Game Day vs. Vancouver

Coming off a 3-1 loss in Spokane last night, the boys are in Vancouver tonight for a 5 pm game. I honestly can't be upset about the game last night, they played well, kept it close. They didn't get deflated when they were down and kept fighting through to the end. Driedger had one of his best games ever in an Americans jersey, the behbehs Fluter and Nickles did well filling in for guys out with injury. David Conrad got the Americans' lone goal, love it when he scores against his former team.

"We had some puck luck on the defensive end," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "And we had chances at the end of the game to draw even. We just couldn't put them away."

"Dreidger played real well," Hiller said. "And for their (Fluter and Nickles) first road game, that's a tough thing to do, and they did a good job. They're playing a lot, certainly more than they expected to play." (Examiner)

Now they faceoff against the Giants after riding a bus all night and an early game.  If the Ams win they could clinch a playoff spot.  It's also a potential preview of the first round of playoffs.  As I said on Friday, with the travel and the injuries, I'll take whatever points they can earn this weekend.  So here's hoping for a good effort, hopefully getting the win at the end.

We'll be liveblogging once again, come on in and say hi.  There's a chance CoverItLive will be wonky tonight because of the Oscars, but we'll give it a shot anyways.  Click on the "Read More" to join in.

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Game Day at Spokane

• In regards to my post the other day about the anthem being 76 seconds, the violinist is allowed to go over because holy crap have you ever heard the National Anthem sound so beautiful?  Srsly.
• Even better than Tri-City’s win Friday, was that Americans’ fans set a new record for donations in the annual fundraiser for the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation. Between the game-worn jersey auction, pink T-shirt sales and other fundraising initiatives, fans raised $22,258.71, a 10.5% increase over last year’s donation. It marked the sixth straight year that the Foundation as seen an increase in donations. Combined, Americans fans have raised $92,813 in the six-year history of the event. (Americans)
• Behbehs Nickles and Fluter looked good, Fluter Flakes getting an assist on Rankin's second goal.
• And how about that Connor Rankin?  Holy hell I love watching this kid.
• Shinnimin had a 4-point night with one goal and 3 assists.
• Forty-one shots on goal.  FORTY ONE.  Nice.
• Driedger looked solid.  Beyond solid.  A really outstanding performance.
• Sam Grist didn't suck, especially in that fight with Doty.

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"Coming down the stretch, it was absolutely huge to get these points," said Brendan Shinnimin, who had a goal and three assists. "It has been a struggle lately with guys hurt that play key minutes. Tonight we got the bounces and we have to carry that over until tomorrow."

"I thought we were a step behind all night," said Seattle coach Rob Sumner. "We got outnumbered a few times and got beat down low. You do those things against this team, it makes it easy for them to win."

"Ash (Carter Ashton) made a great pass," Shinnimin said. "I got hauled down, but it went in before that. It feels great (to score). Jim sat down with our line (Ashton and Adam Hughesman) before the game. We were more relaxed and believed in each other. Hopefully we are back on the right track."

"I thought in the first we were snake-bit again," Hiller said. "Sooner or later, it had to go in."

"Not only were our fans disappointed, we our team was disappointed," said Rankin of the losing streak. "Scoring five tonight helps our confidence. Hopefully we can keep it going this weekend. I'd never played on pink ice before -- that was fun -- and helping out in the community is rewarding." (Herald)

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Tonight the boys are back in Spokane to take on the Chiefs.  Spokane is on a roll, beating Prince George 8-0 last night.  Whooboy.  So another big game, here's hoping my banged up team can put out a good effort.  Heh, I just said put out.  The girls will be here and we'll be liveblogging the game as usual (providing my internet can handle all of us connected).  Click on the "Read More" to join in.

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Save the Hooters!

Tonight is the Breast Cancer Awareness night:

Over the last five years, the Americans have helped raise $70,554. The first year, the event brought in $2,825. Last year, that number hit $20,150.

Tonight, the ice will be pink, the Tri-City players will wear commemorative pink jerseys, and there will be pink T-shirt sales and silent auctions around the arena. The jerseys will be auctioned off during the game. All proceeds will benefit the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation.

"It's obviously a special night," said Tri-City goaltender Drew Owsley, who is on the mend after suffering a knee injury two weeks ago. "A lot of people are affected by breast cancer and other cancers. It's nice to give back."

As for how the team is faring right now:

"Every team goes through this," Tri-City forward Carter Ashton said. "No team is perfect. We have to stick with it and turn it around this weekend."

"Our division is really tough," Ashton said. "Everyone is a contender. Portland and Spokane are tough. To have Seattle beat Spokane helps us, but we have to worry about ourselves."

"The parity is unbelievable," Tory said. "It's not just the top three teams, but Vancouver, Kelowna and Everett have proven they can win on any given night."

The Americans, who already have Owsley and forwards Jordan Messier (shoulder) and Neal Prokop (leg) on the injured list, had forward Mason Wilgosh (knee) join them after Tuesday's game against Everett.  (Herald)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO not Willy too!!!  Gomdammit.

Meanwhile, Buzzing the Net reports what we fans have already known--it's tough being a goalie in the US Division.  The latest casualty is Portland's Mac Carruth who came way out of his net to play the puck and was laid out by former American and current Prince George Cougar Spencer Asuchack.  Spencer should really work on not getting suspended.  Here's how it looked:

From Buzzing the Net:

Carruth left the game with a concussion, and didn't play in Wednesday's rematch, which Portland won 6-5. He's listed as day-to-day. Keith Hamilton, who started the first six games of the season, picked up the win in Wednesday's game. Hamilton's .916 save percentage in 18 games this season is actually slightly higher than Carruth's (.914).

Spokane's overage starter James Reid returned to action on Wednesday for the first time since Jan. 23, but got lit up for five goals on 24 shots in an ugly 5-1 home loss to last-place Seattle.

Tri-City's Drew Owsley hasn't played since suffering a knee injury on Feb. 12.

The Chiefs weathered the storm without Reid fairly well. Rookie Mac Engel, 17, started 13 games in a row and played well. He's allowed a total of 11 goals in his last seven starts, and has a 2.10 GAA and .922 save percentage in February. The Chiefs went 9-4 during Reid's absence.

Things haven't gone quite as smoothly for Tri-City Chris Driedger, who's 2-2-1 since replacing Owsley. The 16-year-old played well in a pair of wins over struggling Chilliwack, but gave up 10 goals on 52 shots in consecutive home losses to Spokane.  (BTN)

Sepich also states in that article that the Americans expect Owsley back as soon as this weekend, but in the Herald is says the team has brought in Chase Martin from the BCHL to back up Driedger.

Speaking of US Division goalies, Calvin Pickard and his Thunderbirds are in town tonight for the big game.  Should be a good one, T-Birds coming off Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Chiefs.  I know, I LOL'd too.  Seattle's had their share of problems this year but they can be hard-working and quite physical.  It's the start of 3-in-3 this weekend, all against physical teams.  My boys are already banged up so quite honestly, I'll take whatever points they can get.  

Can't blame the recent skid solely on injuries, though that's a huge part of it, but the offense has been...well...impotent.  They're getting shots that count as shots on goal, but hitting pipes and whatnot for zero puck luck.  As with any game against Pickard, the key is getting a gazillion quality shots on him and hope that something goes in.

With all the injuries it's also putting the onus on guys to step up.  Coach has little choice with the busy weekend but to give more minutes to Moline, Little Mess, and newly signed Nickles.  Same with giving some more shifts to Dow, Sohor, and Grist (who'd better play some damn smart hockey).  At least that's his option if he doesn't want to wear out his other guys too much.

The National Anthem and the Playoff Picture

If you're a regular (or even semi-regular) reader of Puck Daddy, you're familiar with Justin Bourne's posts.  They're usually focused on a specific aspect of the game, but from a player's (or former player) perspective.  Recently, he had a great piece on the anthems.  If you follow me on Twitter, you know how I feel about many of the anthem singers.

