Tri-City Americans ring in the new year with 3-1 win over Spokane

Rylan Parenteau had gotten a scouting report on the New Year’s Eve game against Spokane from his Tri-City teammates.

The game lived up to the hype Saturday night, and Parenteau added to the frenzy with 29 saves as the Tri-City Americans beat the Chiefs 3-1 before a sold-out crowd of 5,869 at Toyota Center.

“I was happy to hear I was getting the start and happy to be part of the atmosphere,” Parenteau said. “This was one of the best crowds I’ve been a part of.”

The Americans (22-16-3-0, 47 points) ended a three-game skid on New Year’s Eve, giving them a little bonus as they head out for their East Division road swing. Tri-City leads the New Year’s Eve series 16-9-1-0 with one tie.

“It took us a while to get going,” Tri-City coach Mike Williamson said. “Spokane did a good job of clogging things up. Rylan was terrific in net at times. I think in close, tight-knit games, every little play can be a difference maker. No one generated a ton of offense and the goalies made good saves.”

Tied at 1-all since early in the second period, the Americans went out front 2-1 at 12:38 of the third as Vladislav Lukin reeled in a cross-ice pass from Max James and beat Jayden Sittler at the left post.

The Chiefs pressured the Americans in the waning seconds, pulling Sittler for an extra attacker. Hudson Elynuik had an open net to the left of Parenteau, but rang the puck off the post with 35 seconds remaining.

Tri-City turned the play around and Tyler Sandhu scored his second of the night in an empty net with 23 seconds to play.

“That’s a goalie’s best friend,” Parenteau said of the post. “(Dylan) Coghlan also bailed me out. This was a team effort, for sure.”

It was the second win over Spokane in as many nights for Tri-City, which now has a four-point lead over Portland in the U.S. Division standings after the Winterhawks lost 3-2 to Seattle on Saturday.

“Every division game is important,” Parenteau said. “You want those points.”

Trailing 1-0 early in the second period, the Americans went on their first power play of the night at 8:13.

It took just 23 seconds for the Americans to find the net as Sandhu’s shot from the top of the left circle went far side and in the net.

Tied at 1-1 late in the second, the Chiefs went on the man advantage and looked to take the lead, but Parenteau had other plans.

Keanu Yamamoto took a feed off the wall and fired the puck toward the net from the slot. Parenteau slid from left to right, making a highlight reel sprawling pad save to keep the puck out of the net with 32 seconds left in the period.

“That was huge,” Sandhu said. “Those saves boosted the team. It was pretty fun.”

In a fast and hard-hitting first period, the Chiefs scored the only goal as Riley McKay deflected a shot by Ondrej Najman past Parenteau at 13:32.

Less than 30 seconds before Spokane scored, Tri-City’s Michael Rasmussem knocked the puck away from Matt Leduc at the blue line and took off up ice. Rasmussen ended up in the Chiefs’ net instead of the puck.

Parker Wotherspoon and Lukin each handed out two assists for the Americans.

This story was originally published December 31, 2016 at 10:45 PM with the headline "Tri-City Americans ring in the new year with 3-1 win over Spokane."