as much as possible, I dunno, stay relaxed pretty much.

DS:  Is there any superstitious rituals or anything?

DD:  No, I don't really have any superstitions.  

DS:  Wow, you're the first.

DD:  Just keep my warmups routine the same, that's about it.

DS:  How do you feel you have improved as a player from a year ago?

DD:  I just feel like I've gotten stronger and I feel like I have more confidence now that it's my second  year and not my rookie season anymore.  I just feel like I have more confidence, can do more I guess.

DS:  Do you struggle with that confidence as you've sat out some games, as different defensemen are being rotated in?  

DD:  It's hard to sit out, you never want to sit out.  This year we have a strong D corps and it's almost expected that eventually you're going to have to sit out one game or two.  It just so happens it's about three right now so I'll just have to work hard every night to get in the lineup.

DS:  Do you pattern after any particular NHL player?

DD:  No, not exactly.  I like to think I try to play like Scott Neidermayer, I dunno.  Not really any particular--I like an offensive style of D play, Scott Neidermayer'd probably be my best.

DS:  Have you set any goals for this season, personal or team-wise?

DD:  Make that Mem Cup.  Making the finals last year was a good experience, I just want to get the Mem Cup this year and win that.

DS:  What do you find is the best part of being a member of a team?

DD:  Just chemistry with the boys pretty much.  Being able to be able bond and make a bunch of friends, I think that's the best.  Just having the boys around all the time and being able to bond with them.

DS:  Speaking of that, what has been your favorite off-ice team building activity?

DD:  This year, actually, we went to a little camp and that was actually really fun.  It was good for the pre-season to get the boys together and start the season off right pretty much.

DS:  And did the long hours on the road trip help that as well?

DD:  Well, a road trip's never fun, really.  People get to talk, it's always funner after a win though.

DS:  Why did you choose the number you wear and if you didn't get to choose, what number would you have chosen and why?

DD:  I didn't really get to choose number 4.  I'd probably choose number 6.  Ever since last year I was wearing 6, for no reason I guess.  When I was younger I liked the number.

DS:  Have you been the victim of a shoe-check?

DD:  (chuckles) oh yeah.

DS:  have you been able to pull that off on someone else?

DD:  Only once I think, usually one of the guys.  Brown was really good at pulling it off.  I've only done it once I think.

DS:  If you could have dinner with anyone alive or dead who would it be?

DD:  umm....that's a tough one.  (chuckles)  I don't know actually.  Maybe just Megan Fox, just to see what she actually looks like in person, I don't know.

DS:  That works.  What's the best advise you ever got and from whom?

DD:  Actually the best advise I've ever got is from my dad.  Just be yourself and try to be the best that you can be.

DS:  What hobbies or activities do you have away from the rink?

DD:  I like to golf a lot.  Other than that, just have fun with the boys hanging out.  We play some video games, that's about it really

DS:  What song are you embarrassed to have on your ipod?

DD:  um....huh...I don't know.  Probably "Out Last Night" by Brian Chesney*

DS:  What actor would you want to play you in a movie about your life?

DD:  Bruce Willis I guess, I can't really think of any right now.

DS:  Waffles or pancakes?

DD:  Pancakes

DS:  What do you like on 'em?

DD:  I like strawberry topping, or blueberry topping usually.

*I'm not sure why this song is embarrassing, maybe because he's not a country music fan, hence the Brian Chesney.  I have no idea.

YAY Zachary!

Other news (no more dreams)

Tri-City Americans’ Governor/General Manager Bob Tory announced today that 16-year-olds Chris Driedger and Justin Hamonic have been named to Team West for the upcoming 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, set for December 28, 2010 through January 4, 2011 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  Additionally, Americans’ prospect Taeron Lewis was named to the U-16 Team Manitoba roster that will compete at the Canada Winter Games from February 11-27, 2011 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  (amshockey.com)

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Discipline was handed down for Wes Vannieuwenhuizen of Vancouver for his check-from-behind.  Seven games.  I'm not necessarily surprised it's fewer games than Shinnimins, but I figured at least ten.  Y'know, if they were going to be serious about making a point.

The Dream I Had

I'm tired of bitching and worrying about this team so I'll fill you in on the dream I had last night, the parts I remember.

