Tri-City Americans open WHL playoffs against the Seattle Thunderbirds
After missing out on the Western Hockey League playoffs last year, the Tri-City Americans are ready to take the ice against the Seattle Thunderbirds in the first round this season, starting Friday.
As the higher seed, Seattle hosts the first two games of the best-of-7 series Friday (7:35 p.m.) and Saturday (7:05 p.m.).
The series shifts to Toyota Center for Games 3 and 4 on March 29 and 31. The gap gives the teams a day off and the Americans a Friday night gate.
“That Friday should be a good crowd,” Tri-City coach Mike Williamson said. “The day off between games will be nice to regroup and get some rest.”
If necessary, Game 5 would be April 1 in Seattle, Game 6 on April 3 in Kennewick, and Game 7 would be back in Seattle on April 5.
The Thunderbirds were 6-2 against the Americans this season, and Seattle is 16-1-0-0 on home ice against Tri-City over the past five seasons.
The Americans enter the series with the fourth-best power play in the league, with players like Morgan Geekie, Jordan Topping and Kyle Olson stepping up on special teams after Michael Rasmussen went out with a fractured wrist at the beginning of March. Tyler Sandhu is tied for fourth in the league with 29 power-play assists.
Geekie leads the Americans in scoring with 35 goals and 90 points, followed by Sandhu (23 goals, 60 assists), and defensemen Parker Wotherspoon and Juuso Välimäki, who have combined for 29 goals and 98 assists.
The Americans will move forward without Rasmussen and forward Nolan Yaremko, who was injured in practice last week.
Ryan Gropp leads the Thunderbirds with 84 points, including 35 goals, while Mathew Barzal has 10 goals and 69 assists in 41 games.
Barzal missed Seattle’s last five regular-season games. He was tested for the mumps, but the team has not made an official statement on his condition.
Annie Fowler: 509-582-1574, @TCHIceQueen
Americans vs. Thunderbirds
Best-of-7
Friday: Tri-City at Seattle, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday: Tri-City at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday, March 29: Seattle at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
Friday, March 31: Seattle at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, April 1: Tri-City at Seattle, 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
Monday, April 3: Seattle at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
Wednesday, April 5: Tri-City at Seattle, 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
This story was originally published March 21, 2017 at 6:29 PM with the headline "Tri-City Americans open WHL playoffs against the Seattle Thunderbirds."