Tri-City Americans midseason report card: Team gets passing grades, for now

A Christmas Story takes us on a journey with Ralphie Parker, a 9-year-old boy who wants nothing more for Christmas than an “official Red Ryder carbine action, 200-shot range model air rifle.”

After losing the final four games before the Christmas break, Tri-City Americans coach Mike Williamson wants nothing more than to go back to the beginning of the season, when his team was winning, rolling up points and making the rest of the Western Hockey League take notice.

Whether it was the lure of the holiday break or a kink in the team’s game plan, it was as if the Americans stuck their collective tongues to a metal pole just to see what would happen. Well, they shot their eye out, and now their psyche is fra-gee-lay.

The second half of the season starts Tuesday night with a home game against the Portland Winterhawks. I triple dog dare them to get their game back on track.

In keeping with the holiday tradition, here is how the Americans grade out after 37 games, in which they have a 19-15-3-0 record with 41 points. They had all of 28 points at the Christmas break last season, so this is a vast improvement.

What is disappointing is going 4-4-1-0 during a nine-game homestand, and dropping their past four games. Tri-City is 3-6-1-0 over its past 10 games, and teams such as Portland and Seattle are two and four points back. U.S. Division leader Everett is 12 points up on the Americans and has four games in hand.

The Americans have shown they can score (sixth-most goals scored in the league with 126), and it’s a good thing. They have allowed 132 goals this season. Sixteen teams, nine of which have fewer wins than Tri-City, have allowed fewer goals.

But let’s look at the positives. Tri-City is ranked third in the 22-team WHL on the power play (27.5 percent), has scored 44 power-play goals (second in the league) and has allowed just four short-handed goals.

The Americans rank sixth on the penalty kill (81.8 percent) and have scored four short-handed goals — two by Parker AuCoin.

Tri-City has six players with 30 or more points through 37 games. In comparison, only eight players finished the season with 30 or more points last season.

Let’s get this show on the road.

Coach

Mike Williamson: The Americans got off to a hot start to the season, and things were looking good until early December. Regarding the past three weeks, one has to ask if the team was prepared or the pressure of constantly being at the top wore the players down. Either way, let’s hope a little home cooking and a few hugs from mom have the players coming back ready for action. After missing the playoffs last season for the first time since the 2002-03 season, they need to put their game in high gear and stay there. Missing the playoffs again is not an option. Grade: A-

Forwards

Morgan Geekie: Who is this kid? A second-year player, he had all of 12 goals and 25 points last season. This season, he leads the team in scoring with 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists). He has points in four of his past five games. He is tied for 11th in the league in scoring. Also has a team-best plus-7. Looking forward to many more good things from him. Grade: A

Michael Rasmussen: The team’s go-to man for goals, he has 23, ranking third in the league. The 6-foot-5, 200-pounder opened the season with four goals against Spokane. In his past 14 games, he has four goals and five assists. All told, he has 39 points, but the Americans need production from him on a nightly basis. It’s his draft year, and he’s a potential first-round draft pick, but he needs to get back on track before his season derails. He is tied for third in the league with 11 power-play goals and is a big presence in front of the net. Any team in the league would want him on its side. By no means is his season subpar, but we all know what he is capable of. Grade: A

Tyler Sandhu: If this report card came out the first month of the season, well, let’s just say he would not have fared well. But he has turned the corner in his final WHL season. Captain Sandhu has eight goals, and he’s tied for eighth in the league with 30 assists and tied for second in the WHL with his 18 power-play assists. He’s only 10 points off the career-high 48 he finished with last season. Grade: A

Vladislav Lukin: One of the six Tri-City players with 30 or more points this season. In his third season, he just keeps getting better and better. He has 14 goals and 17 assists in 37 games. Key man on the power play. He has a good strong shot, and he skates well and makes good decisions. His play the rest of the season will help dictate how far this team will go. Grade: A

Kyle Olson: After an injury derailed him last season, the second-year man has made an impression this season with nine goals and 18 assists in 37 games. He has no points in his past six games, which is disappointing after the start he had to the season. The Americans need him to be more consistent. Grade: B+

Parker AuCoin: I like his tenacity and his willingness to get his hands dirty. He’s a bulldog on the penalty kill and has two short-handed goals. He had such a strong start to the season with nine goals and 10 assists in 37 games. Make that 23 games. AuCoin has not scored in 14 games, since Nov. 18 against Kamloops. He does so many good things that sometimes you lose sight of the fact that the points aren’t there. I know he knows the points aren’t there, and I’m sure the string of losses weighs on him. I have confidence his scoring touch will return. Grade: B+

Jordan Topping: He suffered a severe high ankle sprain at the Dallas Stars camp in September. He hit the ice Dec. 3 against Spokane. In eight games, he has three goals and five assists. He is the team’s top returning scorer from last season, and it looks as though he hasn’t lost a step. The team needs big games from him in the second half. He gets an “A” for effort. Grade: Incomplete

