The Tri-City Americans beat the Spokane Chiefs Friday Night 6-3 at the Toyota Center. Tonight was the first game of the doubleheader against Spokane this weekend. Jake Sloan was able to notch a hat trick to help Tri-City overcome Spokane. Tonight is also the first time Tri-City has won back-to-back games since December 8th and 9th.
Tri-City dominated the first period of play and arguably played the best period of hockey the team has played all season.
Jake Sloan started the night off by getting his twenty goal of the season just under two minutes into the contest on the power play. Sloan cleaned up the rebound off a Mason Finley shot out front to give Tri-City the early lead.
At 14:29, Carter MacAdams showed excellent hand-eye coordination and doubled the American lead in the first period. Lukas Dragicevic fired a slapshot off the faceoff that Carter MacAdams tipped out net-front.
With time running out in the first period, Mr. Peanut Butter and Mr. Jelly, known as Jake Sloan and Jordan Gavin, tagged up to make it 3-0.
In a foot race, Gavin beat out a Spokane defender and chucked the puck over to Jake Sloan. Sloan sat wide open in the slot and fired a one-timer that whizzed by the glove of Chiefs goalie Cooper Michaluk, who stood no chance.
Shots after the first period of play were a staggering 21-10 in favor of Tri-City.
Spokane came out of the intermission on a mission. In the second period, Swedish import Rasmus Ekstrom got the Chiefs on the board at 1:55.
Ekstrom was lurking in the slot and came in to clean up the rebound from a Brayden Crampton shot from the point that ended up right at Ekstrom’s stick to make it a two-goal deficit.
Chase Bertholet on the power play after an Andrew Fan tripping penalty at 11:13 would make it a one-goal game.
With multiple Chief players screening American goalie Kyle Kelsey, Layton Feist let a slap shot go from the point. Bertholet tipped it at the last second by Kelsey’s shoulder.
Shots after two periods of play were 29-21 in favor of Tri-City. Tri-City also held a one-goal lead entering the third period.
The Americans kept a similar trend of scoring early into the period. At 1:10, shorthanded, Jake Sloan walked in on a two-on-one with Jordan Gavin. Sloan sauced a pass over to Gavin, who buried the puck home and made it 4-2 Tri-City early in the third.
Tri-City would add another goal and start walking away with the game at 5:29.
Sage Weinstein coughed the puck to the speedy Parker Bell, who skated in on a breakaway. Bell then fired a wrister by the blocker of Cooper Michaluk and sent the fans to Burger Ranch for his twenty-second goal of the season.
Berkly Catton would get his 39th goal of the season at 9:11 in the third period. Connor Roulette at the side of the net dumped a puck off to Catton, who was lurking in the slot after a botched defensive play by Tri-City.
Catton gladly took the puck from Roulette and finished the job off from close quarters on Kyle Kelsey.
Jake Sloan would complete the hat trick on an empty net with just eight seconds remaining in the game. Sloan tipped a slow-rolling Jordan Gavin wrister in front of an empty net to do the trick.
Following their win, Tri-City move to 21-29-2-1 on the season. Tri-City will look to carry the momentum from tonight’s win into Saturday as the Americans take on the Spokane Chiefs on the road. Puck drop is set for 6:05 p.m.
Northwest Sports Desk 