Malc
04-06-2009, 01:37 PM
By Doyle Potenteau
Another close game, another wild ending. Another win for the Tri-City Americans.
For the second time in as many nights, Taylor Procyshen scored the game-winning goal for Tri-City as the Americans defeated the Kelowna Rockets 3-2 in WHL playoff action on Saturday night. And like Tri-City’s 4-3 victory in Game 1 on Friday, Procyshen’s tally in Game 2 was on the power play and came in the dying minutes.
Only unlike Game 1, where Kelowna rallied from a 3-1 deficit, it was Tri-City scoring three unanswered goals to win. And the comeback came courtesy of a Rockets’ turnover five minutes into the third period.
Down 2-0, Tri-City gained life when Kelowna’s Mitchell Callahan misplayed a puck in front of goaltender Mark Guggenberger. With the puck lying just outside of Kelowna’s crease and between the two Rockets, Brooks Macek swooped in and knocked in his second goal of the playoffs. That marker gave the home team life.
However, according to Rockets head coach Ryan Huska, the game-swinging error took place just seconds earlier.
"It was a Cody Almond giveaway at the offensive-zone blue-line. That’s what started the whole play," said Huska, whose team trails the best-of-seven series 2-0. "You play with fire when you’re creating turnovers against this team."
Regardless who turned it over, the Americans capitalized.
"It was a turning point for me," said Tri-City head coach Don Nachbaur. "But we also had chances in the first two periods. We didn’t get frustrated, we didn’t come in (after the second period) and hang our heads; we knew what we had to do. I thought we came out right from the get-go in the third and stuck with it.
"We were patient in our end and we executed when we found that loose puck. At the end of the day, I think we did exactly what we were supposed to do: Win both home games."
That the Americans did. However, a bounce here or there, and the Rockets could have easily taken a 2-0 lead. But on Saturday, Huska said Tri-City was full value for the win.
"To be quite honest, I thought they were the better team for the full 60 minutes," said Huska. "They were hungrier than we were. Their better players were really good again tonight. And they were in control of the game for the most part."
Jamie Benn, with his fourth goal of the playoffs, and Almond, with his third, scored for Kelowna, which plays host to Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday. Petr Stoklasa, at 9:44 of the third, also scored for Tri-City. Procyshen’s goal came at 17:17 with Kelowna’s Ian Duval in the box for hooking in the defensive zone. On Friday, Procyshen’s game-winning, power-play goal was scored at 18:07.
The Americans did not release Procyshen, 20, for post-game interviews, with Americans general manager Bob Tory stating the 5-foot-10 right winger from Emerald Park, Sask., was receiving medical attention.
The Rockets received a bit of good news prior to Saturday’s contest, as centre Mikael Backlund returned from what Kelowna called a lower-body injury. Asked how he felt after missing Game 1, the 6-foot-1 forward said he wasn’t his best.
"It was fun to play, but I wasn’t 100 per cent," said Backlund, who skated well at times but didn’t provide much offensive punch. "I don’t know why we didn’t win. We should have blocked one of the goals, and it’s hard to tell why (we lost) right after, but it’s too bad we lost.
"We can do so much better, and we’re such a better team (than this)."
The Rockets opened the scoring early in the first period, Benn on the power play at 5:39. With Justin Feser in the penalty box for interference, Almond won the faceoff in Tri-City’s zone and Benn grabbed the loose puck inside the right circle. From there, he quickly zipped to the slot, then beat Pickard by tucking the puck inside the far post.
In the second, Almond made it 2-0 at 16:32 with a labelled shot on an odd-man rush. The goal came just seconds after a penalty to Rockets defenceman Brandon McMillan expired at 16:14.
Tri-City, however, rallied in the third and levelled the score. After Macek scored, Stoklasa tipped in a hard Tyler Schmidt shot from the high slot. Procyshen rounded out the scoring by roofing the puck from the left face-off circle.
Guggenberger made 31 saves for the Rockets, while Chet Pickard turned aside 24 shots for the Americans – who faced heavy pressure in the final 75 seconds when the Rockets pulled their goalie for an extra attacker.
The move almost paid off, as Tyler Myers appeared to have picked the left corner, but Pickard came up with a solid blocker save.
"It was tough. The crowd was nuts and it seemed like it took forever for the refs to drop the puck (at one point)," said Pickard. "But it was good. They battled down right to the wire and I had to make a pretty big (cross-crease) save on Myers with a few seconds left.
"It was exciting... it was a tough game. The highs and lows were pretty dramatic... going down 2-0 into the third. But it’s exciting. I don’t expect anything less when you play a great team like Kelowna."
ICE CHIPS: Kelowna’s scratches were RW Kyle St. Denis (concussion, indefinite) and D Aaron Borejko. Tri-City’s scratches were D Brett Plouffe (leg), C Jason Reese (leg/knee), LW Spencer Asuchak (knee), RW Brock Zimak and G Drew Owsley... The three stars were Procyshen, Almond and Tri-City’s Mitch Fadden... Kelowna was 1-for-3 on the power play; Tri-City was 1-for-5.
http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/stories_local_sports.php?id=177030
Another close game, another wild ending. Another win for the Tri-City Americans.
