Andy Devlin

Tri-City Americans Notebook: Three wins in four days in Alberta

After a month spent mostly at home, the Tri-City Americans (11-6-0-1) set out on a really tough road trip to Alberta. While there, they were set to face three of the teams with the best records in the entire WHL.

It was certainly going to be a tough test.

The Americans passed with flying colors.

A huge reason they were able to get all six points on the trip and now sit tied for second in the U.S. Division was their goaltending. Beck Warm stopped 46 shots in Calgary and then turned away all 47 in Edmonton. Talyn Boyko took the net in between those starts and stopped 47 shots. That is 140 saves over three games. With the team facing 145 total shots on goal, that is a sparkling combined save percentage of .966.

“Goaltending has been a strength of our team for quite some time. We come to expect strong performances and it gives us a chance to win every night. Both goaltenders have given us stellar performances this year,” said Tri-City governor and general manager Bob Tory of his two goalies.

Let’s take a look at the three games:

Bryan McAndrews (Photo-Candice Ward)

Friday, November 8th: Tri-City 4 @Calgary Hitmen 3 SO

Our Freddy Mayer was there and has the full recap here.

This game was setting itself up as quite the story for the home team. Former Tri-City first-round Bantam Draft pick Carson Focht scored with 4:17 left to give Calgary a 3-2 lead.

Focht was sent to the Hitmen as part of the trade the Americans made for defenseman Jake Bean a couple seasons ago.

Instead, Connor Bouchard found the net with just 22 seconds left and Warm pulled for the extra attacker, tying the game. Warm then did not allow a single Hitmen shooter to beat him in the shootout, while Bouchard put on a dandy of a move to give the road team a stunning win.

Earlier, the Americans actually had a third period lead in this one at 2-1.

After Egor Zamula opened the scoring in the second, defense led to offense in a spectacular way for Tri-City. Warm made a great left pad save on a breakaway attempt by Adam Kydd and the Americans scooped up the puck and went flying down on the counter-attack. Sasha Mutala made a nice saucer pass to a driving Kyle Olson to tie the game at one.

Nick Bowman then gave Tri-City the lead with his third goal in two games in the third.

Mark Kastelic and Focht then spurred the Calgary come back to take the lead that they relinquished late thanks to Bouchard.

Olson led the way offensively with two points.

Tri-City went 0-for-3 on the power play and 3-of-4 on the penalty kill.

Talyn Boyko (Photo-Erica Perreaux)

Saturday, November 9th: Tri-City 3 @Lethbridge Hurricanes 2

John Easthope was there for DUBNetwork and has the recap here.

Lethbridge pounced all over Boyko and the Americans the next night, outshooting them 19-4 in the first period. Unfortunately for them, Boyko was on his game. He stopped all 19 Hurricanes attempts, and with Olson finding the net, helped the Americans to a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes despite the shot discrepancy.

Edge Lambert then added his second goal in the month of November to again spot the Americans with a third period lead on the Alberta trip.

The Hurricanes, who had not scored on 33 shots over the first two periods, finally beat Boyko.

D-Jay Jerome and Alex Cotton added back-to-back goals, and the Hurricanes had roared back to tie the game.

Then, with 11 minutes left, Mutala netted his eighth goal this season to give the Americans a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish.

Mutala had three points, Olson had his second straight two-point game, and Bouchard added two assists.

The Americans went 1-for-1 on the power play and 6-of-7 on the penalty kill.

When talking about the trip as a whole, Tory mentioned how the Americans were shorthanded way too many times for his liking.

“We were very good 5-on-5 and on the PK. However, we still took too many penalties. Our goaltenders stood tall.”

Connor Bouchard (Photo-Andy Devlin)

Monday, November 11th: Tri-City 3 @Edmonton Oil Kings 0

The Americans then headed to Edmonton for a Veteran’s Day matinee game to close out the short Alberta trip. Warm’s 32-save shutout was his second this season and fourth in his WHL career.

Paycen Bjoirklund opened the scoring on the power play in the first period. Bouchard added a marker with 11 seconds left in the frame for a 2-0 lead.

Krystof Hrabik then added a power-play goal, which was his first marker since October 12th, to give us the 3-0 final.

Tri-City was 2-for-4 on the power play and 6-of-6 on the PK.

Over the trip, the Americans were 3-for-8 on the PP and 15-of-18 on the PK. They were a man down more than twice as often as they were a man up.

Olson had two points yet again, and Bouchard was in on all three goals. Bouchard had six points over the three games as well.

“Connor is having a strong year. He works extremely hard and it is good to see him have some offensive success early in the season,” Tory said.

Bouchard has 15 points in 18 games, which is second on the team behind Mutala’s 18.

“Obviously, anytime you can win on the road in the WHL, it is a big thing. We played three really good teams and were able to come out on top. Credit goes to our coaches and players who prepared for each game with discipline and purpose,” Tory stated.


After three games in four days, the Americans play just once over the next 10 days.

Saturday, 11/16: vs Spokane

It’s Game 3 of the season series between the two rivals. The Americans took the first game on the road 3-0 and dropped the second at home 7-1.


The American Way…

-Import forward Jan Cikhart and rookie defenseman Ian Ferguson again were listed on NHL Central Scouting’s watch list. Both were given “C” rankings as possible fourth, fifth, or sixth round NHL Draft picks.

Nikita Krivokrasov served his one game suspension for his kneeing major against Vancouver in the Friday game vs. Calgary.

Nikita Krivokrasov (photo-Doug Love)

-The roster remains at 25 with 16 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goalies. There are no players listed as out with injuries this week.

-2000-born forward Sequoia Swan now has seven points in 20 games for the MJHL’s OCN Blizzard.

-2003-born defenseman Carson Haynes has four points in 11 games with the AMHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes.

-2002-born blue liner Jarrod Newell has settled in with the Camrose Kodiaks of the AJHL and has two assists with six games.

Warm and Sawchuk (Photo-Andy Devlin)

-2004-born forward Jake Sloan is over a point-per-game with the 13 points playing for Leduc in the AMHL.

Jayden Platz and Bowman both played against their former club when they visited Edmonton, and Riley Sawchuk took on his former team in the Ams.