Win streak ends, but Americans take over top spot in U.S. Division
Tri-City dropped its 14th consecutive game at Kelowna on Friday night, but picking a point in the 4-3 overtime loss bumped the Americans into first place in the U.S. Division.
Carsen Twarynski scored on the power play at 3:28 of overtime to lift the Rockets to the win and put an end to the Americans’ six-game win streak
Tri-City (9-4-1-0, 19 points), which is 7-2-1 in its past 10 games, is one point ahead of Portland, which was idle Friday.
Parker AuCoin scored short-handed in the first period, and on the power play in the third to lead the Americans. Nolan Yaremko also scored, while Patrick Dea finished with 33 saves.
The Americans took a 3-2 lead at 7:09 of the third on Yaremko’s goal, only to see Leif Mattson score the tying goal at 17:44.
Tri-City had a power play to start overtime, but couldn’t get the puck past James Porter, who finished with 28 saves.
Twarynski had two goals on the night for the Rockets (6-5-1-1, 14 points), while Dillon Dube scored in the first, and had an assist.
The Americans will play at Kamloops on Saturday, then will host Kelowna in the third of four meetings this season Wednesday at Toyota Center.
Rockets 4, Americans 3 (OT)
Tri-City | 1 | 0 | 2 0 | — | 3 |
Kelowna | 1 | 1 | 1 1 | — | 4 |
First — 1, TC, AuCoin 5, 7:45 (sh). 2, Kel, Dube 5 (Mattson, Twarynski), 10:28. Penalties — Olson, TC (slashing), 7:36; Kalinichenko, TC (hooking), 17:25.
Second — 3, Kel, Twarynski 7 (Dube, Ballhorn), 19:10. Penalties — Ballhorn, Kel (holding), :26; Focht, TC (cross-checking), 5:37; K.Topping, Kel (hooking), 8:40.
Third — 4, TC, AuCoin 6 (Coghlan, Focht), 2:47 (pp). 5, TC, Yaremko 3 (Bouchard, Johnson), 7:09. 6, Kel, Mattson 2 (Ballhorn, N.Foote), 17:44. Penalties — Dube, Kel (high-sticking), :50; James, TC (roughing), 9:11; Hilsendager, Kel (boarding), 19:53.
Overtime — 7, Kel, Twarynski 8 (Gardiner), 3:28 (pp). Penalties — J.Topping, TC (interference), 1:34.
Shots — TC 11-9-8-3 — 31. Kel 11-11-13-2 — 37. Power plays — TC 1-4. Kel 1-5. Goalies — TC, Dea 4-2-1-0 (37 shots-33 saves). Kel, Porter 3-2-1-0 (31-28). Referees — Sean Raphael and Ryan O’Keeffe. A — 4,539.
This story was originally published October 27, 2017 at 10:27 PM with the headline "Win streak ends, but Americans take over top spot in U.S. Division."