WHL Tri-City Americans

Kamloops Blaze Past Tri-City, Down Americans 4-2

Published on October 26, 2006 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Tri-City Americans News Release


KENNEWICK, WA - Two words sum up the Tri-City Americans performance Wednesday night at the Toyota Center, "Out hustled."

From the drop of the puck to start the game, the Blazers came out with more aggression, more speed and more desire. In the end, Kamloops, winners of three straight, walked out of the Toyota Center in Kennewick with a 4-2 victory.

Off an assist from C Reid Jorgensen, rookie RW Juuso Puustinen (Who-so Pu-sta-in) started the scoring for the Blazers with a power play goal at the nine minute mark of the first period. Just over two minutes later, off an assist from Travis Dunstall, C Brock Nixon made it 2-0. Tri-City has been prone to slow starts in previous contests this season and tonight was no exception.

With just under three and a half minutes to play in the period, C Tanner Gillies would register his second goal in as many games, off assists from RW Aaron Boogaard and D Matt Swaby. Kamloops took the 2-1 lead into the first intermission and came firing in the second period. Through two periods, Kamloops out shot Tri-City 27-to-12 and would finish the game with a 10-shot advantage. Despite a combined 21 shots in the second period, both teams were held scoreless, leaving the door open for Tri-City to make their come back. It would not come to be.

The back-breaker for Tri-City came with just a minute and forty seconds gone in the third. The Blazers' Terrance Delaronde was called for roughing just 15 seconds into the period, giving Tri-City their sixth power play on the night. However, with 35 seconds remaining on the power play opportunity, Tri-City goaltender Carey Price made a poor clearing pass, sending it right to Kamloops' Puustinen. Pusstinen beat Price, who was out of position, and tallied his first short-handed goal of his young Western Hockey League career.

The "boo-birds" were out in attendance throughout the arena, as the Americans continued to be out of position and make poor passes. Finally, with less than 3 minutes remaining in the game, head coach Don Nachbaur pulled Price out of net for the extra attacker, refusing to concede defeat. It would pay off as C Joel Broda, who was relieved by the league of a one-game suspension earlier in the day, secured his second goal of the season off of passes from Michael Kaye and Swaby.

Nachbaur would gamble again, taking Price out of net with under a minute and a half remaining. However, with 8 seconds remaining, the Blazers broke through the Tri-City defense, and D Raymond Macias recorded an empty net goal to secure the victory. The loss puts Tri-City on their first losing streak of the season, while Kamloops are winners of six of their last seven. Tri-City also falls to three points back of first-place Everett, as the Silvertips beat the visiting Spokane Chiefs 3-0.

The Tri-City Americans (9-4-0-0, 18 points) look to get back on track on Saturday, October 28 as they welcome the Chilliwack Bruins back to the Toyota Center. It will be the Bruins second visit to the Toyota Center this season. Game time is 7:05 PM. You can catch all the action live on NewsTalk 870 AM, starting with the Budweiser Warm-Up Show at 6:45 PM. You can also listen live through the Americans website by visiting the Internet Radio Broadcast page under Fanzone or by visiting the individual game summary page.

Notes:

After an errant call tabbed C Joel Broda for a kneeing penalty against Medicine Hat, Broda was relieved from a one-game suspension from the Western Hockey League today. Fellow D Tyler Schmidt was the guilty party and served his one-game suspension tonight against Kamloops...Despite his two assists on the night, D Matt Swaby was a minus-1 on the night, dropping his overall plus/minus to a plus-9 ranking. This puts him tied for fifth overall in the league...Since shutting down the Prince George power play, the Americans have now allowed 3 goals in 11 opportunities...Carey Price suffered his first loss of the season in the Toyota Center. Despite the loss, Price still holds a 2.21 goals against average (5th in the league) and a 0.929 save percentage (4th in the league) on the season.

Check out the Tri-City Americans Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from October 26, 2006


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