I was hanging out with David Conrad.  **swoon**  We really only talked about hockey once or twice.  I do remember asking him about Sam Grist.  Something about whether he thought Sam was just a rookie with a huge body making mistakes or what?  David told me rookies should be playing better than that, Sam's mistakes were bigger than just rookie mistakes.  So take that part of my dream for what it's worth.

We also talked about pool (totally random).  He asked if I wanted to hang out and play pool sometime this weekend.  I haven't played pool since college and I was never good at it so I'm not sure where this part of the dream came from.  The last thing I remember asking him was if he wanted to play pool before the game on Saturday or after the game on Sunday.  I know I was pushing for the post-game get together in hopes it would lead to something more LOL.

Dreams are so weird.

In other news, this was published on Annie Fowler's blog over the weekend, former American Mitch McColm now playing for the Allen Americans.

Not only is he wearing an Americans jersey, but he joins a roster that includes former Tri-City Americans forward Colton Yellow Horn and former Spokane Chiefs Judd Blackwater and Dustin Donaghy (must be hard for them to pull that jersey on).

McColm, 21, who finished his final WHL season with Chilliwack and Regina last year, played a handful of games for the Florida Everblades (ECHL) before being released Nov. 2.

According to comments on Woody Wommack’s Blades blog, a lot of people were not happy to see Mitch go. They believe the team will “have less brawn” and “he appeared to be about the only one who is willing to drop ‘em. That’s is really my only complaint with this team — no toughness being shown.” (Red Light District)

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One item of good news for the Americans, is that their power skating coach Vanessa Hettinger of Quantum Speed in Edmonton, Alberta is in town this week to work with the team.  Wonder if she can help them with power scoring, power defense, and some power goaltending.  But hey, it's a start.

Sums it up

"Waaaaa, waaaa. I'm tired. Road games. No practice. Shinny is out. Captain has a conky. Coach sucks." Listen boys, man up. Play hockey. Use your talent to win a freakin' game. Because you people are starting to Piss. Me. Off. and frankly, I'm just too tired to be pissed.

--MB in last night's liveblog.  Couldn't have said it better myself.

OMG THE SKY IS FALLING

It's not really falling you know.  Then again, I'm generally too optimistic about everything.  I am not hitting the panic button.  I am, however, banging my head against the frustration button...repeatedly.

There are a lot of excuses that could be/are being used:

• young defense
• missing Shinnimin
• week off between games

But there's a couple things I do know for sure:

• Excuses are just that, excuses.  Make changes instead of excuses.
• The loss of Virtue has proven to be bigger than anyone thought (ass-pat to Spokant for mentioning that last night)
• The depth that is supposed to be the strength of this team has been relatively invisible--Macek, Holland, Feser.  Yes, they're working hard (not sure if it's hard enough) but not showing on the scoreboard.  Again with my optimism, I keep waiting for Macek to magically pull it together one of these nights, and that's just not happening.  Not sure how much longer I can be optimistic about him.  Sorry Brooks, your looks will carry you only so far in my book.
• Something has shaken Drew's confidence.  He'd probably be the first to tell you he's been off his game.  Maybe not having Alex pushing him is the issue, maybe he doesn't have confidence in the D in front of him.  I believe the position of goaltender is the spot most affected by mental stability.  If his confidence and the mental aspect of his game is off, that spells some trouble.  
• Last night the hope that this was just a rough patch came up.  Last spring when they had some struggles, I looked at the scores, they went 6-9-1-0 (so 10 losses in 16 games).  I looked at from February 10, 2010 against Portland until March 7, 2010 against Seattle.  So far in the past 10 games the Ams are 5-4-0-1.  What's my point?  I don't know.  I guess it reaffirms my decision not to panic.  Granted, if the trend of losing continues, then it will be panic time.
• Who knows what the problem is?  I mean, we can all bitch and speculate and point fingers, but none of us is in that locker room.  And I don't think it's one thing, it's multiple things going on.  But again, you can make excuses, or you can make changes.  I know for a fact that Bob Tory is not an excuses kind of guy.
• Personally, I'm not ready to ditch Hiller.  During the blame game liveblog last night Hiller's name came up and doubts about his abilities.  That's a tough one.  He took the Americans farther than they've ever gone in their history last year.  I could buy the early success to the Nachbaur-hangover, but the 2nd half and playoff success I give to Hiller (and Virtue).  This team is loaded with talent but it's not carrying over to success night-in and night-out on the ice.  I dunno, he handled a talent-laden team last year.  Again, my over optimism shines through, but it is cautious optimism.
• I wonder if it's also an issue of too much talent.  I know, you wouldn't think that would be a bad thing.  But if you've got big egos and guys who want to be the standout superstar, guys who want to do it all themselves, there's going to be some trouble.  It's a TEAM game, wins and losses.
• I like making bullet-point lists