But I digress.  From Bourne:

As hockey fans well know, the national anthem is a staple of the hockey game experience. It gives us pause to hono(u)r our home countries, and provides us with some "American Idol"-like entertainment. It also allows the suspense to build nicely before the drop of the puck.

As a player, how you experience the anthem depends on where you're standing.

Being on the bench gives you the opportunity to really soak in the experience, whether it be helping to sing after an adorable 8-year-old girl has her mic cut out, or in just indulging in a chuckle when someone goes Christina-Aguilera-at-the-Super Bowl on the thing. In the minor leagues, there are plenty of professional Anthem Botchers to enjoy.

But when you're on the ice, it's a whole different experience, especially in a big game.

You really want to soak in the moment (and, sometimes, you let yourself for a few seconds), but you can't get lost in it. And that would be easy to do -- from where you're standing, you can hear the fans singing the anthem in a whole different way. The voices come together in a more singular, solitary sound than when you're on the other side of the glass. The ice is pristine, the jerseys are sharp ... the whole pregame presentation could easily distract the weak-minded into forgetting that there's a game to be played.

[...]

The bottom line is, the song can't be over fast enough. Like the way it must feel for racers at the starting gates, the final seconds before release seem to drag on forever.

The truth is, it's the crowds roar when the anthem ends that's the real music to the players' ears. It's go time.  (Puck Daddy)

From a fan perspective, I can tell you that the roar of the crowd is definitely because we are ready for action too.  Certainly many of the anthem performers that come through the Toyota Center (and other rinks I've been at) are quite talented, some moreso than others.  But I guarantee you I did not go to a game to hear a concert, you're not going to get your big break and win a recording contract.

According to one of the anthem singers I know, the anthem is supposed to be sung in 76 seconds.  That would make sense with the whole 1776 independence thing (even though the poem was written in 1814).  So I did some digging to see if that was official national anthem protocol.  Didn't find that directive anywhere, but I did find The Code for the National Anthem of the United States adopted by the National Anthem Committee in 1942.  It states (in part):

• It is inappropriate to make or use sophisticated "concert" versions of the National Anthem.
• For usual mass singing of adults and for band or instrument performances, the key of A-flat will be used.  For treble voices the key of B-flat may be used.
• When the National Anthem is sung unaccompanied, care should be taken to establish the correct pitch.
• The National Anthem should be sung at a moderate rate of speed.  (The metronome indications in the Service Version are crotchet 104 for the verse and crotchet 96 for the chorus).
• The slighting of note values in the playing or singing of the National Anthem will seriously impair the beauty and effectiveness of both the music and the lyric.  Conductors should painstakingly rehearse both instrumental and vocal groups in the meticulous observance of correct note values.

Now I took piano lessons for eight years and used a metronome, but I don't know what those settings mean.  So I contacted my local band and choir teachers (teachers rule!) to find out more.  Neither had heard that there was an official "rule" about the song having to be 76 seconds.  The choir teacher directed me to a WikiAnswers page which pretty much contained information I'd seen on many other sites (I've seriously spent too much time researching this), it includes flag etiquette.  Here's another great site with good information regarding etiquette.

The band teacher also didn't know of any official 76-second "rule", but sent me an mp3 of a recording by the US Marine Band- " The Presidents Own"  It is 1 minute 17 seconds.  He added, "If the presidents own band can't do it right then nobody can."  One minute 17 seconds, for those keeping track, is 77 seconds, so that's pretty darn close to the 76 "rule" I'd been told about.

What the hell is the point of all this?  Sing the song already, the fans and the players want to get things going!
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What would happen if the playoffs started today?  It would be rough going with the number of injuries, that's for sure.

That aside, as the standings are right now, the Americans would be facing the Vancouver Giants in the first round.  Whooboy.  If they weren't banged up going into it, they'd be banged up coming out of it.  Giants are a big, physical team.  Thinking back to the December 17th gongshow game, they aren't afraid to fight and show some frustrating when losing (as most teams do, let's be honest).

I'm going to screw up this "if playoffs started today" scenario by saying the Ams would have Owsley and Big Mess back from injury, still not sure what the prognosis is for Prokop, but I'm hopeful.

The Giants have some scoring power in Brendan Gallagher, currently sitting at 7th in league scoring with 38G 39A 77pts.  On defense they're lead by big David Musil and Neil Manning.  Number one goalie Mark Segal has a 2.93 GAA and .896 sv%.  He has 3 shutouts on the season, one more than our Owl.

On the flip side, the Ams are struggling with puck luck.  That's an understatement.  Coach is juggling lines to compensate for injury losses and to try to spark something, anything.  On one hand, I get the shuffling-as-a-spark mentality, when things aren't working, adjustments have to be made.  Conversely, part of me thinks the lines that were so strong earlier in the season should stay together, work through their struggles.  And I know that's a little impossible at the moment with injuries.  Also, I'm not a coach so I don't know what the magic solution is.  I'm sure if there was some magic solutions, all coaches everywhere would utilize it.

Other teams are no dummies, they know they need to shut down the Shinnimin-Hughesman-Ashton line and those guys, especially Shinny because of his size and some apparent "reputation", get worked over pretty good by the opposition shift after shift.

I'm not one for making predictions, I don't like to admit when I'm wrong (ask anyone who knows me) so if I don't predict, I'm off the hook.  If playoffs started today, and both teams were healthy, it's hard to say which team--the Americans or Giants--would have the advantage.  Maybe that's a cop-out, but I don't care.  If they started today with all the current injuries, I think the Giants might have an edge.  

I have no idea, I'm not even sure how to come up with the money for playoff tickets (see that fancy donate button at the top right?  You can help :] )

Three in a row

The opening line of Ferran's article says it all:

The Tri-City Americans played with a hint of desperation in the third period of Tuesday night's game against the Everett Silvertips.

A hint. And that's all it was, and it certainly was not enough.

"The last couple of nights, we've had chances to score. The puck is just not going in," said Brendan Shinnimin. "I had an empty net last night, and the puck bounced off my stick. It's frustrating.

"The last couple of months, it seemed like everything was going in. We'd get six goals a game, and maybe sometimes we didn't deserve it. Now, it's the opposite. We're getting chances, but they're not going in. It's disappointing, but we'll get out of it, and this will make us a better team."

Tri-City coach Jim Hiller echoed those sentiments.

"We've scored five or six goals in games with less chances than this," Hiller said. "We hit a couple posts, missed a couple of empty nets. We put those in, and everyone says, 'Great game.'

"The puck's just got to find its way in the net. It's not going to come back easily. We've got to work at it, earn it back. The hard part is we've got to believe in ourselves. We've got great players, a great team." (Examiner)

Cam Gorchynski was very solid in net, only looked slightly shaky on penalty shot, can't really blame a goalie for that, it has to be a pretty intense moment, one is bound to be nervous.  Unfortunately for everyone, that ended up being the game-winning goal.

It was good to see Little Mess getting some shifts, especially in the 3rd.  Noticeably absent in the 3rd was Moline who saw regular time in the 1st and some of the 2nd then I don't think he even got one shift in the 3rd (could be totally wrong about that, but if he did get playing time, it was only a shift or two).

They've got a few days here to rest and recouperate before getting back out there for a 3-in-3 weekend.  With all the banged up bodies the Americans signed prospect Lucas Nickles:

Nickles, a 6’0 175 lb. left wing from Salmon Arm, British Columbia, is currently playing with the Golden Rockets of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. Nickles wrapped up his rookie season in the KIJHL by appearing in 47 games and collecting 17 goals, 29 points and 61 penalty minutes. Nickles also played in all six of Golden’s first round playoff games vs. Creston Valley, notching one goal and four penalty minutes, before the Rockets were ousted 4 games to 2.

“Lucas had a tremendous training camp this past fall, followed by a solid rookie season with the Golden Rockets of the KIJHL as a 16-year-old,” explained Tory. “We look forward to him joining our club next season and continuing his development in the Western Hockey League.”

