Tri-City Americans need scoring, special teams to come alive in Game 3 against Seattle

During the regular season, the Tri-City Americans averaged 3.7 goals a game, and their special teams were outstanding.

Come the first round of the playoffs, the Americans find themselves trailing the Seattle Thunderbirds 2-0 in the series because their bread-and-butter tools of the trade have failed to produce.

“We have to find a way to create more offense,” Tri-City coach Mike Williamson said. “Seattle did a good job of limiting our time and space and making it difficult for us to get to scoring areas. Our guys have to pay more of a price to get there.

“Special teams obviously were a huge factor in the first two games. We knew that going into the series that they would play a huge part of what happens in the games. Those both have been good for us, and they have to be better than what they were.”

The Americans host the Thunderbirds in Game 3 of the series Wednesday night, and Game 4 is Friday at Toyota Center.

Both of the Americans’ special teams units were some of the best in the Western Hockey League most of the season, with the power play ranked fourth at 24.8 percent at the end of the season. After going 1-for-12 over the first two games, it ranks 13th out 16 playoff teams at 8.3 percent.

Tri-City forward Vladislav Lukin was hurt in the first game, and while he finished the game, he did not play the second. Williamson said Lukin and forward Nolan Yaremko will be game-time decisions Wednesday.

Williamson would not divulge if they were going to make a goalie change in Game 3. Rylan Parenteau played the first two games, with Evan Sarthou on the bench.

“We will see,” Williamson said. “Rylan played well. The only reason we were in Game 2 was the way Rylan played and competed in the second period. Seattle had us on the ropes a little there, and he refused to let down and he gave us an opportunity.”

Seattle rookie tender Carl Stankowski has been impressive. With an undisclosed injury to starter Rylan Toth, Stankowski has a 2.00 goals against average and a .938 save percentage over the past two games.

NEW FACES: The Americans brought in affiliate players Sasha Mutala and Liam Belcourt for the remainder of the playoffs. Williamson said he didn’t know if they would see any ice time, but that it was nice to have the extra players, if needed.

Mutala, a forward, was the Americans’ first overall pick (sixth overall) in the 2016 WHL bantam draft, while Belcourt, a defenseman, was taken in the fourth round (71st) in 2015.

PELLERIN SELECTED TO U-16 STAFF: Americans assistant coach Brian Pellerin was named an assistant coach for Team B.C. for the upcoming Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup in Calgary, and the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, Alberta. Steve O’Rourke, a former Tri-City Americans defenseman (1991-93) and current assistant coach with the Prince George Cougars, was named the head coach.

This story was originally published March 28, 2017 at 5:43 PM with the headline "Tri-City Americans need scoring, special teams to come alive in Game 3 against Seattle."