For the second time in as many nights, Taylor Procyshen scored the game-winning goal for Tri-City as the Americans defeated the Kelowna Rockets 3-2 in WHL playoff action on Saturday night. And like Tri-City’s 4-3 victory in Game 1 on Friday, Procyshen’s tally in Game 2 was on the power play and came in the dying minutes.
Only unlike Game 1, where Kelowna rallied from a 3-1 deficit, it was Tri-City scoring three unanswered goals to win. And the comeback came courtesy of a Rockets’ turnover five minutes into the third period.
Down 2-0, Tri-City gained life when Kelowna’s Mitchell Callahan misplayed a puck in front of goaltender Mark Guggenberger. With the puck lying just outside of Kelowna’s crease and between the two Rockets, Brooks Macek swooped in and knocked in his second goal of the playoffs. That marker gave the home team life.
However, according to Rockets head coach Ryan Huska, the game-swinging error took place just seconds earlier.
"It was a Cody Almond giveaway at the offensive-zone blue-line. That’s what started the whole play," said Huska, whose team trails the best-of-seven series 2-0. "You play with fire when you’re creating turnovers against this team."
Regardless who turned it over, the Americans capitalized.
"It was a turning point for me," said Tri-City head coach Don Nachbaur. "But we also had chances in the first two periods. We didn’t get frustrated, we didn’t come in (after the second period) and hang our heads; we knew what we had to do. I thought we came out right from the get-go in the third and stuck with it.
"We were patient in our end and we executed when we found that loose puck. At the end of the day, I think we did exactly what we were supposed to do: Win both home games."
That the Americans did. However, a bounce here or there, and the Rockets could have easily taken a 2-0 lead. But on Saturday, Huska said Tri-City was full value for the win.
"To be quite honest, I thought they were the better team for the full 60 minutes," said Huska. "They were hungrier than we were. Their better players were really good again tonight. And they were in control of the game for the most part."
Jamie Benn, with his fourth goal of the playoffs, and Almond, with his third, scored for Kelowna, which plays host to Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday. Petr Stoklasa, at 9:44 of the third, also scored for Tri-City. Procyshen’s goal came at 17:17 with Kelowna’s Ian Duval in the box for hooking in the defensive zone. On Friday, Procyshen’s game-winning, power-play goal was scored at 18:07.
The Americans did not release Procyshen, 20, for post-game interviews, with Americans general manager Bob Tory stating the 5-foot-10 right winger from Emerald Park, Sask., was receiving medical attention.
The Rockets received a bit of good news prior to Saturday’s contest, as centre Mikael Backlund returned from what Kelowna called a lower-body injury. Asked how he felt after missing Game 1, the 6-foot-1 forward said he wasn’t his best.
"It was fun to play, but I wasn’t 100 per cent," said Backlund, who skated well at times but didn’t provide much offensive punch. "I don’t know why we didn’t win. We should have blocked one of the goals, and it’s hard to tell why (we lost) right after, but it’s too bad we lost.
"We can do so much better, and we’re such a better team (than this)."
The Rockets opened the scoring early in the first period, Benn on the power play at 5:39. With Justin Feser in the penalty box for interference, Almond won the faceoff in Tri-City’s zone and Benn grabbed the loose puck inside the right circle. From there, he quickly zipped to the slot, then beat Pickard by tucking the puck inside the far post.
In the second, Almond made it 2-0 at 16:32 with a labelled shot on an odd-man rush. The goal came just seconds after a penalty to Rockets defenceman Brandon McMillan expired at 16:14.
Tri-City, however, rallied in the third and levelled the score. After Macek scored, Stoklasa tipped in a hard Tyler Schmidt shot from the high slot. Procyshen rounded out the scoring by roofing the puck from the left face-off circle.
Guggenberger made 31 saves for the Rockets, while Chet Pickard turned aside 24 shots for the Americans – who faced heavy pressure in the final 75 seconds when the Rockets pulled their goalie for an extra attacker.
The move almost paid off, as Tyler Myers appeared to have picked the left corner, but Pickard came up with a solid blocker save.
"It was tough. The crowd was nuts and it seemed like it took forever for the refs to drop the puck (at one point)," said Pickard. "But it was good. They battled down right to the wire and I had to make a pretty big (cross-crease) save on Myers with a few seconds left.
"It was exciting... it was a tough game. The highs and lows were pretty dramatic... going down 2-0 into the third. But it’s exciting. I don’t expect anything less when you play a great team like Kelowna."
ICE CHIPS: Kelowna’s scratches were RW Kyle St. Denis (concussion, indefinite) and D Aaron Borejko. Tri-City’s scratches were D Brett Plouffe (leg), C Jason Reese (leg/knee), LW Spencer Asuchak (knee), RW Brock Zimak and G Drew Owsley... The three stars were Procyshen, Almond and Tri-City’s Mitch Fadden... Kelowna was 1-for-3 on the power play; Tri-City was 1-for-5.
http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/stories_local_sports.php?id=177030