Nickles, who was listed by Tri-City in July of 2009, has been recalled by Tri-City and will join the club this week. (Americans)

Young Dylan Fluter (aka Fluter Flakes) was on the bench last night, but didn't have a single shift.   Looks like this Nickles kid is much bigger than Fluter, that's for sure.  Without Prokop or Big Mess, a big body could be quite useful.

Tuesday's Game Time Change

From the Ams' Site

Due to travel difficulties coming over the pass, tonight’s Tri-City Americans/Everett Silvertips game at the Toyota Center will be delayed. Tuesday’s game is now tentatively scheduled to start at 8:00 p.m. (PST).

Doors to the Toyota Center will open at the normal time, 6:00 p.m., with Global Credit Union Dollar Dogs available while supplies last.

So, plan accordingly folks.....especially if you want those dollar dogs.

Let's start off with some good and heartwarming news. I received the same email Annie Fowler did, but instead of being near a computer, I was at the car dealership getting repairs done. Yay no smartphone! Anyways, if you didn't love Adam Hughesman enough already, take a gander at this: 

I just wanted to take the time to send a quick message to the American’s organization about one of your players, Adam Hughesman.

First, I want to let you know that I’m a Chilliwack Bruins seasons ticket holder and my son and I had the opportunity to watch the Bruins/Americans game on Sunday Feb. 13th in Chilliwack. My son Nolan is only 3 years old but is quite the hockey fan. During the 2nd period of this game, Nolan decided to go and sit behind your team bench as this would give him the opportunity to high five the players as they leave the ice after the period. On their return for the 3rd period, the players all touched his hand. To top it off, the Asst. Coach, came over and gave him a piece of his gum. A small gesture on his part but if you could only have seen the smile on his face.

After the game, all players made sure they gave him high five’s again. As luck would have it, Adam Hughesman was selected as one of the three stars and actually took the time to come over and talk to my son. Nolan was in complete awe of Adam. There was no reason for Adam to do this as Nolan was wearing his Bruins jersey and hat but it just shows the character of this young man to do this. He probably has no idea the affect he has had on my son. So now, even though his favourite team continues to be the Bruins, the Americans are a very close second. And, I’m sure it goes without saying, but Adam Hughesman is far and away his favourite player.

I’m hoping that you can help me out with a special request. Do you sell photos of your players? Or even better, do you sell autographed photos? I would love to purchase one of Adam for my son. Please let me know when you get a chance.

Good luck to the Americans going into the playoffs. You can now count on a couple more fans up here in the Fraser valley.

Brent Janzen

Doesn't that just warm the cockles of your cold heart? It does mine. And yes, I said cockles.
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When I was a kid, we had a pool in our backyard. Nothing fancy, not in-ground or anything, just one of those 3-foot-deep ones with the yellow metal side and the neon-ish blue liner. We spent a lot of hours in that pool and I have a lot of memories of it. But I'll spare you, except for one.

One thing I liked to do as a kid was float around that pool on an air mattress. It seemed, to my stupid young brain, the coolest to think I was all posh, lapping in luxury and soaking up the rays. But it was never that luxurious. Inevitably the air mattress would get a hole in it and instead of basking in the sun, I would find myself sinking, ever so slowly, into the water.

Where am I possibly going with this? I'll tell you. These last 3 games against the Chiefs remind me of that old air mattress. One tiny puncture and it became totally deflated, usually as a slow leak. Sure, you could try to blow it up again, but it was just a matter of time before you found yourself sinking again. That's what these games have been like. A small puncture--getting down by a goal or two--and all the sudden there's no life. Certainly, there's guys trying as hard as they can to pump air--life--back in, but still sinking, still looking, and playing, deflated.

I remember when Nachbaur coached here, he would always say that they won because they believed they could win. Where is that belief now? Oh, it's on Nachbaur's team. Full props to them for outplaying, out hustling, out everything-ing the Americans yet again.

Assistant Coach Bilodeau said on the post-game show that they were struggling through some adversity with injuries and rough schedule but that he'd rather this be happening now than in playoffs. Which I buy, but the ship needs to get righted (oh God more metaphors) or the playoffs aren't going to last long. I sound like a broken record.

The first period was very physical and the Ams held the advantage in shots with 19 in that first 20 minutes. Then the Chiefs closed the doors and only allowed 10 shots the rest of the game. Both teams were blocking shots like crazy, I haven't seen the Ams block that many in a long time, sacrificing the body to make the block. That's one bit of the game I was impressed with.

I was also impressed with Brock Sutherland, I thought he had an outstanding game all things considered. He was skating, he was physical, he was playing smart. Not that MacKenzie wasn't deserving, but I thought Brock should have gotten one of the 3 star awards. But they don't ask me, sadly.

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"I thought we had plenty of chances in the first half of the game to get a handful (of goals)," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "Right now, we just aren't getting those chance to go our way. We have to stay positive. We are an outstanding team, and rough patches come along. We'll be back."

"It doesn't taste good," Tri-City captain Kruise Reddick said of the back-to-back losses to the Chiefs. "We can't expect things to come to us, we have to work for them. You have to grit your teeth and work harder. We just have to forget about this and come out back (today against Everett) and get two points."

"I thought the third goal for them was clearly a turning point," Hiller said. "Schmitty (Tyler Schmidt) had just missed a power play opportunity at the other end -- that hurt." (Herald)

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"They'll come back. The bounces don't go away forever. Sometimes, they hide for a while, but they'll be back."

Hiller knows during a 72-game season, a team is going to experience highs and lows -- especially when two of its top three goal scorers (Adam Hughesman and Jordan Messier) and its No. 1 goalie (Drew Owsley) are nursing injuries.

"We went through this in November, too," Hiller said, referring to the team's five-game losing streak to open that month. "We have to remain positive and understand we're an outstanding team. We've played a solid season so far. The rough patches will come along. We've just got to get through to the other side." (Examiner)

I applaud Coach's optimistic attitude, but just like 10 shots on goal in 2 periods, optimism is only going to get you so far.

So back at it again tonight when the Everett Silvertips are in town.  It will be yet another physical, hard-fought game because even though Everett's near the bottom of the standings, they make teams work.  Hope it goes better for the Ams tonight, that's for sure.

P.S.  Maybe next time, Spokane fans, you can come to our rink and NOT physically assault our mascot.  You'll be lucky if he (she?) doesn't press charges--I sure as hell would.  Stay classy.

New Year's Eve on President's Day

oh GOODIE! Facing the Spokane Chiefs again tonight in the make-up game from NYE when the ice broke.

"We are going to have to bounce back against these guys," said Adam Hughesman, who leads the Americans with 39 goals. "They are a division rival and they are ahead of us in the standings. We can't have games like (Saturday). We can't throw games away."

"Everyone is going to have to come out and play their hardest," said Tri-City veteran defenseman Tyler Schmidt. "We can't have any one of us off the game plan. We've played a lot of games lately and it's hard on the body, but we train all summer and practice for these situations." (Herald)

Not much else to say except the Ams better be on their game--play smart but physical, stay out of the penalty box, get a lot of shots on goal, limit shots coming at Driedger (and Gorchynski if he gets minutes), and play as a team.

That sucked. **UPDATED**

Remember when I blamed Sam Grist for breaking the ice on New Year's Eve?  That was a joke (Billet Mom was still mad LOL).  Blaming him for last night's loss = not a joke.  The Chiefs scored 3 of their 6 while on the 5-minute power play for Sam's boarding penalty.  So he's at least 50% responsible for the loss.

Up to that point it was a fairly evenly matched game, shots were even, a lot of play in the neutral zone, both teams with drive and intensity.  Then it went to shit.  Chiefs have a lethal power play.  Full props to them for capitalizing on the opportunity they had.  The penalty killers just couldn't do enough to stop them.  And Driedger didn't have much of a chance on any of the goals.

