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Thursday, Mar. 27, 2008
Ams make it a clean sweep of Blazers
ANNIE FOWLER
KAMLOOPS, British Columbia -- The Tri-City Americans won their first opening-round playoff series since 2004 and their first-ever playoff series over the Kamloops Blazers on Wednesday night.
The U.S. Division champions scored three goals in a 3:15 span of the third period and cruised to a 6-2 victory over the Blazers at Interior Savings Centre to win the series 4-0.
"This is the first one we've won in four years," said Tri-City coach Don Nachbaur, whose team has won nine games in a row and swept a playoff series for the first time since 1999, when it beat Portland in the first round. "We showed a lot of killer instinct to get it. We've done that all season."
Tri-Cities had lost four playoff series to Kamloops (1991, 1995, 1996, 1999). But this season's Blazers were no match for goalie Chet Pickard and the Americans. Pickard finished the series with a 1.79 goals against average, while the Americans outscored the Blazers 20-7.
"The guys really helped me out all series," Pickard said. "They cleared pucks and made some huge shot blocks. Kamloops never quit; they came to the net hard."
Blair Macaulay opened the third-period onslaught with his second goal in as many nights at 5:53, followed by the first of Radek Meidl's two goals in the period at 6:29.
Rookie defenseman Lane Werbowski gave the Americans a 5-1 lead, blasting the puck from the right point through traffic for his first goal of the playoffs.
"We've been able to open it up in the third period all series," Macaulay said. "We got the result we wanted, but I think we could have played better. We have to be a lot better in the next series."
Kamloops pulled within 5-2 with a power-play goal from Ivan Rohac at 10:31, but Meidl came back with his second of the game a minute later, following up on a rebound on a shot by Shaun Vey.
"I didn't play well the first three games," said Meidl, who leads the team with three playoff goals. "I had to refocus my game. I want to go far with Tri-City and do my best."
Not wanting to extend the series, the Americans got off to a fast start as defenseman Brett Plouffe opened the scoring at 3:14, blasting the puck from the top of the left faceoff circle through traffic and into the net.
After failing to score on three power plays, the Americans took a 2-0 lead at 16:24 as Macaulay hit Drew Hoff streaming down the slot. Hoff took the puck down to the left post where he slipped it between goalie Justin Leclerc and the post.
"That line was outstanding again," Nachbaur said of Macaulay, Hoff and Petr Stoklasa. "They were our life line in the series. They have been the difference."
The Blazers, trying to keep their season alive, cut the deficit to 2-1 at 6:50 of the second period as Juuso Puustinen cut down the slot and lifted the puck past Pickard's left shoulder.
Pickard finished with 14 saves before turning the net over to Kyle Birch at 14:48 of the third. Birch, in his first action of the playoffs, stopped both of the shots he faced.
"This is where you showcase yourself," Pickard said of the playoffs. "We have had a lot of guys step up and that's been nice."
Notes
Vey and Colton Yellow Horn each had two assists for the Americans. Yellow Horn leads the team with eight playoffs points. ... Tri-Cities was a woeful 0-for-12 on the power play in Kamloops after going 4-for-18 (22.2 percent) at Toyota Center. ... Tri-City F Jason Reese took a puck to the mouth off a shot by Yellow Horn at 12:00 of the second and did not return. He received three stitches after his tooth went through is lower lip. ... Americans D Mitch McColm was suspended for one game by the WHL for his actions at the end of Game 3 on Tuesday. McColm was given a double minor for spearing Kamloops' Nick Ross. He served his suspension Wednesday. ... Moose Jaw's Keaton Ellerby was suspended for one game for a slashing major and a game misconduct against Calgary on Tuesday. ... If Spokane and Everett play a Game 5 of their series, it will be at the Everett Events Center on Saturday instead of Spokane Arena, which is a host site for one region of the women's NCAA basketball tournament. If the Chiefs and Silvertips should need to play Games 6 and 7, they will be at Spokane Arena. Spokane leads the series 3-0.