Max James: Oh, how the team has missed him. A big, strong player who was off to a good start to the season, with five goals and two assists in 10 games. A lower-body injury suffered Oct. 22 at Kamloops has kept him off the ice. Let’s hope Santa brings him back for the second half of the season. Grade: Incomplete

Nolan Yaremko: Here is a guy who will kill a penalty, defend a teammate and give you every ounce of energy he has on a nightly basis. He has played every game, chipping in three goals and four assists, but his value cannot be measured in numbers. Grade: B

Brett Leason: A big kid who at 17 still is growing into his skates. He put up big numbers at the lower level, prompting the Americans to draft him in the third round of the 2014 bantam draft, but he hasn’t found that success in the WHL. He has one goal and four assists to his credit, but there is much work to be done. Grade: C

Carson Focht: Big things were expected from the kid out of Saskatchewan. A high scorer at the lower level, he has struggled to find his touch in the WHL. He has played 30 games, with two goals and one assist, and he’s getting good ice time. Hoping the second half brings out his natural ability. Grade: C

Keltie Jeri-Leon: Just 16, he still is adjusting to the pace and physical play of the WHL. In 29 games, he has one goal. With injuries to key players, he has gotten the ice time, but he just hasn’t been able to put together a complete package. Grade: C

Austyn Playfair: Missed most of the first half of the season because of an upper-body injury. He came back to play nine games, but was injured again Dec. 9 against Kelowna. Could be a minor setback or he could be a china doll. Time will tell. Grade: Incomplete

Riley Sawchuk: He has 24 games to his credit, but zero points. He’s a rookie on a team with a plethora of talented forwards, and it could be a while before he finds his place. He’s getting ice time with injuries to James and Playfair, and needs to make the most of it. Grade: Incomplete

Defensemen

Juuso Välimäki: It’s his draft year, and everything is coming up lingonberries. In 32 games, he has 12 goals and 35 points. He ranks fourth in scoring for defensemen in the WHL. A solid two-way player who skates well, plays a smart game and logs a ton of ice time. Currently with Team Finland at the World Junior Championship. Grade: A

Parker Wotherspoon: One of the top veteran defensemen in the WHL, he is signed by the New York Islanders. Played in the Canada Russia Series, but was passed over by Team Canada for the WJC. Is tied for fifth in team scoring with five goals and 26 assists. His 31 points rank him seventh in the WHL among defensemen. He’s confident, skates well, is defensively sound, is good with the puck and, like Välimäki, logs a lot of ice time. Might like to see a bit more bite to his game, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Grade: A

Dylan Coghlan: A big surprise this season. The third-year man has six goals and 19 assists, and already has more points in 36 games than he did in 70 last season. Plays a simple game, chips in offensively and is dependable on the back end. Of his six goals, four have come on the power play. Grade: A

Dalton Yorke: Solid in his own end, which is what was expected of him when the Americans traded to bring him into the fold. He has eight assists to his credit, and his 76 penalty minutes rank third in the league and include four fights. He has a presence on the ice that helped him earn an “A” on his sweater, and he keeps opposing players in line, which is something the Americans lacked last season. Grade: A-

Brendan O’Reilly: Not quite sure if he is a D-man or a forward. He’s able and winning to play both when called upon, but I think the blue line is his true calling. He has played every game, but at times disappears into the background. Not a jump-up-and-join-the-rush kind of guy, or a rugged player on the back end. Needs to make his presence felt. One goal and one assist to his credit. Grade: B

Dakota Krebs: A free-agent addition by the Americans, the 6-3, 185-pound Krebs is a big presence on the ice, but he needs to have a bigger impact on a nightly basis. He has one goal and one assist in 36 games. Grade: B-

Seth Bafaro: He has had limited time (16 games) with a good group of D-men ahead of him. Still looking for his first WHL point. He will get some needed ice time with Välimäki at the WJC. Hasn’t played enough to get a real feel for his game. Grade: Incomplete

Goalies

Rylan Parenteau: Brought in for his experience while Evan Sarthou was on the mend, Parenteau was a calming influence for rookie Beck Warm and second-year man Nick Sanders. While he is sure and steady with the puck outside the crease, too many pucks (67) have bypassed him and gone in the net. His goals against average is 3.60, and he has a save percentage of .896. He is 11-8-1-0, and all of his numbers must improve if the Americans are to be contenders in the Western Conference. Grade: B-

Beck Warm: He was solid when he got time in the crease, but since Sarthou came back, he has played once. He is 3-4-0-0 with a 3.31 GAA and a .903 save percentage. A great young talent, but he needs more playing time. Grade: Incomplete

Evan Sarthou: A veteran with a ton of games under his belt, but he hasn’t regained the swagger that put him on the map two seasons ago. He is 4-3-2-0 with a 3.36 GAA and a .903 save percentage. Like Parenteau, Sarthou has to improve if the team is going to have success. Grade: B-

This story was originally published December 24, 2016 at 2:53 PM with the headline "Tri-City Americans midseason report card: Team gets passing grades, for now."