A night after the Ams peppered the Bruins with 51 shots and kept them to 20, the tables were turned as the Chiefs fired away (especially in the 5-minute free-for-all) with 39 and keeping the Ams at only 23 shots.  Not going to win games, certainly not playoff games, with only 23 shots on net.

I get how having to kill off a 5-minute penalty (and having 3 goals scored in that time) can be deflating, but it seemed a lot of guys just gave up at that point.  Like assistant coach Scott Beattie said on the post-game show, there were a few drivers, but a lot of passengers in the 2nd half of the game.

Like Spokant said at one point--know who doesn't take 5-minute penalties?  Drydn Dow.

There's a few positives to take away  from the game (hey, I have to or I'd lose my mind).  First off, play of the goalies.  Sure 5 got by Driedger, but again, he didn't really have much of a chance on any of them.  Cam Gorchynski--how about this kid?  He was outstanding.  I also liked Kruise's passion first crack out of the box and show that his team meant business when he squared off with Kuhn.  And Carter Ashton...kid can fight.  I actually expected him and Cowen to go, the way they were chatting all night (and last weekend in Spokane too), but taking on Kramer was awesome, he got in some pretty powerful licks.

"Their power play hurt us," Tri-City coach Jim Hiller said. "They worked the puck around and buried it. That was the game. Until then, it was a tight game. Games like this, you can't make a lot of mistakes."

"We played well right from the get-go," said Spokane coach Don Nachbaur, whose team won for the first time this season at Toyota Center. "We controlled the game. We played hard and made it difficult for them to get to our net. We are fortunate. We came all the way from Kelowna, and we've played five in seven nights. We are a tired team. Credit our guys, they had a lot of energy."

"I don't think there's a doubt that was the turning point of the game," said Americans forward Adam Hughesman, who served Grist's penalty. "It was a costly penalty and we paid for it."

"They were good," Hiller said. "When you play good teams you need all of your guys. You have to show up and play. We'd better show up Monday in a frame of mind to get a different result." (Herald)

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"It's tough to take a five-minute major against these guys," Hughesman said. "They'll make you pay for it. They certainly did tonight."

"When I was 16, it came down to the final game of the season, and it's shaping up like that again this year," Hughesman said. "But if we keep throwing away games like this, we're going to fall back pretty fast. Portland and Spokane are great teams, and they're going to keep coming."

"It was pretty tight, not many chances either way," said Ams coach Jim Hiller. "But in games like this, you can't make a lot of mistakes."

"I don't think there's any doubt that was the turning point of the game," Hughesman said. "It was a costly penalty, and we paid for it."

"It's hard to kill off a match penalty," said defenseman Tyler Schmidt. "They got one right away on us, and then they still had 4 1/2 minutes to go at us."

"We can't have games like this, not with just 17 games left in the season," said Hughesman, who sat out the third period to nurse an injury. "They're division rivals, and ahead of us in the standings."

"We had a bad game in Portland (an 8-2 loss), and then we went back six days later and played a solid game," Hughesman said, referencing their 5-0 win Feb. 11. "We have to bounce back like that against these guys."

"The last two games, special teams have been the difference," Hiller said. "We'd better show up Monday with the mind frame to get a little dirtier. We need more guys who are fully engaged. You can't just be pretty good. When you play a good team, you need all your guys engaged." (Examiner emphasis mine)

The loss puts the Ams 4 points back from the Chiefs, 5 back from the Winterhawks, and 4th in the Western Conference.   Yes, they have games in hand,  but those game don't mean anything if you don't win them.  And neither the Chiefs nor the 'Hawks are going away.  Hell, the Winterhawks blasted Chilliwack with 61 shots on goal last night on the way to a 6-3 victory.  Poor Chilliwack, 102 shots in 2 nights.  Anyways, the Chiefs and Americans are back at it Monday night.  Yay?

The highlight of the night was Olie Kolzig blocking shots during the 1st intermission.  That was cool.

**UPDATE**
Sam Grist given 2 game suspension for hit last night.

Game Day vs. Spokane

Wow, what a great game.  It appeared the game plan was to get control of the puck and fire away at Gore (and later Gamble).  The Americans had 51 shots on goal.  FIFTY-ONE.  By period it was 17, 21, 13.  That's hawt.  Especially when they only allowed 20 shots by the Bruins.

The Feser-Holland-Rankin line was on fire and each of them played a part in all 6 goals last night.  Feser had a 4-point night with the hat trick and an assist, Holly also had a 4-point night with a goal and 3 assists.  Connor Rankin (can you believe this kid?) had a 3-point night, one goal and 2 assists.  Toss in Schmidt with a goal and an assist, additionally both he and Yuen were a +5 on the night.

Didn't see Adam Hughesman after about halfway through the 2nd, I'm sure it's some lingering flu that's been going around the team, he didn't look really there when he was on the ice*.  Hopefully he got all rested up and feels better for the big game tonight.

Mason Wilgosh was his usual wrecking-ball self.  God I love the intensity with which he plays.  Balls to the wall.  The kids Moline and Little Mess got some time in, I'm still loving the improvement Moline has shown since the start of the season.  Little Mess is a little spitfire, I like the energy.

Chris Driedger was quite solid, even though he didn't have a lot of work.  He's got a wicked glove hand, that's for sure.  The score and the game plan allowed for backup-to-the-backup Cam Gorchynski to play some minutes in the 3rd, he did well also.  He goes back to his BCHL team this week as they start their playoffs so it was a good move for the Ams to give him some playing time, keep him fresh and alert for his playoff run.

We met Chris Driedger's parents, such wonderful people.  As sister said,"Every time I meet a hockey player's parents, it becomes abundantly clear why they are such kind, disciplined, driven, and yet polite and generous young men."  Truth.  They also really liked the sign sister had (and what's not to like?):

"It's tough to stay in the zone when you are facing five shots a period," Driedger said. "I think all the guys are picking up their defensive game. We are doing better job getting back and there haven't been the odd-man rushes."

"We had three trips in a row at the end of the second," Holland said of his line that includes Feser and Rankin. "We had a breakaway and a 2-on-1 and everything seemed to fall into place. Gore is a tough goalie to score on. If you aren't getting the perfect scenario, you aren't going to score on him. The first little bit, we weren't getting those chances."

For Feser, it was his third career hat trick, and first this season.

"I have to give Holly and Ranks all the credit," Feser said. "They created the first two goals and Little Mess (Marcus Messier) the third."  (Herald)

"We had those four shifts in a row at the end of the second that were under 20 seconds each, and we were just stepping on it," said Holland, who tied the game at 2 by converting a long stretch pass from Tyler Schmidt into a backhanded breakaway goal at 16:48 of the second. "We got breakaways, two-on-ones. Things just fell into place there.

"Gore is a tough goalie to score upon. It's hard to beat him without getting the perfect scenario. You need a play where you can get a pass around him. The first little bit of the game, we couldn't get those chances."

"The coaches made a good point. They emphasized that Feser's pressure caused both goals," Holland said.

"If there was a big moment in the game, that was it right there," Hiller said. "It came right after they scored, and it was a nice finish by Holland."

He enjoyed having the best seat in the house for the No. 2 line's fireworks.

"It was just stupid how good they were playing," Driedger said. (Examiner)

And with that Driedger becomes the most awesomely quotable goalie LOL.  Ferran also reports that Big Mess left the locker room with his arm in a sling and Hiller says he's likely out against Spokane tonight.  :(

With the injuries, the Americans have called up 16-year-old Dylan Fluter from Saskatoon.  In 42 games with the North Battleford Stars he's 11G 19A 30P 45PIM. 

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Brendan Shinnimin is featured on this week's WHL Radio Show, talking about being Player of the Month for January.  You can take a listen here.

