Doug Love

Booker Daniel gets first WHL goal then shootout winner as Americans earn a split over the weekend

It was two more U.S. Division games for the Tri-City Americans as they took a quick trip out to Everett for a game at Angel of the Winds Arena with the Silvertips and then came back to the Toyota Center for a contest with the Seattle Thunderbirds.

Edge Lambert (Photo by Christopher Mast/Icon Sportswire)

Friday, October 18th: Everett 5 Tri-City 1

The Silvertips jumped on Beck Warm and the Americans with two first period goals and then added a second period marker from Dawson Butt to go up 3-0 midway through the game.

Sasha Mutala then got the Ams on the board with a ridiculous snipe after skating around the Everett zone and finding some room. It was his fifth of the season. Paycen Bjorklund and Mitchell Brown had the assists.

Everett then put Tri-City away with two more markers from Gage Goncalves and Bryce Kindopp (empty-netter) respectively.

Krystof Hrabik was excellent at the faceoff dot, winning 16-of-21. Warm stopped 28-of-32 shots.

“Obviously, we were not happy with the result in Everett. However, we probably played better than the score indicated,” Tri-City governor and general manager Bob Tory said.

Krystof Hrabik (Photo by Christopher Mast/Icon Sportswire)

Saturday, October 19th: Tri-City 3 Seattle 2 SO

The Americans then traveled back home for the first game in a six-game homestand.

After Conner Bruggen-Cate stuffed home the game’s opening goal, Booker Daniel started the scoring for the Ams with an impressive redirect of a Jayden Platz shot.

Connor Bouchard then got Tri-City the lead with a nice shot. The marker was his second this season.

Bruggen-Cate tied the game with 5:31 left, forcing overtime and getting each team a point.

Hrabik and Samuel Huo scored in the first five rounds of the shootout, while Andrej Kukuca and Zachary Ashton solved Warm.

Daniel then beat Seattle goalie Roddy Ross in round six to put Tri-City up, and Warm sealed the win with a stop on Alex Morozoff.

Booker Daniel (Photo-Doug Love)

“Saturday against Seattle was a good, hard game played by both teams. The result was in our favor. However, it could’ve went either way. Seattle was playing in their third straight overtime game, so they were probably due for the win. However, the hockey gods smiled on us in the shootout, and we came away with two valuable points,” Tory said.

Daniel’s goal was the first of his WHL career. He also added the shootout winner for a truly eventful night. The 2001-born forward from Vanderhoof, B.C., played three games last season for Tri-City, and after battling injuries this season, this was his fourth game of 2019-20.

“Happy for Booker. He battled some injuries early in the season and then has been in and out of the lineup. This will do nothing but give him added confidence. He has worked hard in practice, and it was nice to see him have an impact on the game and obviously in the shootout,” Tory stated.

Beck Warm (Photo-Doug Love)

The Americans are now 6-4-0-0 through 10 games overall, including 1-1 against Everett, 2-0 vs. Seattle, and 4-3 against the U.S. Division overall.

Warm turned away 4-of-6 in the shootout and 35-of-37 in the game. He has a 3.01 GAA and .901 save percentage in nine games played so far this season.

The week ahead:

Tuesday, 10/22 vs. Brandon

Friday, 10/25 vs. Prince Albert

Saturday, 10/26 vs. Prince George

“All teams, especially in the U.S., seem to have an October that is usually two games a week. The schedule will start getting busier for everyone as we move into November. We will not approach our preparation any differently, focusing on the immediate game up next before looking ahead to the next one. It is important, as tight as the division is, to have a good home record,” Tory said.

The Americans are 3-1 so far at home. This week, they will play nearly as many home games as they have all season.

Tri-City beat Brandon in a shootout 3-2 last season and lost to Prince Albert 3-1.

Nikita Krivokrasov will play his former club Friday. He skated in 36 regular season and seven playoff games over two seasons with the Raiders, scoring three goals.

Nikita Krivokrasov (photo-Doug Love)

The American Way...

-2000-born forward Wil Kushniryk was removed from the active roster. It is unknown currently what team he will report to, but he is from Chilliwack so one would think it would be in the BCHL. He was acquired from Kelowna for a conditional fifth-round pick early last season. He had three goals over 59 total games with the Americans.

-Blake Stevenson was the only reported injury on the weekly report. He is out month-to-month still with an upper body injury.

-The roster stands at 26 with 16 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goalies.

-Tri-City’s power play is 12th at 18.2 percent, and their penalty kill is 16th at 78.4 percent.

-15-year-old signed forward Jake Sloan has five points in five games with the Leduc Oil Kings of the AMHL.

-16-year-old signed defenseman Carson Haynes has two points in five games with the AMHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes.

-16-year-old signed goalie Mason Dunsford has a 4.23 GAA and .892 save percentage in three appearances with the Port Moody Panthers of the PIJHL.

-2002-born signed forward Sequoia Swan has five points in 10 games with the OCN Blizard of the MJHL.