87 shots

What a weekend.  For all intents and purposes, the Americans shouldn't necessarily have won either game.  Saturday's game was fantastic--fast paced, energetic, intense.

The @kelowna_rockets fired 87 shots at @tcamericans goaltender Eric Comrie this weekend and scored 4 goals. That's a goal every 22 shots.
— Regan Bartel (@Reganrant) November 18, 2012

That sorta sums it up.

His performance didn't go unnoticed by some at the NHL either:

Tri-City Americans goalie Eric Comrie played well in his audition for Canada's World Junior Championship team last week, stopping 17 of 18 shots in a period and a half of action for Team WHL against Team Russia in the finale of the Subway Super Series.

He returned to regular-season Western Hockey League play over the weekend and continued to display his star form.

In two games, Comrie stopped a combined 83 of 87 shots in helping the Americans to a pair of wins.

On Friday, he made a career-high 41 saves on 43 shots in a 3-2 win against the Kelowna Rockets. One night later, he set a new personal best with 42 saves on 44 shots in another 3-2 defeat of Kelowna.

The win was Comrie's third straight and fifth in his last six games. On the season, the 6-foot-0.75, 167-pound goalie, who earned an A rating from NHL Central Scouting in its preliminary rankings of players to watch for the 2013 NHL Draft, is 14-7-2 with a 2.38 goals-against average and .920 save percentage. He ranks in the top five in the WHL in GAA and save percentage, and his two shutouts are tied for third. (NHL)

It wasn't just the Comrie show. How about those TWO short-handed goals by Feser (assists on both to Drydn Dow, outstanding)? That was just pure hustle and smarts. Full credit to the Rockets, that could have easily deflated them, but they just kept on pushing. In both games they controlled the play I'd say at least 70% of the time, but the Ams were great on defense, blocking shots, doing what needed to be done. Some selected quotes:

"It wasn't a pretty weekend for us," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller, whose team rallied for a 3-2 win over the Rockets on Friday. "You have to be able to win the ugly games, too. That's a pretty good hockey team we played this weekend."

"Any goal counts and any goal is fun to score," said Feser, who surpassed Dylan Gyori for seventh on the team's all-time goals scored list with 128. "Short-handed one are hard to come by."

"I thought we did a good job with our chances, but their goalie was good," Huska said. "We had a chance to win twice here. He was the difference both nights."

The Americans scored their three goals on five shots.

"We got a couple of good bounces with the puck and we were lucky to score," Feser said. "Can't ask for much more from our PK. On the second one, Dow made the play, got me the puck, then made room for me to score."

"The defense was absolutely outstanding for me," Comrie said. "They were strong and tenacious out front and they were blocking shots. (Tyson) Dallman had some great blocks." (Herald)

Speaking of Dallman blocking shots:


Time is winding down for the moustaches, I have to make my decision by Friday. In the running (in no particular order): Dallman, Hamonic, Mychan, and Dow. Reminder, I donate $50 in the winning player's name to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. You can add to the total donation amount by going to my Movember page and making a donation. Thanks!