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The WHL has issued a statement in regards to the Zack Dailey lawsuit:

"The Western Hockey League and the Everett Silvertips have fulfilled our obligations to Zach Dailey having paid in full the tuition and compulsory fees at the University of Alberta for the current academic year in accordance with the terms of his WHL Standard Player Agreement. The WHL will continue to honour all WHL Standard Player Agreements and the scholarship benefits available to our players. The University of Alberta has classified Zach Dailey as a U.S. resident and as a result international tuition fees have been applied. The WHL has filed an appeal with the University of Alberta on behalf of Zach Dailey regarding this matter and is optimistic this issue will be resolved in the near future. The WHL administers the WHL Scholarships program on behalf of the WHL Member Clubs, including the Everett Silvertips, and has awarded 280 scholarships to graduate players this season and 4,300 scholarships since the program was introduced in 1993. " (Herald Net via Drinnan)

What I take from this is that the league is asking the U of A to not make Dailey  pay international tuition rates and his education would therefore be covered in full with the amount stated in the player agreement.

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The freakin' Chiefs are in town tonight.  They are coming off a 3-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets last night.  They are still two points up on the Americans (Portland 3 points ahead, still in 1st place).  It's going to be intense.  It's going to be playoff-type atmosphere.  Americans fans need to be louder and prouder than the Chiefs fans that will invariably be there (desecrating the national anthem).  GO AMS!

*Herald is saying he left "with undisclosed injury"

Game Day vs. Chilliwack

Like it's any big secret, Chris Driedger will be in net tonight as the Bruins roll into town.  I would guess tomorrow also when Spokane arrives (and Monday).  He's been solid, hopefully that can continue.

"This time of year, practice is important, but rest and recovery is just as important," Tory said. "We have another 4 in 5."

"The positive is that we have been through (player absences) before with me, Shinny (Brendan Shinnimin) and Proks (Neal Prokop)," Reddick said. "Ows is one of the best in the league, and it is sad, but Driedger is ready to steal the show for a couple of weeks, and we'll be there to back him."

"Chris is a good goalie," Tory said. "He went to the U17 (World Hockey Challenge). He wouldn't be on our team if he wasn't a good goalie. He has shouldered the load the last couple games. It's not the first time we have had a goalie go down."

"When it happened, I thought he'd be fine," Driedger said, recounting Owsley's injury. "Then he was down for a while, and I thought, 'I'd better get my helmet on.' You're kind of happy on the inside because you get to play, but it's a bad circumstance, for sure, but you have to jump on the opportunity and make the most of it."

"In the shootout, I was nervous," Driedger admitted. "They had some good guys shooting on me, and they had some good moves. I'll be ready next time." (Herald)

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Rene Ferran over at the Examiner is reporting that Neal Prokop still isn't ready to go:

Neal Prokop continues to be sidelined with a bone bruise suffered Jan. 14 vs. Kamloops. He has missed the last 14 games, and he's likely to miss quite a few more. He's begun to do some light skating but is unable to go full speed yet. (Examiner)

I'm no expert, but he's missed over a month, seems more serious than a bone bruise, but what do I know.  I know that no matter what it is, it will take a little longer to heal than the average athlete because it's that same leg as the broken femur.  Poor kid.  I really would love to have him back out on the ice--and I'm sure he'd prefer to be there as well.

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Ferran also takes a closer look at Drydn Dow in his latest installment of "Meet the Ams":

"Yeah, it's a bit frustrating, but you've got to be a team player," Dow said. "You've got to stick it out, stay positive and help the boys.

"I've just to go out there and be an offensive D-man. I know that with my size, I'm not going to make the big hit, but I've still got to finish my checks, stay in position and put myself between the puck and the net."

Dow also does a good job of avoiding the penalty box. He has just 10 penalty minutes this season.

"He's done a good job in the limited role he's had," said Ams associate coach Scott Beattie. "He's always ready, and he's always positive. Would he like to play more? Absolutely, and with the injuries we've had up front, we've been dressing seven D-men and he's been playing more.

"His size won't let him be a bone-crushing D-man, but he's a good skater, and his puck-moving skills are what got him to this level. He does what he's asked to do when he's asked, and he does it quite well." (Examiner)

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Did you know that Captain Kruise "Clutch" Reddick has been doing a fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association?  Yeah, I didn't either.  One month left of the regular season and this note arrived in my inbox:

The Americans, inspired by their team captain Kruise Reddick, are proud to announce a fundraising program for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, "Kruise'n for MDA Challenge". Reddick is graciously donating $2 for every goal the Tri-City Americans score during the regular season and the Americans will match that donation. Reddick is encouraging fans and Tri-City businesses to join this cause. Fans can choose to make a per goal or one time pledge on behalf of their favorite player. Those that would like to make a pledge as part of the Kruise'n for MDA Challenge can contact the Tri-City Americans office at 509.736.0606 or stop by the Booster Club Booth behind Section L during the game.

Again, no expert, but in my opinion if they wanted fans and businesses to help contribute the word about this should have maybe gone out in, I don't know, October? Regardless, it's still a good cause and I think it's great that the team, and the Captain, continue to do fundraising for the MDA.

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Former Everett Silvertip and general pest Zack Dailey is suing the 'Tips over his WHL scholarship.

Dailey, who played five seasons for Everett from 2005-10 and served as the team's captain his final two years, signed his player agreement with the Silvertips in August of 2005. Players must designate a college at the time of signing the player agreement and Dailey designated the University of Alberta.

At the time of signing, Dailey and his family resided in Edmonton, Alberta. Over the course of his five seasons with Everett, Dailey and his family, who are United States citizens, relocated back to the U.S.

Dailey was admitted to the University of Alberta, but because he was no longer a resident of Canada, the fee increased. The suit claims the annual fee for a foreign student at the University of Alberta is $15,408.56, while for Canadian students the cost is $6,200.

The suit alleges the Silvertips and WHL have refused to provide for expenses in excess of $6,200. Dailey is suing for the balance of his education costs plus attorneys fees.

The text of the standard player agreement does not deal specifically with players who change their country of residence during their WHL careers.  (Herald Net)

I have never read a player agreement so once again, not an expert.  But it seems odd that they have to select a college when they're 15, 16 years old.  I would think that since the the wording of the agreement doesn't deal with the residence issue, he's got a case.  Even moreso if the WHL/Silvertips doesn't want to look stingy and if they want to avoid adding fuel to the NCAA vs. WHL fire.  It will be interesting to see how this unfolds.  According to the WHL:

For every season a player plays in the WHL, they receive a full year guaranteed Scholarship, including tuition, textbooks and compulsory fees, to a post-secondary institution of their choice. For example, players graduating from a four-year WHL career are eligible to receive four years of scholarship funding. The WHL Scholarship, combined with additional financial assistance from Universities in Western Canada, makes the WHL - Canada West Universities joint scholarship equivalent to any other offer available in North America today.  (whl.ca)

It doesn't specify anywhere which entity is responsible for the scholarship payout--the league or the team.  But I have to assume it's a majority team responsibility if Dailey is suing the Silvertips and not the league*.  But I can see where the team would not want to pay it, $9,000 (the difference between what team is paying and what tuition/fees are) x potentially 5 years = $45,000.  That's a chunk of change.

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Speaking of scholarships, the other day former American (and former hockey bf) Blair Macaulay was named the Husky WHL Graduate of the Month. 

The Canada West Universities Athletic Association and Western Hockey League proudly announce that Manitoba Bisons forward #26 BLAIR MACAULAY is the Canada West men’s hockey Husky-WHL Graduate of the Month for January 2011.

In late 2010 WHL Commissioner Ron Robison announced that a total of 275 graduate players have been awarded WHL Scholarships for the 2010-11 academic year, with 102 being active players for the seven Canada West men’s hockey teams.

During six January conference games, MACAULAY recorded three goals and six assists for nine points, scoring one game-winning goal and recording an overall rating of +8 as the Bisons went 4-2-0. He had three multi-point games and picked up at least one point in five of six contests.

The second-year Winnipeg native had 12 goals and 29 points through January and sits third in Canada West scoring.

Macaulay’s game-winning goal came on Friday, January 21st, in a 5-1 win at Lethbridge, and he was instrumental during a 5-3 come-from-behind victory at then CIS #7-ranked Saskatchewan on January 14th. Down 3-0 in the second period, Macaulay assisted on a goal by Jordan Cyr and found twine himself midway through the third to tie the game at three, earning First Star on the evening.