I don't know what the solution is.  They did have 47 shots on goal last night.  That's impressive.  Course, the stats don't show how many were quality shots.  But I swear to God, all I heard last night was Siemens' name so shots were definitely getting through.  It also provided a lot of semen jokes in the liveblog. 

I sure hope they have done some soul searching on the way home last night.  I wouldn't be surprised one bit if Dreidger started in net tonight.  They'd better be ready to play, that's for sure.  The Chiefs may not have any depth, but Don Nachbaur knows how to make his boys work.  A game wouldn't be complete without a goat picture:

As for liveblog tonight, I'm going to set it up, but the Bishes are coming to my haus today and last time we all tried to connect for liveblog, my internet couldn't handle it.  So of course, we're going to try it again!  If it crashes or whatever, be prepared for liveblog to end.

Read more »

Game Day at Everett

In case you were wondering, From Russia with Glove has a new netminding job--with the Mississippi RiverKings.  From the Herald:

Pechurskiy, a 2008 fifth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins, has been idle since he was waived. With one year remaining on his Kontinental Hockey League contract, he cannot sign with the Penguins or play for one of their affiliate teams.

The NHL and Kontinental Hockey League signed a formal agreement in October to mutually respect each other's player contracts. Under the agreement, only free agents can switch leagues. (Herald)

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Speaking of former American goalies, Chet Pickard opens up about his recent struggles in a great interview with the Tennesseean:

I think when I got sent down to Cin­cin­nati I was pretty upset and I felt bad for myself and I was bla­ming every­body but myself, but now I rea­lize I really have nobody to blame but myself. Now that I’m here I have to con­trol what I can con­trol and get back to the way I can play and let the chips fall where they fall, and hope­fully one day I can look back on the last month and a half and the expe­rience I have gone through and look at it like it was something that was good, that made me a bet­ter per­son and made me a bet­ter hoc­key pla­yer, because right now, I’m not pla­ying the way I should be playing.

It’s very hum­bling, what I’ve gone through, but I deserve to be put through what I’ve been put through, and being in the East Coast lea­gue, there’s a lot of good pla­yers, and I never rea­li­zed that, that I was for­tu­nate enough last year to be given the chance to play the whole year in the Ame­ri­can Hoc­key Lea­gue.

There's a lot more, you should check it out, interesting stuff.
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A trade yesterday sent 20-year-old Brendan Rowinski from Moose Jaw to Vancouver.  This puts the Giants in a pickle now with 4 overagers.  One of them, Randy McNaught, is headed to the injury list which will make room for Rowinski.  It's apparently an ankle injury and one that is long-term which is why they're able to add another 20.  If/when McNaught returns, the Giants have 2 weeks to make a decision on their overagers.

This info from Gregg Drinnan and I'm mentioning it here because the Americans still have 4 20-year-olds with Neal Prokop on the injured list.  The big news (to me) is the 2 week window, I thought it was only one.  So there's that.
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Speaking of other teams, look out US Division fans, the Portland Winterhawks are like good and stuff.  They've won 10 in a row and are sitting atop the WHL in points.  Tonight they face the Saskatoon Blades who are no shrinking violets with a 13-5-1 record, going 7-1-1 at home.

Gotta feel bad for Winterhawks fans, there is apparently no radio feed available for them for tonight's game.  And I know this isn't the first game they've had with no feed, or games being on an hour delay.  You'd think there'd be one station in the Portland Metro area that could support the team and be able to air the games for them.  Obviously, I don't know the whole situation, but again, I know this isn't the first time.  Yes, they could buy the game on WHL tv or tune in to the Saskatoon radio feed, but if they're like me, they want to hear their own guy call the game.
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Another team that ain't what she used to be is the Chilliwack Bruins.  They are 10-7-1 and sit 5 points behind the Giants with 4 fewer games played.  Last night they played off against each other, Chilliwack taking the 5-1 win.

