WHL Tri-City Americans

Messier Lifts Americans Past Seattle 3-2

Published on February 10, 2010 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Tri-City Americans News Release


KENNEWICK, WA - If there ever was a time to snap a goal-less streak, Jordan Messier found it on Tuesday night.

Messier netted the eventual game-winner midway through the third period, ending his 10-game drought, as the Tri-City Americans (39-13-0-2, 80 pts) fought off the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds (14-32-5-4, 37 pts) 3-2 in front of 3,766 fans at the Toyota Center. With the win, Tri-City stretched their League-best home record to 23-5. Meanwhile, Seattle dropped to 2-3-1-1 in the 10-game season series with the Americans while extending their current losing skid to 12 games.

With four of their six previous meetings having been decided by just one goal, Tuesday's contest looked to be on the same path from the get go. The division rivals combined for 21 shots in the first period but, at the 10:14 mark of the period, Seattle's Lindsay Nielsen collected the puck behind the Americans' net then had his shot bounce off the back leg of Drew Owsley and into the net.

Just 5:25 into the second frame, Tri-City found a response via the power play. Only eight seconds into the man-advantage, Brooks Macek sent a pass from behind the net to a hustling Sergei Drozd. Drozd, from the slot, then fired a shot past Michael Salmon to tie the game at 1.

But, 7:20 later and on another power play, Drozd lost an edge while skating with the puck, turning it over to Charles Wells. Wells broke in all alone on Owsley and then shelved a backhander as Seattle retook the lead.

With less than a minute remaining in the period, the turning point of the contest game came when Justin Feser won a face-off in the Seattle zone. Feser sent the puck to Patrick Holland who then found Toll on the near boards. Toll came in uncontested on Salmon and whipped a shot over his glove to knot the game at 2 headed into the second break.

However, the story of the period, and game, was the Tri-City penalty kill, which fought off a full minute of a 5-on-3 T'birds advantage in the period and all eight Seattle power plays on the night. That momentum carried Tri-City into the third period, as the Americans limited Seattle to only four shots on goal. Then, as the period past the midway point, Messier took control of the puck in the right corner and muscled his way into a point-blank shot on Salmon. Messier was then able to force the puck through the pads of Salmon, sending it slowly across the goal line for the winner.

Making his second start in a Seattle sweater, Salmon collected 26 saves in the loss. Meanwhile, it was a milestone night for Owsley who, behind 25 saves, jumped past Olaf Kolzig (37) for 6th on the Americans' all-time wins list and leaped Don Blishen (60) for 10th on the Americans' all-time games played list. Tri-City finished the night 1-for-6 on the power play and was a perfect 8-for-8 on the penalty kill.

The six-games-in-eight-nights swing continues tomorrow, February 10th, as Tri-City will get on the bus and head over to the Rose City to take on another division rival, the Portland Winterhawks. Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Memorial Coliseum. The Americans currently lead the 10-game season series 6-0, but four of those wins have come in Kennewick. Tri-City has gone 2-2-0-2 in their last six road games. Meanwhile, Portland comes in having won two straight and four of their last five contests. And, by virtue of Seattle's loss to Tri-City tonight, the Winterhawks officially secured a playoff spot for the first time since 2006. Fans can catch all the action live, via WHL WebTV, at the Americans' home away from home, Kimo's Sports Café in Richland. The game will also be broadcast live on NewsTalk 870 AM, starting with the Sterling Savings Bank Warm-up Show at 6:45 p.m.

Applebee's 3 Stars:

1, Jordan Messier, Tri-City

2, Neal Prokop, Tri-City

3, Charles Wells, Seattle

Check out the Tri-City Americans Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from February 10, 2010


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