The 22-year-old University of Manitoba Arts major played three full seasons in the WHL – two with the Saskatoon Blades, one with the Tri-City Americans – and parts of two others at the start and finish of his WHL days. Over his Junior hockey career, Macaulay picked up 27 goals, 40 assists for 67 points in 212 regular season games. He also had two goals, six points in 26 playoff contests. Macaulay and the Americans went 52-16-2-2 in 2007-08, eventually losing to rival Spokane in seven games at the Western Conference final. (Americans)

He's an Art major?  That's sexy, just like him.

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Here's to hoping the boys have rested up from the road trip and are ready to go for another busy weekend--and another intense one with Chilliwack, then Spokane twice.

*it is team responsibility according to Bob Tory.

Game Day @ Kamloops

Fourth road game in 5 nights.  It's like being back on the eastern swing--except not out east.

"I'm really happy with how we played" against Chilliwack on Sunday, said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "We played really well under travel constraints and emotional games against Portland (Friday) and Spokane (Saturday), and we need the same tomorrow."

"I don't know if there is any rhyme or reason to it, but we haven't been in Kamloops and they are good at home," Hiller said.

Chris Driedger will get the start in goal tonight in place of injured Drew Owsley, who suffered a knee injury Saturday against Spokane.

"He has a sprained knee," said Tri-City general manager Bob Tory, who is in Halifax, Nova Scotia, at the Canada Winter Games. "We have to wait until some of the swelling and pain subsides for a better evaluation. It doesn't look like there is any structural damage, but at the same time, our first priority is that it is evaluated properly and that we take the right course of rehab. It's unfortunate, but you have to march ahead." (Herald)

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It seems that seven is the number in the WHL these days.
F Colton Jobke of the Kelowna Rockets was hit with a seven-game suspension Monday, the second time in less than a week that a WHL player has drawn a seven-game sentence.

Jobke was suspended after he hit Chilliwack F Tim Traber during the Bruins’ 5-4 shootout victory in Kelowna on Friday. Traber ended up with a season-ending broken right leg; Jobke was hit with and interference major and game misconduct.

Jobke will be eligible to return on Feb. 25 when the Rockets are in Red Deer to visit the Rebels.

Last week, Chilliwack D Brandon Manning was given a seven-game suspension after a hit that left Kamloops Blazers D Austin Madaisky with a fracture to his C-7 vertebrae. Madaisky won’t play again this season. (Taking Note)

So because neither Jobke nor Manning were given a check-from-behind penalty, it's only seven games as opposed to 12 (or more)?  Jobke was given interference major, Manning a boarding major (both also received game misconducts). Way to have some balls WHL.  I know they can't penalize based on the injury, but Shinnimin's hit on Nicholls gave him a concussion (not saying that's a minor thing, believe me) and Nicholls missed, what, one game?  Traber and Madaisky are out the rest of the season, Madaisky's lucky to not be paralyzed.  And those warrant only seven games?  SMH.

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As usual, we'll be liveblogging the game this evening, starting around 6:45.  Click on the "Read More" to join the fun.

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Rebound Game. Check.

Apparently Chilliwack missed the memo that they needed to shut down the Shinnimin-Ashton-Hughesman line.  Thank God for that.  They each had a goal, Hughey had 2, and Ashton and Shinnimin also each had two assists.  Tyler Schmidt had 3 assists.  HAWT.

I had been super annoyed with Ashton's play of late, especially in Spokane Saturday night but he stepped up his game last night.  Kudos.

As a whole they played well, throwing 44 shots at the Bruins goalies.  Eighteen in the first period.  Stealing Portland's plan of 10 shots in the first 10 minutes?  Or are they aiming for 20 shots in the first 20 minutes?  Either way, I'll take it.  It's a brilliant plan.  That Lucas Gore has had the Americans' number in the past, but not last night.  At the other end, Chris Driedger was terrific, stopping 20 of 21.

Coach Jim Hiller didn't want to put too much emphasis on the win, but "I do know this was a very, very good game for us in lots of areas," he said. "Our power play was good. Our penalty kill was good.

"I'm really proud of the team tonight," he continued. "It's been a tough weekend, but we came out tonight, did what we had to do and did it well." (Examiner)

I suppose in fairness I should mention the Bruins have been pretty decimated by injury, but hey, a win is a win.  The Ams picked up 4 of 6 possible points on the weekend, which really is pretty good, all things considered.  Saturday was just disappointing, but it's in the past now.

Big thanks to the Seattle Thunderbirds for beating Spokane last night, putting them back to only one point ahead of the Americans in the standings.

Day off now before hitting the ice against the Kamloops Blazers tomorrow night.

Game Day vs Chilliwack and WTF was last night?

"We (were) all right. We played hard," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "The score wasn't indicative of the play. Their power play (4 of 7) was better than ours (0 of 6). That was the difference in the game." (Herald)

LOL whut?  Jim was watching a different game than I was apparently.  And our definitions of "playing hard" must be very different.

I swear I saw only about 5 passes completed between Americans all night.  The rest was turnover city.  Full props to Spokane, they were very opportunistic and made every mistake the Americans made seem that much worse.  I didn't think the forecheck was as aggressive as it needed to be against a very determined and quick Chiefs team.  Hiller says they played hard, I disagree, but at the same time, it's not like they were standing around.  They just weren't matching the Chiefs' intensity and determination.

Additionally, there seemed to be a lack of communication.  When they went down by 2 in the first period Hiller started juggling lines.  Personally, I thought it was a little early to hit that panic button, but who knows.  It didn't work well, IMO

Pulling the goalie when down by 2 and on the power play, risky but I get it.  But someone didn't read the play before making that decision--either coaches who called Chris to the bench, or Chris who headed for the bench as play was coming at him.  Holland tried his best to play goalie, but Tyler Johnson managed to get the short-handed goal anyways.  That whole scenario was a microcosm of the whole night, really.

How the hell was their no call on the high stick to Yuen?   Srsly.

At one point RL mentioned that tonight's game would be the true test--3rd road game in 3 nights.  And in a way I agree.  Can they rebound from last night's stinker?  I also believe last night was the true test.  Back-to-back games against intense, determined, and skilled teams on the road.  A test they failed, yet again.  If they can get the win tonight, that'll be something, certainly something to hopefully build off of.  But this great game on the road then shitty game on the road business is getting old.  They're a better team than this.  At least I hoped so.

The frustration reared its ugly head again in the 3rd with some stupid penalties.  And Shinny throwing a hissy fit.  C'mon man, I know you're super competitive and want to win but your teammates feel the same way and your antics are not good for the team so settle the hell down and just play your game.  To quote the awesome Ferris Bueller, I believe Shinny is wound so tight "you could shove a lump of coal up his ass and in two weeks you'd have a diamond".

I didn't see what happened to Drew, I was out on the concourse not paying attention so I'm not really going to comment on it, reports are knee.  It's a huge loss for the Ams if he's out for an extended period.  It's also a chance for Drieger to really step up.

Speaking of, there were a few positives to take away from last night's game.  First off, the play of Max Moline.  He is slowly but surely earning his increased ice time with his improved play.  He works hard with and without the puck and according to Westie, made Conrad's goal happen last night.  I can't wait for him to be rewarded on the scoresheet for his hard work.  Driedger also looked good, especially against the offense of the Chiefs and for not having played much.  He didn't look nervous or in over his head.  He'll get another chance to shine tonight against Chilliwack.