Chilliwack's 5-1 win in front of 3,668 fans at Prospera Centre was aided by 11 power plays, but it nevertheless injects further life into this long one-sided rivalry.

Much of the post-game chatter, though, won't centre on the result but rather the second-period hit by Giants' defenceman Wes Vannieuwenhuizen on Bruins' forward Robin Soudek in front of the Chilliwack bench.

Vannieuwenhuizen was assessed a five-minute major for hitting from behind and Soudek, who did move around after the hit, left on a spine board.

He was taken immediately for X-rays but there was no update at press time. The hit will be reviewed by the league.  (The Province via Yahoo!)

I haven't seen the hit, but I am amazed at the lack of kerfuffle about it on the interwebz.  No one calling for Vanniewenhuizen's head, or saying he's public enemy #1?  Maybe it's just too early in the day, I'll have to keep an eye on Regan Bartel's blog.  Or not, it makes me want to punch the computer.

I do hope Soudek is ok, I never want to see anyone hurt for any team.  It does appear the Giants completely lost their shit though, giving up 11 power plays.  Crazy.

Also, check out the link to see Chilliwack's Remembrance Day jerseys--well done.
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Going with yesterday's thought that everyday should be Veteran's Day, you can read veteran's 6-word memoirs.  Sometimes fewer words makes a bigger impact.
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Ass-pat to Kimberlee who sent me this article on former American Johnny Lazo:

“I always liked Pavel Bure — him and Paul Kariya were my two favorites,” Lazo said. “They’re smaller guys, really fast and that’s kind of what I emulated my game around.”

“Those guys I looked up to as far as on-ice role models, but off ice it was definitely my parents. They’ve been awesome, so supportive of me throughout my whole career.”

“Definitely for me, being a smaller guy, I was getting overlooked a lot,” Lazo said, who experienced a low-point in his career when he was passed over at the WHL entry draft. “It stung watching all of my buddies get drafted and then getting my name passed on even though I had more points than them.” (The Gateway)

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Rene Ferran featured Brock Sutherland the other day in his latest "Meet the Ams"

"I try to lead by example on and off the ice," Sutherland said. "I show up every night and show the young guys that most of it is just hard work.

"I think (the young guys) have done great and surprised a lot of people. Every day, they come to work, they're learning and getting better. That's all you can ask for."

First hockey team The Pilot Mound Pilots as a 4-year-old in a town of 800 in Manitoba about a half-hour from the U.S. border. "I was one of the first kids my age to start hockey, so I was playing with kids three years older than me. I remember scoring my first goal as the youngest guy out there. It was pretty exciting." (Examiner)

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There's a game tonight, boys are in Everett facing the Silvertips.  The 'Tips are in a free-fall, sitting last in the division, and going 2-6-0-2 in their last 10 games.  I hope the Americans don't think they've got an easy game in their hands and choose not to play well.  I would speculate (but could be totally wrong) this would be a good game to get Dreidger in there.  And no, that does not mean I think Drew has become a shitty goalie, it's because Dreidger needs to get some experience under his belt.  Or under his pads.  Whatever. Then again, Drew plays better when he plays more games in a row, and tomorrow they're in Spokane and I would love to have him "on" rather than rusty.

So click on that little ol' "Read More" to get to the liveblog action for tonight, and it's another one of those later starts, so we'll be live at 7:15, not the usual 6:45.

Read more »

Thank a Veteran

I believe every day should be Veteran's Day. Not the day off part, but the honoring the men and women who have served (and are currently serving) this country part.

I've discussed repeatedly on this site the danger young hockey players face from head injuries, but it's nothing compared to what some of these returning veterans and their families are facing.  Whether or not you believe this war in Afghanistan and Iraq is fair or right or whatever, these men and women deserve the best care they can get.  And in this nation that claims to be the best country in the world, we are falling short of providing for those who have protected our rights so valiantly.  Veterans returning to the States are coming back not only with high levels of PTSD, but the veteran suicide rates are at record highs.  What an immense tragedy.

