Things continue to be exciting in the U.S. Division as the season gets ready to say goodbye to October.
Everett is second in the WHL with 22 points and are ranked 6th in the CHL top ten. Two U.S. Division players are near the top of the league scoring race and one leads in goals scored. Carter Hart is leading the WHL in goals-against average. Its simply a U.S. Division world these days.
Two U.S. teams, Spokane and Seattle, are out east this week so if you’re in the prairies, now is your chance see what has been going down here in the States.
Here’s the latest from the U.S. Division:
Everett keeps on Tippin
With 14 games under their belt the Silvertips are off to an impressive 10-2-2-0 start to lead the U.S. Division by five points. They allow the fewest shots in the WHL and continue to get timely goal scoring. They average 3.6 goals-per-game and when you combine that with their air tight defense and Hart in net, they’ve been tough to handle. They have Calgary Flames prospect Eetu Tuulola back after injury and he scored twice on Thursday and he should add even more offense to the Tips attack. Tuuloa and Domonic Zwerger are the heavy lifters for Everett but how about the start Riley Sutter is off to? After scoring just one goal in 31 games last year, Sutter has seven in 14 games this season. Secondary scoring from guys like Sutter will be key to how far Everett can go the rest of the way.
Don’t sleep on the Americans
Overlooked by many preseason experts, the Tri City Americans have been playing well. Before losing to Everett on Thursday night the Americans had won six-of-ten and found themselves in second place in the U.S. Division. Michael Rasmussen continues to lead the league in goal scoring but has been a bit cold of late as he hasn’t scored in five straight games. That fact makes their recent run even more impressive as they’re getting it from the entire roster. Defenseman Parker Wotherspoon was named to Team WHL for the upcoming Canada-Russia series and was named as an alternate captain. The Americans may not win the U.S. Division but their play early in the season has proven that they won’t be the push overs some thought them to be before the season began.
Winterhawks coming back to earth?
After a surprising start the Winterhawks have stumbled a bit over the last week. They head into the weekend riding a three-game losing streak and after an 8-3-0-0 start have slipped to third place in the division. Despite the three losses they continue to get strong play in net from Cole Kehler. Acquired just before the season started from Kamloops in a deal that looked like a throw away deal, Kehler has been more than advertised. He didn’t play any games in the WHL last season but has appeared in 11 so far for Portland and is 6-4 with a 2.81 goals-against and .908 save percentage. With the high-flying, up tempo style that Mike Johnston wants the Winterhawks to play, having a solid goalie is key.
Good Chiefs, Bad Chiefs
The young Chiefs are finishing up their Eastern Swing and it’s been feast or famine for them so far. They gave up 16 goals on their way to three straight losses against Regina, Moose Jaw and Brandon to start the trip. They rebounded earlier this week and pasted Saskatoon 6-2 to snap the streak. Spokane’s a young team and as such, you never know what you’re going to get from them night to night. One guy who has been consistent is Kailer Yamamoto. The 2017 Draft Eligible has climbed to a second-place tie for the league in points with 21. He also trails Tri City’s Rasmussen by one goal for the league lead in goals scored.
Shorthanded Thunderbirds scuffle
Speaking of inconsistency, Seattle continues to search for itself this season. They looked good in beating Portland 3-1 last Friday but then dropped a 5-1 decision to the Kelowna Rockets the next night. They’ve had some injuries pile up on them as Ryan Gropp, among others, have been out. Against Portland and Kelowna they only had 11 forwards in the lineup, including defenseman Anthony Bishop who filled in on a fourth line wing. They are still waiting for Keegan Kolesar to come back from injury and of course are waiting on pins and needles to see what happens with Mathew Barzal in New York. The team hits the road for their Eastern Swing this weekend, starting Friday in Swift Current as they continue to try and survive the first half.