Final note on last night's game, that is the last time I will give the Chiefs organization any of my money.  Ever.  And solely because of their fans.  I refuse to spend my money to watch my team and be treated like that.  I love my team, you love your team.  If I'm in an opponent's rink and I'm yelling for my team, I do it to support the boys, not mock or taunt your fan base.  I want the boys to hear that they have fans in the building.  I don't cheer for my team to be all up in your grill or whatever.  It's really a shame that people felt the need to turn around and taunt us Ams fans rather than applaud their team.  Unfortunately, I know it's not behavior exclusive to Spokane, I sadly have no doubt there are Ams fans that feel the need to act the same way when Spokane fans are in our building.  But it's fucking pathetic.  You cheer for your team, I'll cheer for mine, let's just enjoy the sport that we both love.

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Best of the West came out today in the Herald.  Some items of note:

Bob Tory--Top Executive

Jim Hiller--3rd for best coach

Kruise Reddick--4th for best overage, Tyler Schmidt 5th

Reddick--3rd best defensive forward 

Connor Rankin--3rd best rookie

Owsley--3rd best goalie

Adam Hughesman--Most Underrated Player, Reddick 6th

Schmidt--4th most irritating

Rankin--4th best rookie

Schmidt--3rd best stay-at-home defenseman

Carter Ashton--5th best faceoff man

Hughesman--2nd most improved player

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Rene Ferran stole my idea for an Ams-specific Best Of... from the other day, it's a great list, I strongly encourage you to take a look over at the Examiner.

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On to tonight.  Boys are in Chilliwack to take on the Bruins.  They're 8th in the Western Conference with a 24-26-2-2 record.  They're a determined, hard-working team.  As against any team, it's not going to be an easy game, the boys have to be ready to play right out of the gate.  As mentioned, it's going to come down to the ability to rebound from last night, keep their composure, and play smart.

It's Sunday so early game, we'll be here for liveblogging goodness around 4:45, click on the "Read More" to join in.

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This is going to be quick

Awesome game last night, kudos boys for being ready to play out of the gate.  Now, do it again tonight, pretty please.

Drew Owsley got the shutout, earning himself First Star honors at the game, and 3rd Star honors over at Buzzing the Net:

Owsley erased the memory of getting hookedin his previous start against the Portland Winterhawks. The 18-year-old netminder logged a 30-save shutout in the Ams' 5-0 victory over their division rival. It was his fourth shutout of the season.  (BTN)

From the Examiner:

"We're looking more at tomorrow and Sunday, though," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller, referencing Saturday's game in Spokane and Sunday's in Chilliwack. "We're hoping that beyond tonight, it pays dividends there as well."

"We were good tonight from the drop of the puck, which is different from our last two games here," Hiller said. "Ows (Drew Owsley) made some good saves, and we got the first goal, which was important."

Captain Kruise Reddick continued to round into the form he showed in last year's run to the WHL Finals, scoring a goal, adding two assists and firing the team up with a rousing pregame talk.

"If you heard him before the game, he set the tone in the room," Hiller praised. "That, more than anything, is why we won. He was dialed in, and he made sure the team was from the start as well." (Examiner)

I'm going to go out on a limb and say those keys to the game I posted yesterday will be pretty much the same for today's matchup.  And the Ams could steal that 10 shots in 10 minutes idea from the Winterhawks.  I'd add another key to the game is to win faceoffs, but c'mon, I am a realist.

I really wish I had the "I Believe in Drew Owsley" sign tonight but it's in sister's car.  Maybe I'll whip up a new one before I head up to enemy territory.

Reminder, I'll be at the game so no liveblog tonight, enjoy the game!

Game Day at Portland

Back in Portland again.  Hopefully with a different outcome than last weekend.  To make that happen there's a couple keys to the game:

1. Stay out of the penalty box.  Portland's power play at home is 23%, Ams road PK is at 76%.  I don't like those odds.  I wouldn't like it if the Americans' road PK was sitting at 90%.  Which leads to item #2...
2. Play smart.  I do not want to see a repeat of last weekend's game, not just on the scoreboard, but in the frustration and stupidity that took place.  Lipstick's going to be annoying, annoy him right back (but see Key #1)
3. Clear the traffic.  Portland has gotten better at doing the dirty, garbage work in front of the net, get those guys out of there.
4. Apparently the Winterhawks have a goal of 10 shots on goal in the first 10 minutes, which I must say is a great game plan.  Which means they intend to come out on fire and the Americans simply cannot afford to come out flat.  If 'Hawks want shots on goal, Ams have to get control of the puck, keep possession.  Or block a lot of shots.  Or both.

The Winterhawks are coming off a 10-5 pounding of the Chiefs Wednesday night.  Personally, I was rooting for a meteor strike, but it didn't happen.  Portland managed 5 quick goals--in the first period, it's that whole 10 shots in 10 minutes thing--but then the Chiefs seemed to dominate the play.  Shots were 16 each in the first, then Spokane had the advantage, 32-15 over the next 2 periods.  So yeah, see Key # 4 above.

The rest of the month of February is a busy one for the Americans, they need to set the tone with these three road games in a row this weekend.  It's been a while since they've done this much road work, and they're pretty banged up.  Have to take a little consolation that in February, all the teams are banged up. 

The Tri-City Americans kept their travel agent busy this past week making arrangements for a trip that includes a game tonight in Portland, Saturday in Spokane, Sunday in Chilliwack and Tuesday in Kamloops.

It's the first road trip for the Americans that encompasses more than one game since Nov. 12-13.

"It's going to challenge us a bit," Tri-City coach Jim Hiller said. "We haven't been on the road much since the start of the season. We just have to keep climbing off the bus and keep going."

"We haven't played on the road in a while, but it's nice to get some team bonding," said Adam Hughesman, who leads the team with 35 goals and 73 points. "It will be a test for us. Thanks to Bob (GM Tory) and the owners for letting us come up (to Portland) a day early. We will play some good teams and we'll see how it comes out in the end." (Herald)

No word on if Rankin or Prokop will be back, but I'm not holding my breath.

It's a road game which means liveblog, hopefully it doesn't turn into another deadblog because of the scoreboard.  Click on the "Read More" to join in.  Programming note, NO liveblog tomorrow night, I'll be at the game.

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Shots from the Point--Wednesday edition

Looks like the team will be without Connor Rankin and Neal Prokop again this weekend:

"Connor has been out there doing conditioning skating, but we still don't know" if he'll play, said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller. "Neal is still a ways away. He's continuing with the rehab process, but he's not even in the conversation right now."

"We need that element in our lineup, but in the meantime, it creates opportunities for other players," Hiller said. "We've seen Max Moline step up his physical game in their absence."

"He's somebody who really paid his dues the first half of the season," Hiller said. "He didn't get to play more than three games in a row the first half of the season, but he's playing more after Christmas and is carving out a nice niche for himself." (Examiner)

I can only imagine how tough it is for Neal to be sitting out (again). After working so hard to come back so fast from the broken femur, only to be sidelined by what is being listed on the WHL weekly update as a Charlie Horse.  Poor kid.  I'd give him healing waffles, but I removed that page element because I got tired of forgetting to update it.  I know, LAZY BLOGGER.

Losing Rankin is tough too.  It's hard to remember he's only 16 with the way he plays.  But yes, Max has really stepped up and good for him for rising to the challenge.

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Rene Ferran's latest installment of "Meet the Ams" takes a closer look at defenseman Sam Grist (ass-pat to Rene for linking to my interview as well):

"I started off slow, but definitely I've gradually gotten better," Grist said. "I don't know if I was surprised (to be in the rankings). Maybe a little bit. But I was excited, too. It felt pretty cool to be on the list."

"We've seen steady signs of improvement with him," Hiller said. "We expect a lot of him during the stretch run, and he's delivering."

"Being a defenseman and a big guy like he is, adjusting the speed of this level can be tricky," Hiller said. "His physical presence has grown, as has his confidence in that area. But you have to be able to do that night after night, shift after shift. You have to condition your body to that physical play, and that's an area where we've seen the biggest improvement in him."

Still, Grist missed several games recently with a concussion after taking a hit from Portland's Brendan Leipsic. Since Grist returned to the lineup, he's played against Portland twice, and in both games he has satisfied his urge for revenge against the Winterhawks rookie.