Off that soapbox, many of us feel helpless, but there are ways to help, the Disabled American Veterans, Freedom is not Free, Intrepid Fallen Heroes, or the National Military Family Association.  The organization Any Soldier walks you through how to send care packages to any soldier serving overseas.  Xerox sponsors Let's Say Thanks where you pick a card online, fill it out electronically, and Xerox will send it to any military personnel stationed overseas.

This summer, during my time in Calgary, the Boy and I had the opportunity to go the The Military Museums.  The experience was amazing, I took more pictures there than anywhere else on my month-long excursion to the Great White North.  There were so many amazing sights, I loved the mural that was in the main entrance.  But the most touching was the names in the Hall of Remembrance for the Princess Patricas.  Seeing the names listed out was sobering, to say the least.

THANK YOU VETERANS

Better late than never

New breast cancer awareness shirt that includes hockey:

you can get yours here.  Like my other breast cancer awareness shirts, net proceeds will be donated to the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation.

3 things

There's a couple items I forgot to mention yesterday.

1.  Snow angel count from Saturday:  0

2.  Best Movember moustache so far: Kruise Reddick

3.  The Booster Club has a new website:  The 90's called, they want their Geocities page back.  Holy assault on the retinas.  Not sure who designed the site, but it's a terrible representation what I'm sure the organization would like to present.  I was going to screen cap to show you, but it's just too terrible.  You can check it for yourself at www.tri-cities-hockey.com.  You've been warned, it will hurt your eyes.  Whomever "designed" the site ignored KISS-Keep It Simple Stupid.  I'm sure I've offended someone by saying this, but it needs to be said. 

Game recap--the End of Daylight Savings Time and I Didn't Sleep Edition

• The first period was great hockey, probably a combination of Ams' rust and Rebels' bus legs.  Red Deer's bus legs wore off in the 2nd, the Ams' rust did not.
• SO MANY TURNOVERS.  The Rebels were fast and managed to capitalize on every single mistake (and there were many) and dominate play in the 2nd and 3rd.
• Holy penalties Batman.  I generally don't bitch about the reffing because it's sucks and there's not much that can be done by complaining about it, but last night...whoo boy.  How does Matt Kirk still have a job?  Srsly.
• That being said, the Americans didn't help themselves out with the constant stream to the box.
• I'm a Grist defender, alone amongst my friends, but I do not agree with playing him over Dow last night.  Rebels very quick and loaded with offensive power, Dow is a better player when faced with that.  I'm still not entirely sure why Dow is the one being sat as D rotates, he's quite steady and very reliable.  So what that he's a smaller guy?  He does his job. 
• My defense is that Grist needs the playing time to learn and develop.  Yes, it's frustrating to have that learning and development not happening faster.  Does he make some bad plays and takes some bad penalties?  Sure.  It's part of the learning curve, I, for one (srsly, I may be the only one), am not ready to throw him under the bus this early in the season for it.  If this trend continues into March, that'll be a different story.
• If we're going to talk about rust, can't ignore my boy Owsley.  He plays better when he plays more often and having a week off...yeah.
• Patrick Holland was uncharacteristically invisible, I thought.
• Mason MF Wilgosh.  He played his ass off last night.  That's the Mason Wilgosh we know and love.  He'd been tentative or something the first several games back after the broken jaw, but last night he was outstanding.  His line with David Conrad and Connor Rankin were just simply outstanding last night, all things considered.
• It was great to see Captain Reddick back on the ice.
• That Ryan Nugent-Hopkins kid is pretty good.  So is Darcy Kuemper.  Despite my team taking the loss, it was sure fun watching the Rebels.  Very fast, physical, and opportunistic team.
• Relax, people.  It was one loss, let's not lose our shit.  Yes, it'd be great if they won all 72.  The saying is "it's a marathon, not a sprint".  This week they can work on the penalty kill in practice and how to not take so many penalties (how do you practice that?)

"Those two goals just deflated us, I think," said captain Kruise Reddick, playing in his first game after missing eight straight with a concussion, referencing Dumba's goal and Daulton Siwak's that came 5 minutes later when he was allowed to walk in on Owsley, take a centering pass in the right faceoff circle and wrist a shot home.
"We began to sit back and watched things happen instead of making things happen. We had a good, strong first period, even got the first goal. But we didn't bear down on all our chances. We would have been right there if we put the puck in the net with our chances. This is one of those games we'd like to have back, have a re-do."  (Examiner)

"Their shots found the back of the net and ours found the pads and the leather of the goalie," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "It's disappointing. There is no other word for it. There is nothing we can do about it now. We had our chance and didn't get it done."