"Obviously, that first game, I wanted to get him," he ssaid. "But I'm not trying to get him back anymore. It's an on-ice rivalry, for sure, but whatever happens, happens." (Examiner)

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Don't forget Friday, February 25th is the annual Breast Cancer Awareness night.  Looks like Annie Fowler has a thing going to honor cancer survivors on her blog at the Herald:

The Tri-City Herald would like to honor the women and men who have courageously battled breast cancer. We are asking breast cancer survivors (or their families) to submit a photo, with name and hometown. We will run a gallery of all of the photos on Feb. 25 on the Red Light District blog.

I know there are readers from the Tri-Cities to British Columbia to Calgary. Everyone is welcome to participate.

Please send photo, name and hometown by Feb. 23 to: afowler@tricityherald.com. Please label as: Survivor (Herald)

I think that's a pretty cool thing for her to be doing.

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Speaking of Breast Cancer Awareness night, don't forget you can get BCA designs through my Zazzle shop as well (and order early, Zazzle is slow--even the 2-day shipping takes 4 sometimes so don't pay extra for that).  As usual, proceeds from these will be donated to the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation.

They can be found here.

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Best of the West poll results will be coming up in the Herald this Sunday, should be interesting.  I will say, I don't like that they've removed the "most overrated" player.  Meh, perhaps it's mean to label a teenager/young adult "overrated", but c'mon, it's fun to see who players think is overrated in their own league.  At least I think it is.  I wouldn't know where/how to cast my votes, I think (and I could be wrong) but I think players/coaches/whoever else votes on the thing isn't allowed to vote for anyone from your own team.  How do I think it might shake out?

• Best Fans-Everett.  They always win, I don't know why.
• Top Coach- Don Nachbaur.  Look what he's done with a team that, on paper at least, wasn't supposed to be very good this season.
• Top Executive-Bob Tory
• Top Rookie-Sven Bartschi
• Most Valuable to Team-Calvin Pickard
• Best Stay-At-Home D-Man-hrm, no clue.
• Hardest Shot-Matt MacKenzie haha I have no idea.  I don't pay close enough to other teams' players, to be honest, for these types of questions
• Top Faceoff Man-not an American, that's for sure
• Most Accurate Shot-Nino?
• Toughest Player-Sena Acolatse.  Hasn't he been in this league for like 8 years?
• Most Improved Player-Adam Hughesman
• Best Overage Player-hate to say it, but Tyler Johnson
• Top Defensive Forward-personally, I'd say Mason Wilgosh LOL
• Best 16-Year-Old-Connor Rankin
• Best Goaltender-Calvin Pickard.  Or Reid maybe.
• Best Skater-Tyler Johnson
• Most Underrated Player-no clue.
• Most Irritating Player-to me?  Tyler Johnson.  But in the Western Conference, I'm sure Brendan Shinnimin will take the votes.  I'd likely vote Brendan Leipsic too, but he has a couple years to really become a pest.  Jerk.
• Best Pro Prospect-Ryan Johansen, I'd also say Tyler Johnson even though he hasn't been drafted.
• Top Referee-none?

I don't know.  And I really don't pay enough attention to other teams enough to be able to effectively cast votes.  Maybe later in the season I'll do this same sort of thing, but for the Americans only.  Maybe I'll do my own year-end awards or something.

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If you missed my interview with Paul Sohor, scroll down, I posted it last evening.

Interview with Paul $ohor

After playing phone tag, I finally got the chance to sit down and have a little chat with Paul Sohor.  I swear, every time I meet one of these guys and get to know them I swear that they are the nicest one I've met.  Then I meet another one.  Bottom line, nice guys--all of them.  Enjoy!

Dave Schultz:  You spent the last couple seasons in Everett, tell me about that experience.

Paul Sohor:  It was fun, it was a good experience.  They developed me well as a player and it's fun to go back there and we got a win so there's nothing more you can ask for really.  I'm somewhere I really love now, I love it here in Tri, love the guys and we're doing well.  Playing Everett's fun now against my old friends but when it comes down to it they're enemies now and it's good to beat 'em.

DS:  Did it help coming to Tri-Cities that you knew so many of the guys back home (Winnipeg)?

PS:  Oh yeah big time.  David Conrad is my roommate and just all those guys they just made me feel so welcome.  It's like I've been here for three years already, walk into the room with the chemistry, it was really helpful.  I couldn't ask for anything more.

DS:  That's great, that sort of leads into my next question, I was going to ask you to talk about the chemistry of the team right now.  It seems the new guys (yourself included) have made the transition pretty smooth.

PS:  Oh yeah I mean especially growing up with them makes it that much easier.  Bringing in Carter and Matt MacKenzie it's all meshed really well just like we planned and we're really looking forward to down the stretch and making a good playoff run.

DS:  As a fan, I love the sound of that.  What do you do to mentally prepare yourself for games?

PS:  I like to nap, I like to get a good hour, hour and a half nap in and have a good pre-game meal, little pasta, little chicken like a typical hockey player.  Me and Rads (David Conrad) when we're driving down to the rink we like to pump some good music that gets the blood flowing, gets us pumped up.  

DS:  Do you prepare different for different opponents, like when you play against your former team?

PS:  No, there's a little more pressure when I'm facing Everett.  Any other day I have the same ritual, it's been going pretty well for me since I've been here so I'm going to stick with it.

DS:  Sounds good.  How have you improved as player from a year ago?

PS:  I think my speed's improved, that comes with age I think.  Just my mental game, making the good first pass and knowing when to join the rush and things like that.  Getting my point shots through really helps, I'm just going to try and keep developing and help this team win hockey games.

DS:  And those point shots have gotten you a couple goals (interview done before Spokane game when he got another), the first of your career.

PS:  Yeah, that's good to get that burden out of the way, just keep that going I hope.

DS:  Do you pattern your play after any particular NHL player?

PS:  Not really, I mean I like to watch Duncan Keith play.  Or Brent Seabrook, they're a pretty good tandem on the back end for Chicago.  They're guys that I've watched in the playoffs and they're guys that it'd be nice to take notes from, pattern my game after them, that's what I've been doing.

DS:  For you, what is the best part of being a member of a team?

PS:  Good question.  I think just being with the guys and everyone gets along on the team.  Refreshing when you come to the rink and everyone's happy, everyone's in a good mood, the coaches are great.  They're always positive and it just makes you feel like a better person, makes you want to go out there and give it your all.

DS:  What has been your favorite off-ice team building activity?

PS:  We had a bowling tournament and a poker tournament, those are up there.  Those were fun.  I placed third in the poker tournament, that was fun.

DS:  If you could have dinner with anyone alive or dead (they'd be alive for the purpose of answering this question) who would it be and why?

PS:  That's a good question.  I would have to say probably Barack Obama because he made history being the first black president, he's so well-spoken and I just think it be... I'd have a lot of questions to ask him.

DS:  What is the best advice you ever got and from whom?

PS:  I can't really put my finger on it, my parents always used to say like "stick with it" or "follow your heart" and stuff like that.  When I left Everett for those couple days I think I just though about that and that I had to leave and move on to another team and just wanted it to work out.  It really did and I'm happy in Tri and I couldn't be happier.

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

PS:  I like golfing, I like playing my PS3, Call of Duty of course.  Be with my friends, going to the beach.  I like sleeping, big time sleeping for sure.

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

PS:  Probably Jack Black because he's hilarious.

DS:  Are you a funny guy?

PS:  Sometimes.  I sometimes get the boys laughing.

DS:  With any shoe-checks or is there any other pranks you like to pull?

PS:  Since I've been here I've witnessed a couple shoe-checks but I haven't been a part of any so I better get on that.

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

PS:  Probably Ke$ha.  I got a couple of her songs on there, I like 'em a lot, but definitely not one of my proud points.

DS:  I totally understand, she's a catchy bitch!  Ok, final question, waffles or pancakes?

PS:  Pancakes hands down.

DS:  And what do you put on 'em?

PS:  Butter, syrup, and blueberries