"Our defense did a good job limiting Red Deer's chances, but I thought our forwards were lacking," Hiller said. "We weren't assertive enough, which leads to being crisper and sharper around the net. You have to give (Red Deer goalie Darcy Kuemper) credit, he had a solid game. We just needed more passion from our guys up front." (Herald)

Game Day vs Red Deer

Game day is here, and the Americans will be facing off against the Red Deer Rebels (11-6-1-0).  This should be a good one.  Red Deer isn't the team they used to be, they're really quite good, led by projected first-rounder Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.  They're on their western road trip, where' they've lost 2 in a row to US Division teams.  The other day against Seattle they outshot the Thunderbirds 47-17 but lost the game 4-1.  Holy Calvin Pickard, errbuddy.  Last night they lost to Portland, 4-3 in overtime.

The Rebels are going to come into Tri a hungry team, a determined team.  I hope the Americans are ready.  Their greatest obstacle will be the week off.  Yes, they needed it after the long October, but there still might be some rust.  They'd better shake that rust off damn quick.  Another (lesser) obstacle is that they aren't familiar with the Rebels since they only play them once a season.

Regardless, fans should get out to this game.  Again, as junior hockey fans we're fortunate we get to see the future of the pro game.  Nugent-Hopkins is a guy you should come see play.  Just do it.

"We had a really good practice on Monday," Tri-City coach Jim Hiller said. "We did some basic stuff and a lot of skating, but I think we needed that. We've been able to pinpoint some things as the week has gone along. By the end of the week, the guys should be excited to get on the ice for a game."

"It's great to welcome Kruise back," Hiller said. "That changes the lineup a bit and helps out the power play and the penalty kill. Not too far down the horizon, we get Shinny back, too."

"It took Jordan awhile last year to find his game," Hiller said. "I thought against Calgary last year in the (WHL) finals, that was the best hockey he'd played all year. He's brought that forward into this year. He has to be at and around the net. He has the size and good hands to score a lot of goals for us."

"Stebs helps our depth," Hiller said. "We talked through training camp that we liked our defense, but it was young. He can play in all situations and play a lot of minutes, which really helps." (Herald)

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On an unrelated note (to tonight's game anyways), this Tweet showed up yesterday:

Then this morning, On the Forecheck, the great Nashville Predators site at SB Nation, the headline was "Is Chet Pickard Spiraling Out of Control?" Ouch.

Sometime last season, though, something began to go wrong. As of this writing, Chet Pickard's last victory was on February 5, 2010, when he allowed 3 goals on 21 shots. He has started 16 times since then, without a single victory. On October 26th, he was demoted to the Cincinnati Cyclones, Nashville's ECHL affiliate.

[T]he move may have backfired. Pickard is now 0-3 with the Cyclones, and lasted only 8 minutes last night against Trenton, giving up 3 goals before being pulled from the game.

On the Forecheck contributor (and goalie coach) Seth Lake adds:

From what I've read and seen in clips, it's his five hole that's a major weakness, but then he overreacts to correct that and gets beat elsewhere.

From what I saw in highlights from Chicago (his last game in Milwaukee - they're on YouTube), it looked like all the goals were low, including in the shootout.

Chet has been working on footwork since he was drafted and right now seems to have zero confidence with it.

Personally, I thought he wasn't the greatest at rookie camp this summer, but couldn't put my finger on it. In training camp he clearly wasn't ready for the NHL and at times was barely beating out Smith as the worst goalie in camp.

I just don't get it. It's almost a mental issue at this point. Here is a guy that was at the top of his game in juniors, was told he needed to improve his footwork as a pro, struggled in his rookie year, but continued to work on his footwork, and is now still not getting results.

I think there's frustration on everyone's part, but I might consider shutting him down and bringing him to work with Korn daily in Nashville for a couple weeks if this doesn't improve quickly.

It's a textbook slippery slope. Nothing seems to be going right and it appears that he needs some type of radical change soon to turn things around.

In his time in Tri-Cities, softies and 5-hole goals were definitely his weaknesses. Here he was this tremendous goalie, then blam--crazy soft goal gets by him. I know it happens to all goalies, especially at the junior level, but if he wants to succeed at the next level, he's got to be stronger. And I'm quite sure it's 99% mental at this point.

From On the Forecheck contributor Ryan Miller (not the Sabres goalie):

In most of the games I've seen him play, he has looked like a decent goalie for most of each game. But here's the thing -- the goals he does let in are mostly softies. Nobody remembers deflections and the great moves that lead to goals. against...but everyone remembers shots from the top of the cirlce that somehow beat goalies five-hole.

You can see his stats and more at the whole article on On the Forecheck, click here.

Shots from the Point--still more concussion talk

Our Captain Kruise Reddick is back on the ice, but also recognizes that he needed to be out for that extended time for his noggin to heal.  From Sportsnet.ca:

This was Reddick's second career concussion after suffering his first two years earlier. Reddick came back early from his first concussion which he suffered shortly before the holiday season. After spending the holidays at home, Reddick stepped back in the lineup, but was forced to wait another four weeks before making his permanent return to the lineup.

"(I was) thinking I was ready to play, but things just weren't right and I just wasn't myself during that game and could tell something wasn't right," Reddick recalled. "I just had to sit out longer and make sure I was 100 per cent."

Perhaps the scariest part was the concussion's aftermath. After coming back to his senses, Reddick asked to go back on the ice, but was overruled by the team.

"I felt pretty good and I wanted to go back out there and play, but an hour and a half or two hours later it kind of kicks in," he said. "I think I had a headache that night and was feeling not myself."

The concussion wasn't so severe that his headaches forced him to sleep more than usual, he said, and Reddick was able to function as he normally would for the most part.

Finally, his body let him know when he was ready to return.

"A light went off and you just kind of feel back to yourself," he said. "You're not drowsy or kind of tired or bored or stuff like that. It kind of clicks and then it all comes back to you and you take a couple days and you feel like that for sure and you do your bike rides and your workouts and if you don't have any headaches or dizziness through that then you're good to go."

Reddick's advice for a player suffering his first concussion: plenty of rest and defer to the experts.

"There's no sense coming back early, because I tried that with my first one and I just made it worse," he said. "Be honest with yourself and the trainers because they're only trying to help you and make you better."  (Sportsnet ass-pat to Wazz for finding and Tweeting it)

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Drinnan reported the other day that former American Jason Reese is headed to Europe:

F Jason Reese (Vancouver, Moose Jaw, Tri-City, 2003-09) signed a tryout contract with Dortmund (Germany Oberliga). He had seven goals and 18 assists in 57 games split between the Texas Brahmas, Arizona Sundogs and Wichita Thunder (all Central Hockey League) season.  (Taking Note)

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A nice piece on Chilliwack's Ryan Howse:

With the kind of numbers Ryan Howse has been putting up, you could probably cut him some slack if it went to his head a bit.

But spend five minutes with the young man, and it becomes obvious that’s never going to happen.

The Chilliwack Bruins superstar is as grounded as a 19-year-old can possibly be.

He’s got a tattoo on the inside of his forearm that says ‘sacrifice.’

And while that’s a catch-phrase for hockey players, it has a special meaning for the Calgary Flames draft pick.

His mom successfully battled breast cancer right before he moved away when he was 15.

He plans to incorporate the names of his mom, dad and brother (Roxanne, Jason and Dryden) into the design, along with the breast cancer ribbon and the phrase ‘hope and faith.’

“When I look at this every day, it reminds me how tough things can be at times, but if you work through it you can get through anything and accomplish anything,” Howse said.  (Canoe)

Oh and he's a pretty darn good hockey player too.

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Ferran's latest "Meet the Ams" takes a closer look at Jordan Messier:

Favorite hockey moment Messier was going to go with the team's three U.S. Division titles before catching himself. "Winning the Western Conference last year, that was pretty exciting. It's tough trying to think of just one memory. It's just been fun to be part of all these teams. I'm pretty proud of that." (Examiner)

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The Boy did a great bit including interview about some awesome goalie pads:

As a Marylander (even though living in Calgary), the flag is a great sense of pride and for the goalie for the Terrapins putting them on his pads?? Just beyond awesome.  (The Strangest One of All)

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This week's WHL Radio features (among others) former American Johnny Lazo, you can listen here.

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That's all I got for now, if more comes along I'll add it in.